9:25 P.M.
The difference isn�t just soda or pop, or north or south.
It�s the habits and rituals. It�s the differences in the concept of �family.�
Not just the concept of family but its function.
It�s the dysfunction malfunction, and the disorder that sets us all apart.
It�s the closeness you feel just sitting at the dinner table with a �real� family.
When you sit at the table and share dinner, it isn�t just a meal. Dinner becomes pleasant because it�s the gathering of a group of people sharing conversation without yelling or arguing over stupid ideas you don�t even care about.
(Ok, maybe I�m the only one who plays a part in a family that argues just for the sake of arguing. Maybe this makes absolutely no sense.)
I can remember meals shared with my family when I was growing up. You couldn�t scarf four bites into your face before someone tried to taunt you. Whether it was my sister tattle tailing or my dad poking fun at the outfit I chose to wear to school that day. I had a hard time sitting at the same table with all of them.
My extended family was another story. My dad�s family was very pleasant to eat with. I always looked forward to seeing them.
My mother�s side of the family is probably where all of the arguing originated from. She grew up with a large family and the majority of her brothers and sisters grew up to be attorneys. It�s their job to argue!
I can remember meals shared with my parents and my sister and I couldn�t make it through an entire meal without my skin crawling or my hair standing on end. Every time my mom opened her mouth I cringed. I cringed because of her topics of conversation. They rarely veered from �Why didn�t you ace that last exam?� or �Did you finish cleaning your room yet?�
Those are the last things you want to hear as a kid.
I�m an adult now, and those are still the last topics I would bring up for discussion.
The conversations I shared with my mother were so predictable. They never changed. My responses were always the same. �Yeah mom, I�m right on top of that. Thanks for caring. I�m done eating, see ya!�
Let�s talk about team sports. My parents were never very team oriented. They didn�t seem to care much about playing board games with us kids. They would much rather nag us about the things we had started but never finished.
�Kelly, when ya goanna finish that book report? You do know it�s due next Wednesday.�
�Yeah mom, Right on top of that!�
When my extended family would come to visit from out of town they would always insist on two things that NEVER happened in my house, dessert with coffee, and a game of cards immediately following dessert!
I would raise my hand, �I�m on Clint�s team!� or �I�m on grandpa�s team!�
Grandma would always snicker and make a comment about how I should be on my mom�s team. She understood why I didn�t enjoy playing games with my mom but she still liked to yank my chain a bit.
Ok�.. TIME!
Times up!
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These thoughts were brought to you in part by, �Married To The Kelly�s�
I watched that show for the first time tonight.
In tonight�s episode this guy struggled to fit in with his wife�s large family. He was an only child and the family functions were still new to him.
I have a large family but I�ve still never managed to fit in. Most of my family lives hundreds of miles away so I guess that doesn�t really matter.
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It�s funny because I only watched the show because that �one guy� is in it. He�s such a hottie. I can�t believe they actually had the same dog house my grandmother kept in her kitchen. I only remember that silly thing because I spent a lot of time in it.
My grandmother would say, �Kelly, you�d better help with the dishes, or you�re in the dog house.� Or something along the lines of, �I heard you didn�t ace your spelling test, that sounds like grounds for sending you back to the dog house.�
Big whoop!
Ha ha�
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I swear the one guy from the show reminds me of Ryan. I haven�t seen him in a while but his phone calls are starting to wear on me. If I don�t work this weekend I will have a little more free time.
Tomorrow I�ll make a point of returning his calls. I�m not sure I�m ready to commit to breakfast with his mother just yet, but I�m working on letting it become another possibility.
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Watching that show also reminded me of Ryan�s last comment when he told his buddy I was his future wife.
Yeah, right.
I�d like to get married some day but I�m not sure I�m ready to settle down just yet.
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It�s finally Friday!
Yes, it�s Friday, and I am so ready to enjoy the weekend!
