Ouch!

The wyrdness continues unabated... I suppose.
My trip to "the old country" was interesting, to say the least! The wedding that we were there to attend was a delight in many ways. A beautiful young couple declaring their love for one another, always a great life-affirming experience for guests. I was a little unsettled to be greeted with some odd looks, as I arrived as well-dressed as I ever get, but still managing to stick out like a sore thumb by not wearing (or for that matter, owning) a suit and neck-tie. There I was in my herring-bone blazer, cheesecloth shirt, and mala. The hippy element to offset the mass of immaculate, materialist looks that I now assume are the sartorial norm at such occasions. Thankfully, after a few drinks, I appeared a wee bit more normal to the rest of the guests, and I guess it was around that time that they realised that I was essentially a nice person, and not some suspicious 60's-throwback troublemaker.
So, I survived the wedding. For '09, that translates to 1 down, 3 to go! I'm now looking forward to the other matrimonial events much more, in the light of this small victory.
The rest of the trip was fine, with lots of time spent visiting various relatives, and enjoying a very typical 'catch-up'.
However, somehow a balance had to be struck, and I, sadly, became embroiled in an ethical debate with a few folks which spiralled down into a full psychotic episode. Shattered by radical disappointment in a developed view of my sister/brother-in-law with regard to recent world events, I allowed myself to be overtaken by an automatic emotional reaction. This resulted in the destruction of various parts of my sister's home, and an altercation with a plate-glass window which left me with 16 stitches in my left arm. I now have no idea where this leaves my relationship with this corner of my family. I have been absorbed entirely with thoughts of this episode since my return to North Wales. It's clear that I have much hard work to do...!