Thanksgiving and all that

Spain is still a little bit old-fashioned in terms of political patronage and one must be wary of connections especially in a small town such as the one in which I live and work.
Having a strong belief in one´s principles is fine, however one should not forget the dangers of messing with the family. Unlike my birthplace where you are just as likely to live in another county or country to your blood relations, the Madrid clan tend to live in each other´s back garden or very close by.
A recent episode involving an excessivly pushy student´s mother caused yours truly to react in a belief that much had been done to accomodate and that a stand against the bully was required.
The situation eventually sorted itself out but one will be more careful in future dealings.