If you've been reading Flitzy lately, you've seen how swamped we've been with camping, canoeing, and company - the 3 C's. Normally, our life is not so riddled with activity. (Yikes, can't even go canoeing without having to make a phone-call.)
Things slow down, and thats the way I like it. Take conversation, for example.....have you ever noticed that a person's way of being in the world actually influences how they talk? Mothers use coaching phrases like, "thats the way!" Big brothers play it tough, with a competitive edge, "If it was easy, any idiot could do it!" And then there are the family dynamics, everyone tries to give their best.
George's brother Dick was here, and we had a good time, although Dick and I have vastly different conversational styles. He nails me down to the truth of every minute detail, like lawyers do, and I repeat everything 4 times, like insecure people do who know everything they say is not being heard or understood! Then, add George, who has to lace every comment with a psycho-analytical assessment, and you've got a dialog similar to this:
Dick: I've been doing these Suduku puzzles for years. They are challenging, and I enjoy them....
Bonita: You are so lucky that you can work them....
Dick: Luck? That is not the right word. Luck has nothing to do with it.
Bonita: Well, FORTUNATE then...
Dick: Fortunate is also not a good word. Now, lets get this straight. Bonita do you know what a Suduko puzzle is and what it takes to figure them out?
Bonita: (I'm getting a little insecure here.) Well, I'd be lucky to do one, even FORTUNATE to be able to do one. I would need luck and good fortune to do one. Luck and good fortune are necessary for me.
Dick: (Looks at George in exasperation) What does she mean by luck and good fortune? Has she ever done one of these puzzles? (Gets rattled).
George: Everyone has different interests, yours are puzzles, and she admires your mental agility. But, calm down, Dick, everyone has different aptitudes and interests, and are receptive in different ways. She doesn't do puzzles, she goes canoeing.
Dick: WELL! I find them relaxing!
George: Of course, they help you to emotionally regulate part of your day. You get stressed, so you get out a puzzle. And, Bonita goes paddling.
THAT IS HOW MOST OF OUR CONVERSATIONS WENT! I got so worn out being grilled as to the accuracy of my comments, that I just did "uh-huh, uh-huh" most of the time, so as not to protract the investigation.
But, we did have great fun, went on a "skidaddle of paddles", had good conversations, and now my house is quiet again.
It's always a shock when you discover just how quiet a house can feel when all the voices are gone, and there is nobody to banter with. That's when you discover just how much you love the imperfections of family dynamics....did I say that OK?
Did I also mention that I've learned how to do Sudoku puzzles?
