MISSING: My other half.

When I graduated high school, I had a best friend who I cherished above all. I easily ended my long-term relationship with a guy who I still cared for. I moved out of my mother's place without any homesickness. But, I could not fathom the idea of giving up the one person whom I loved more than anyone. In the year since then, I can honestly say she is not even on my radar as a friend anymore. Everyone always told me that friends from high school rarely last, but I really thought this was different. I guess everyone does.

Though I am reeling from the loss of someone who I genuinely loved being with and talking to, what really surprised me was a different side effect. When I lost my best friend, I lost an important part of myself. I never realized how much of my life I put into that friendship. It was composed of six years of firsts, joys, fears, angst, and memories. Therefore, in giving it more thought, it is no surprise that losing her so intimately bothers me. There is an important part of me that I left with her, something that I can never give to anyone else and never take back. She holds a fraction of my being rooted in a crucial time that is integral to who I am today. She was a part of me that I cannot replace. 

I did not know how immense the effect of her walking out of my life was before August. In August, I experienced something that set my life off-kilter. I was broken in a way that cannot be explained to those who have not felt it. I lost my control, had my trust violated, and was forced to look at myself in a light that disgusted me. At that point, I needed my best friend. I needed the girl whom I skipped class to buy a pregnancy test for. I needed the girl whom I stood up for when others mocked her choice to date a girl. I needed the girl whose naughty secret about two boys in a tent I kept. I needed the one person whom I trusted completely and knew me better than anyone else.

It takes something drastic to illuminate the subtly growing holes in your life, but once that happens, it is impossible to shove them back into the dark. I wish I could ignore the absence, but it has become painfully apparent. Yet, the one thing that hurts above all else is that she let it happen. I tried to keep her, but she pushed me away. She found ways to avoid seeing or talking to me in the four months she was home over the summer semester, regardless of how many invitations I sent. Passive-aggressive behaviour was always her thing, so at least THAT has not changed.

Selfish.

Do you have a best friend?

Did you keep many of your friends from high school?

This is class.

Yup.

My friends are cool.

What are you up to?

"I've had it! I'm moving to Canada!"

Apparently it is a thing now for Americans to claim they are moving to Canada on Twitter due to Obamacare. I am not sure whether I am more amused or appalled. While I have nothing against Americans, I do take issue with ignorance. Let us be realistic here, if you have a problem with health care being socialized, you probably will not like it up here. From what I am assuming, a majority of those opposed to Obamacare are in support of Republican values. I fail to see how Canada will satisfy that political stance. That being said, those individuals would probably get on just great with our Nickelback-loving prime minister.

The ignorance of those individuals is astounding. Canada is not the place to go to avoid socialized health care. We offer free health care to everyone, even the poor. This is something a majority of us take pride in. As a nation, we are progressive in that aspect. Coming up north to avoid Obamacare is not a very good solution. It is like boycotting one company for animal testing yet going to another that does. Realistically, Canada is not your ideal destination because we already have publicly funded health care.

Let me also take this oppurtunity to boast of how we nationally permit gay marriage, something that the United States of America still seems to have issue with. We also seem to have less staunch political aversion to women being allowed to make choices for their own bodies. Canada is a pretty awesome place and if I were an American, I would probably want to move here too. However, that is because I am in favour of what I believe Canada is doing right.

Those who believe Canada is a solace from the "socialist" actions that Obama seems to be taken are severely mistaken. If you did a little research, it would become apparent that we are not where you want to move to. Take your ignorance and find a different destination.

Canada is pretty awesome.

What is your opinion of Obamacare?
Would you move to Canada?
Are these people being ridiculous, in your opinion?