But I'm sure you're going to read about 16 other posts with similar stories.
So instead I will tell you about what made this Thanksgiving different. I brought my roommate with me, becuase she is from Georgia and had no alternative plan. This element proved to be most interesting to the dynamics of my vacation, though I think I was the only one who thought conciously of it throughout the weekend.
What were my parents thinking about her? Were they taken aback by her feisty nature or refusal to eat sugar or love for giving people money or passion for the effectiveness of home schooling or chaotic method of bowling or lack of familiarity with the Muppets?
What was she thinking of my family? Did she approve of their riotous and constant laughter, absurd topics of conversation, the frequent poking of fun at other people and each other, the non-stop, gogogo activity level of our family?
What am I thinking about my family now? It was so strange to bring a foreigner into the secret sanctum where I feel most comfortable in the whole world and have to process through what is so instinctive for me usually to perceive them as she was. It opened my eyes to the way my family is but guess what?
I realized that while I don't put on a false front in our apartment when living with her and I don't put on a false front around my family, there were some times when I acted differently than I would have if she had not been there. Nothing extreme. I was still my same crazy, sweaty, say what I'm thinking self, but there are just some conversations and things you would usually do with your family but don't becuase your roommate is there. But for the most part, I was the same. I felt pretty good baout not putting on a facade or anything and just showing her how we were.
Another thing.
What if the foreigner which infiltrated our family ranks was a boy? And because someday he will be, when I bring him home to meet my parents and family and experience full-fledged, face-stuffing, joke-telling, fun-poking, story-sharing, service-giving, not-showering-for-days Roy glory before he takes the Roy from me for something better, what will it be like? Will I still find then that even though I will worry about what my parents think of him and what he thinks of my parents that I am still the same Krista as I am with both parties when separate from each other? Should it be that way? If I am to assume that I can be different with both me's being true and not facade-ish, is it ok to act different around one person than you do around the other?
Just some thoughts. For which I am grateful.
Happy Thanksgiving.
How nice. I bet your roommate loved it.
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