Family Reunions...oh the joy

First of all, let’s just put it out there on the table: it is in my nature to be a sarcastic person. Since maybe a good 90 percent of those reading this blog are likely to be family, I have to give this disclaimer up front. I love my family, but jokes about family reunions exist for a reason. OK, OK…so it’s not really that bad. If you ask any of them, I’m the weird one. So we’ll go with that. But here we go:

Item #1 (and this will be no surprise to anyone who knows me):
Children. Being in the presence of too many of them (more than, say, two) makes my skin crawl. They’re like little creatures that I don’t understand. I see a herd of them and it makes me panic just a little. I realize we need these creatures in order for our civilization to survive, but I happen to think there are already enough in existence and we don’t need more. I have these conversations with my friends frequently. [WARNING, generalization on the way; may offend some!]. Stupid people are breeding. So many of the educated, intelligent, young(ish) people today are choosing not to have children, while those who are…ahem…not so educated and intelligent, are breeding with no abandon. What is this going to mean for our future? It’s scary. But not scary enough to make me think that I need to make one myself.

To clarify, I am not saying that everyone in my family who has kids is stupid. I’m simply saying that the presence of so many of them makes me think about these things. I feel very out of place around a bunch of people with kids, because I just don’t get it. Feels very suffocating to me.

Item #2
Feeling misunderstood. I’m old enough now to recognize that I’ve lived most of my life feeling that I am misunderstood. That is no one’s fault; it just is. However, being around family tends to make one see the history and recognize where all these f’d up ideas come from. In many ways, I’ve been conditioned to believe and behave the way I do…even if it’s toxic. So what happens when I change and grow, and exchange these toxic beliefs for some that are more healthy? I’m even more misunderstood. Family dysfunction has very deep roots (not just mine, but in general). It’s a fascinating topic but (haha) just another one that seals the deal for me that I’d never want to have children. Why would I want to be responsible for molding, shaping, and likely screwing up, someone else’s life? I think my time is better spent figuring out my own.

Item #3
Grandparents. I’ll turn my sarcasm around on this one. My grandparents never cease to amaze me. I can only hope that when I am their age, I have even a fraction of their passion and commitment to whatever it is that I feel passion for. I’ve come to realize that we all don’t need to be passionate about the same issues or causes, but we should all have something that we feel strongly enough about that we want to take it on…to do our part to make a difference, in whatever realm it may be. I am so inspired and humbled by their commitment to fighting for what they believe in. (In case you don’t know, my grandparents are likely some of the most politically active 85 year olds around…)

Here's a nice little photo of a hibiscus from my parents' yard...