There are so many concerts and events I want to go to, but because I am in Joplin going to Missouri Southern, I have to miss all the fun. All of the coolest shindigs are in St. Louis and in St. Charles, my hometown.

What makes me angry is when my parents send me e-mails and call me on my cell phone to brag about how they bought tickets to a particular event, met a famous person and were part of something special that happened in town.

Example No. 1: When I was in France in the fall 2004 studying abroad as part of a bilateral exchange I did with the Université d’Orléans, I received a huge e-mail with an attachment from the parentals. Not knowing exactly what it was, I opened it. Much to my dismay, it contained photos from game seven of the National League Championship Series with the St. Louis Cardinals and the Houston Astros. Yes, as a matter of fact, my parents were at the last game of the NLCS before the Cardinals made it to the World Series.

Jealous? Indeed.

Example No. 2: My family hosted a foreign exchange student from Germany last year. For part of his time in our hometown, they took him to the last game ever in Busch Stadium. This would be the game where the Cardinals lost the chance to make it to the World Series a second time. It is disappointing that I have to be stuck down here and they got to have fun in the stands watching as the former players made their appearances. I watched the party on television, but it is just not the same. It was the last game ever in Busch Stadium before they tore it down.

Example No. 3: This makes three strikes and you are out. Along with having the chance to go to the last game in the old Busch Stadium, my family is going April 4 to the first game in the new Busch Stadium with the Springfield Cardinals and the Memphis Redbirds. What is the deal here? OK, it is not as if they are going to the first game in the new stadium to see the St. Louis Cardinals play, but it is darn close.

Finally, example No. 4: My parents’ anniversary is in October, but they will not be able to travel anywhere special during that time because I will be here finishing my last semester and they did not want to leave my brother home alone. It may not be in town; however, they managed to score tickets to Spamalot in Chicago for Memorial Day weekend and a VIP event at the Field Museum to see the “Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs.” Need I say more about this?

First of all, a musical about Monty Python and the Holy Grail is something I want to go see, and second, I love Egyptian artifacts.

Look at it this way; my brother and I have the house to ourselves (no parties allowed).

I love my family to pieces, but why do they have all the fun?

Oh well, I have fun down here.

They did not have the chance to meet the stars of Napoleon Dynamite.