My Family

This year we spent Thanksgiving at my Grandmother's (on my mother's side) house. We came down Wednesday night. I've had a pleasant time, and some time to reflect.

My uncle (my mother's brother) came over with his new baby. His name is Kendall (woulda been named Kenneth after my uncle, but the woman already had a child with that name. One of her 7) This makes baby number 5, baby mama number 3, no kinda job. I sat back and was watching him and my mother talk, and it amazed me how much they look alike. They could really be twins. They are 5 years apart, but my mother is aging gracefully, and he has lived a harder life. They have the same hairline (though his is quite exaggeratedly receding), I call it the Trambles hairline. The same bright 'yella' skintone. Even the same expression in their similarly hazel eyes. They kinda talk alike, and even have similar senses of humor. Such different lifestlyes though. Vastly different.

I told myself not to get into any socio-political conversations this time (they ain't ready). I knew it would be a challenge, because the state of the world and current events are always popular topics. I need to stay away from my new ever-popular statement: "What is that supposed to mean?" cuz its always strikes a convo.

They were talking about a barbeque joint in town that doesn't get much business and my uncle said "Its all a bunch of Puerto-Ricans up in there anyway." What's that supposed to mean? Puerto-Ricans can't barbeque? He says, "Well. . .I don't kno. . .It was just a statement." Then my grandmother starts talking about how America now wants everybody to learn Spanish because of all the Latinos coming into the U.S.

Naaah, don't get me started.

Today we were pulling the table apart to expand it, but my grandmother, mother and I couldn't seem to figure it out after a couple minutes. My grandmother called in her boyfriend to help us, and he got it. My mother mentioned something about "We needed them big strong manly muscles. If it weren't for you, we woulda just been starving." What is that supposed to mean? Is that to say that as women, we are incapable of doing what he just did? My mother mentioned something about "all that feminist stuff". I said, "Do I have to quote Sojurner Truth's monolouge, 'arn't I a woman?'"

Don't even get me started.

We ate, talked, laughed, had a nice time. I kept my mouth closed PLENTY and watched my family be their crazy selves. I am thankful for them, and I can't WAIT to write about my country relatives down in Arkansas once I meet them. Get ready, get ready!