Conventions II
So... supposedly Gretch and I were taking turns with our blogging... and it was her turn ages and ages ago... and she hasn't posted... which means it is time for everyone to email, call, or send smoke signals to remind her that she needs to do her part! Which leads me to some of the disjointed thoughts of my Tuesday afternoon...
There are lots of conventions in the world... spelling... speaking... comic books... uber-nerdy... and, of course, family, among many others. And when one is getting ready to get married, one is suddenly exposed to the harsh reality that other families are not like your own!
*gasp*
Even harder to accept are the facts that a) other families do things differently, 2) what you have always done and what your future spouse has always done may conflict, and d) randomly appropriating bits and pieces from movies rarely actually solves the conflict. But conflict is resolved as compromise is made. And it is still fun to think about and identify the idiosyncrasies I've picked up from my family. These generally exist in my mind as rather conventional activities and behaviours, even though they probably are not.
Some are easy to identify. Case in point: Easter. My family's baskets have always been hidden by the Easter Bunny. Some of the most memorable locations have included inside the under-lining of the couch, in the back of the family stereo (remember the stereos encased in wood that usually had a turntable and 8-track player - that kind of stereo), and, of course, on the roof.
Other conventions are harder to recognise, and therefore may be even more shocking to realise that other people don't do what your parents have always done. This includes things like borderline-obsessively compacting leftovers into the smallest resealable containers possible, tapping the dash and then the roof of the car when passing through a yellow light, checking automobile fluids before any trip longer than 30 minutes, etc.
It is rather funny to me when I do something, only to have someone ask, "Um... why did you do that?" Especially when my only response is, "Um... because... everyone... does...?" This is usually when it dawns on me that, as a matter of fact, not everyone does!
Of course, then we have my own idiosyncrasies. Cracking my hips after standing for a while. Cracking any other joints in the body. Reading before going to bed, and often falling asleep with the lights on. Typing with most of my fingers on my left hand, but only my index finger and thumb on my right hand. Reading in the bathroom. Always putting down toilet seats and drawing shower curtains closed. Pacing while on the phone. Playing with the mole on the underside of my jaw/chin. Making up words.
How very strange we all are. We just have to remember to compromise. And to remember that the best compromises are those in which, when presented with option A and option B, we take option C: All of the above!
There are lots of conventions in the world... spelling... speaking... comic books... uber-nerdy... and, of course, family, among many others. And when one is getting ready to get married, one is suddenly exposed to the harsh reality that other families are not like your own!
*gasp*
Even harder to accept are the facts that a) other families do things differently, 2) what you have always done and what your future spouse has always done may conflict, and d) randomly appropriating bits and pieces from movies rarely actually solves the conflict. But conflict is resolved as compromise is made. And it is still fun to think about and identify the idiosyncrasies I've picked up from my family. These generally exist in my mind as rather conventional activities and behaviours, even though they probably are not.
Some are easy to identify. Case in point: Easter. My family's baskets have always been hidden by the Easter Bunny. Some of the most memorable locations have included inside the under-lining of the couch, in the back of the family stereo (remember the stereos encased in wood that usually had a turntable and 8-track player - that kind of stereo), and, of course, on the roof.
Other conventions are harder to recognise, and therefore may be even more shocking to realise that other people don't do what your parents have always done. This includes things like borderline-obsessively compacting leftovers into the smallest resealable containers possible, tapping the dash and then the roof of the car when passing through a yellow light, checking automobile fluids before any trip longer than 30 minutes, etc.
It is rather funny to me when I do something, only to have someone ask, "Um... why did you do that?" Especially when my only response is, "Um... because... everyone... does...?" This is usually when it dawns on me that, as a matter of fact, not everyone does!
Of course, then we have my own idiosyncrasies. Cracking my hips after standing for a while. Cracking any other joints in the body. Reading before going to bed, and often falling asleep with the lights on. Typing with most of my fingers on my left hand, but only my index finger and thumb on my right hand. Reading in the bathroom. Always putting down toilet seats and drawing shower curtains closed. Pacing while on the phone. Playing with the mole on the underside of my jaw/chin. Making up words.
How very strange we all are. We just have to remember to compromise. And to remember that the best compromises are those in which, when presented with option A and option B, we take option C: All of the above!
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