**I don’t mean an actual bag full of cats…it’s just that weird phrase to say “a sandwich short of a picnic” or a little bit mad**
Last night my aunt and uncle came to visit, they live near Birmingham so we don’t see them very often…which is quite sad, I love spending time with them. This is my dad’s side of the family, they’re academic, they’re witty and they’re just generally lovely people!
I think my dad’s side of the family is the reason I’m academic too….
…But my mum’s side disagrees, despite the fact I’m pretty sure none of them made it past high school and you can see their eyes glaze over when you mention anything remotely “brain-like” (I mean smart here not the neuroscience thing).
My dad’s side is great for intellectual debates, nice meals out and quiz situations…
…My mum’s side puts the Dingles from Emmerdale to shame…without the incest (I need to point this out for the Blackburn readers!) – they drink (they would drink the whole of Ibiza dry within hours!), they fight (usually amongst themselves with fists), they swear (every second or third word)! They are as mad as “a bag full of cats” (as Banner put it so eloquently when describing Loki’s magnificient noggin) you can smell crazy on them.
My dad’s side believes that everyone should have a right to an education and a career in a field of that person’s choosing…
…Part of my mum’s side still believes that a woman’s place is raising children and living in the kitchen chained to the cooker. They resent that I went to University (twice) rather than provide my parents with a grandchild…actually, they resented that I went to college right out of school rather than provide my parents with a grandchild. I’ve always maintained that once I’m able to provide for any offspring I have then I’ll consider motherhood (right now I’m glad I hadn’t had a child with my ex!).
My dad’s side taught me to use words to calm situations…
…my mum’s side taught me that you can’t reason with stupid or ignorance and if you need to fight, then do so with everything you have.
My dad’s side taught me to never judge a book by it’s cover…
…my mum’s side taught me to trust my instinct.
Both sides have taught me that family is the most important thing in the world, above everything else. Even though I may act (and definitely feel) like an outsider sometimes, it’s because I have traits from both sides, traits that are alien to the other. I’ve had family on my mum’s side tell me that “I don’t fit in” with them for the silliest of reasons….and I’m ok with that.
Hell, every family has someone that doesn’t fit the description of the rest right? ….
(The Loki to their Thor I guess…they do joke that I’m adopted the swines!)
Loki-Lou
PS – Today as part of the “Wonderful Team Member Readership Award” I would like to introduce Kathy over at Giggling Truckers Wife, she gives us tidbits of her life through (often funny and heartwarming) tales but also shows her talent as a writer by sharing some amazingly written short stories! Go have a nosy, you won’t regret it!
Today’s song of the day is:
Lenka – Everything at once (As I mentioned on Facebook….I have no clue why I like this song!).
There are only two things I can think of that my family has taught me; to be stubborn and survive.
I have only ever had my mums side to go from and it is a long standing joke that the women of Brown stock are stubborn, organised and bossy which leads ti excellent survival in hard times. Of course I have only inherited the stubbornness, with occasional organisational skills and am never ever bossy
Unfortunately I will never know what I got from my Dads side
I don’t know my mum’s dad…my biological grandfather. All I’ve been told about him is that he’s Scottish, and he likes to run away when he gets a lady up the duff.
Tbh I think the traits you have are awesome! But if you ever want an adopted family you’re welcome to some of my Dingle clan…there are so many of us that it’s scary! And the stubbornness will come in handy on Boxing Days when the events go a bit argumentative
At least you Boxing Days are interesting. My Christmas’ are spent being told what to do
it’s easier not to argue!!
Erm….yeah. One year I nearly ended up in a physical fight with my step-grandad when he threatened my younger brother and baby cousin…I don’t take kindly to bullies! Ended up with one of my uncles forcibly removing him from the house! Eep.
lol, interesting then
Interesting is not the word I’d use lol
I am not sure which of which is the stronger gene
I know I am as stubborn as my mom and I have my ‘never give up’ spirit from my dad.
I think my strongest trait is either being “mischievous” or not taking life so seriously…which I definitely get from my dad. We’re mad as hatters and everyone knows it!
I think we’re all black sheep in some respect when it comes to our families. I know I feel that way sometimes. But you’re right. I have learned invaluable lessons from both sides of my family and I wouldn’t trade any of those nutty people for anything in the world!
I’ll be honest, I’d rather be on the side of my Dingle clan than against them! They may be a sandwich short of a picnic but you threaten one of us and the whole lot are on the case, and there’s some scary sods in my lot (I’m one of them!).
I love how quirky my family is and how different the two sides are. I definitely wouldn’t trade them (not anymore anyway).
I used to feel like I was the odd ducky out, so to speak. No real reason; just felt like I never really fit in. And because of the great distance, I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting all my family members (never met my maternal OR paternal grandparents), so it’s hard to tell if my other family members share my particular quirks
Still, I’ve learned a lot from my fam, and wouldn’t trade that for the world. Even if they turn me into a complete nutter
The “odd ducky”
I’m going to use that one! I like it! I think I’ve always felt like the odd one about because alot of my views are different to theirs, how I live my life is not what they believe I should be doing….I don’t mean to go against what they think, it’s just that I know I’d be miserable if I didn’t live my life the way I feel I should be.
If any of that makes any sense!
Ah, crazy-ass families– the glue that holds the world together.
It’s very interesting navigating life and always a little surprising to be able to glean things from crazy. My father’s side is much like a “Bag full of cats”, actually, so is my mom’s come to think of it. They’re just wacky in different ways. My mom’s side takes everything personally and has managed to marry paranoia to guilt trips in a way that is almost an art form. My dad’s side will fight “to the death” about anything: politics, personal hygiene norms, etc. in one minute but still have a laugh about it and dinner together in the next. They don’t take any of the fights personally even if the fights were personal.
I suppose at it’s worst I’ve learned how to guilt someone into thinking everyone is out to get them. At it’s best, I can argue, er, discuss things for discussion’s sake and let anything unpleasant roll off my back. As for being the “odd woman out”/black sheep/what have you, I was once blamed for something one of my cousins did -hours- after I’d already left for my honeymoon with my now ex-husband. I wasn’t even there! I’d been used as the black scapesheep.
I don’t think anyone can say their family is “normal”…except maybe my ex…and I can testify otherwise! When I was younger I was what my mother called “an emotional child”, I’d take everything to heart, I’d get upset and I’d try my hardest to pull away from my family. Being emotional with my lot is generally seen as a weakness. My brother was raised as though he was “god’s gift” to the earth, I’m not being nasty when I say that – he even admits as such! He’s such a confident person, and at times I’m a little bit jealous of that…but I know I would probably be an arsehole rather than charismatic if I had that mindset.
Since I’ve been out of the relationship with my ex I’ve realised I’m different to how I was – my family haven’t seen me lose it yet over everything that’s happened and my mum now worries that I “guard” my emotions too closely. As though by letting anyone near me is risking me getting hurt when in actuality I’m preferring to deal with things as best I can.
Being away from them taught me control over my emotions…that’s something that confuses them a little.
I love the word pictures you paint. It is funny how priorities differ from person to person. My daughter dropped in today from college, and as this was an unexpected visit my husband said why is she coming. My first thought was as long as it is not to come tell us she is pregnant, I don’t care. She was in search of the sweaters she had forgotten to pack. I want her to get through University without a baby.
My mum is at the stage now where if any of my friends or cousins has a baby she picks them up and fusses them…then passes them across to me with a “you’d be a great mother” look….I usually respond with a “you have a son, tell him you want grandkids” look.
When my life is sorted is when I’ll consider having children…I think she’s just becoming impatient and wanting to be a grandma RIGHT NOW! Lol
It’s always interesting to learn what you’ve gleaned from a less-than-sane family. It’s even more interesting to see how it plays out in life. As for kids vs. no kids, I always felt like I had dodged a bullet when my ex-husband and I called it quits; and, I was also relieved I didn’t have children with him, despite my family’s clamoring to produce children for them.
It’s nice to take a step back from them all and observe them as individuals…to see what traits they share. I usually do that at family events when their blood-alcohol levels are akin to the cellar of a pub and the arguments make no sense!
And yeah…I think “dodged a bullet” is a brilliant way of putting it…I was at the stage where I was ready to settle down with my ex, guess he didn’t feel the same. I’m glad it wasn’t made anymore complicated by us having children!
That’s the great thing about family. How we’re so alike and yet so completely diverse and different. How sometimes we dislike each other so much but yet consider each other the most important ties on earth. It’s all a funny ol’ mess if you ask me. A wonderful mess.
It is! It’s such a complicated thing where even if we’ve fallen out with our family we would still fight for them with every breath in our bodies
I love how different my lot are!
I have a bit of both my mom and my dad in me and proud of it.Sadly I don’t mingle much with any of my extended family. Most of them have already died. My family consists of my husband and two kids. It sounds like your two families come from two different worlds. Thank you for the mention!! So downright sweet of you!!
Kathy
http://gigglingtruckerswife.blogspot.com
It is a strange thing- it does appear (even to those within the family) that the two families are from very different worlds with very different views, opinions and ways of living their lives. I think it’s great that two very different worlds can collide when a marriage happens and they influence the following generation in such a positive way
i was reading this post, smiling and nodding along, and then i got to the picture of thor and loki and broke up. what was it thor mumbled sheepishly about his trouble-making brother in the marvel adaptation? “he’s adopted.” hilarious.
cheers to you, loki-lou, and a most happy nablopomo to you.
From what I remember from The Avengers it went along the lines of:
Banner: I don’t think we should be focusing on Loki. That guy’s brain is a bag full of cats. You can smell crazy on him.
Thor: Have a care how you speak! Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard and he is my brother!
Romanoff: He killed eighty people in two days.
Thor: He’s adopted.
I think that’s how it goes…I have a weird memory for films and am frequently found quoting some obscure sci-fi reference!
Happy NaBloPoMo!!!