My things & my selfishness

There are some activities I do that are my activities. I do them and no one else I know does them with me.

Donating platelets to the Red Cross is my thing. I know the people at the donor center from going there a few dozen times. Recently my dad started going with me. I was glad it was a positive activity he could do, but it started to cut into how I did things. For example, when I try to have a semi-meaningful conservation with the receptionist, he jumps in and turns the conservation to dead ends. I could ask her about her dog, any random movies she saw, or going to Las Vegas, but my dad makes trite comments that push the talking to termination. Even if I go in one day without my dad everyone asks me about him. What happened to talking to me about me?

There is also driving to the center and back. Often I do not like making other stops after the procedure, except of course for 7-eleven. Now I drive there and I am told we will be stopping to go shopping here or there, which I never agreed to.

Another example is activities at Church. Both my dad and brother are members of the Knight of Columbus (a Catholic fraternal organisation that does service). Both of them joined before I did since I was not old enough when they joined. However, I do not like going to meetings or doing events with them. I often feel like an add on who is along for the ride when they do things with the group. When I interact with people I am always known because of other people in my family.

To contrast, I really enjoy the activities at church related to the retreat I just planned. Everyone there knows me first and foremost as Chris. I am not defined in relation to someone else like my brother or dad, but for being me.

Maybe I am narcissistic, but I want some things to be my own.