On family.

Everyone's always going on about the importance of family, but not all families are the warm, supportive cocoons they ought to be. Families can also be manipulative, competitive, and more about expectations and conditions than affection and fun. And not all of us are cut out for communal living. Some of us find peace in solitude and the company of just one or two soul mates, and we'd rather not be judged for it, especially if we hail from a country that's synonymous with large and (not necessarily) loving families. It pains me that even as an adult, I cannot exercise my basic choices without