In reply to KyAllroad:
Yes, I realize I should and probably will have roommates, but god do I detest people in general. I honestly can't recall the last time I've seen some random stranger in this town be genuinely nice to anyone, and that's disheartening. Maybe I just need some fresh air.
G_Body_Man wrote: Yes, I realize I should and probably will have roommates, but god do I detest people in general. I honestly can't recall the last time I've seen some random stranger in this town be genuinely nice to anyone, and that's disheartening. Maybe I just need some fresh air.
Be the change you want to see in the world. When was the last time YOU were genuinely nice to a stranger?
It's very possible that you could use a change of scenery too. But the nicer you are, the less negativity you'll see around you.
In reply to STM317:
Every damn day. I hold the door. I say please and thank you when ordering stuff. I yield the right of way to cyclists. I allow people out of commercial driveways instead of blocking the "intersection" when traffic is stopped. I'm careful to respect people's stuff. I drive at or below the posted 20 km/h in parking lots. I make sure to return my library books promptly and without damage. I give up my seat if someone with mobility issues needs a place to sit down. I try to be the best person I can be, and yet when I look around, nobody else tries to be the best person they can be. I've had people try and chase me because they don't like my (fully legal) exhaust on my car. I've had people blatantly disregard the idea of lines and not cramming the till. I've seen people speak so rudely to staff and other patrons, that I'm surprised the establishments they were in didn't kick them out. I've had someone call bylaw on me because they saw me working on my car, despite the fact that I was legally in the garage and not leaving any waste outside. I've had people flip me off for riding my bicycle on surface streets with no marked bike lanes. I've had people hurl such vulgarities at me for being slightly awkward that I'm surprised they are allowed to call themselves members of society. I have never been in an area of such shallow, self-absorbed, casually racist and homophobic, and often belligerent people in my life.
In reply to G_Body_Man:
I think the best thing I ever did was inadvertently take a job where I have to deal with people in a bad mood all day. I actually like people more now.
In reply to G_Body_Man: Fantastic! I'm glad you're trying to be the best G_Body_Man that you can be. Keep doing all of that. Keep working to make yourself better by making the world around you better. Don't let the shiny happy people of the world turn you into a shiny happy person.
Honestly, it sounds like a change in scenery could be very good for you. You seem totally disillusioned with your current surroundings. The good news is that you're going away to college and can immerse yourself in new situations with new people.
But there's some bad news too. The shiny happy people are everywhere and if you're looking for them, you'll definitely find them. Your outlook has as much to do with this as their shiny happiness does. Misery loves company as they say. You seem like a bright young man, so surely you see how their shiny happiness is affecting you. But here's the kicker, it's not their fault that you're upset by it. You control how you react. It's totally natural to be upset or off put by the actions of the jerks out there. You can hang onto that misery, and become one of those jerks, or you can shrug it off as miserable people doing what they do, and go back to making your life, and the world around you better. That's your call to make. My advice would be don't sweat the small stuff (it's all small stuff).
In reply to STM317:
I'm not saying everyone's a shiny happy person. I know for a fact that there are still nice people in this world. For the past 10 months or so, I just thought it was the 1% ruining the 99%. It's just after my trip back to Ontario, and after a lot of reflection, I've realized that maybe in Kelowna, it is a little bit more than 1%. I'm not angry at them per se, I'm just disappointed in their actions and in the high regard they have for themselves. Really the poster children for who I never want to become.
In reply to G_Body_Man: Awesome. Knowing what/who you don't want to be can be just as important as knowing what you do want to be. It sounds like you're getting it figured out pretty early on which can only help you in the long run. Now what are you going to do about it? Go become what you want to become, and quit letting others drag you down.
Oh, and don't spend your college years isolating yourself by living in a camper. Make friends. Date. Study together. Goof off (within reason). That's all an important part of being your age, and it will create some of the most lasting memories you'll have.
In reply to STM317:
I really just need a change of scenery. I have my wings, I just can't use them for another 10 months.
I never wanted roommates either....and never had them. It was great! Of course I've been married for 12 years now, so apparently the lack of roommates didn't flaw me to where I couldn't live with anyone. 
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