Meeting the Parents

This weekend I went home with my boyfriend to meet his parents and the rest of his family.

Now, there are a lot of things one could say about this semi-awkward situation, but there is one thing that I really dislike! And I don't dislike it because I am nervous or because I think the family won't like me or approve of me... It's simply because usually the only person we have in common is my boyfriend.

So everything starts out pleasant while they ask you questions about yourself.

"So where are you from?"

"What sorority are you in?"

"When did you and him meet?"

But then the conversation turns, and they start to talk about other people. But the reality is that if they start to talk about anyone else besides your boyfriend, the one person you have in common, you really have nothing to contribute to the conversation anymore. So you sit and listen...

"Do you remember Bill and Frank?"

"Or Uncle Charlie and Aunt Jill?"

"Or that really tall girl from school?" They continue on.

"So and so got arrested and so and so graduated from college."

"Melanie got into med school, and Adam moved to Florida."

"And surely you remember the kid from around the corner..."

And I think to myself as I sit quietly: No, I don't know the kid from around the corner... and no I haven't met the really tall girl from school, although I am sure she is pretty darn tall. But too bad for the guy who got arrested, and Adam is way smarter than us all for getting out of this Arctic weather and moving to the beach.

I mean I'm not from this area! I don't know these people! So I simply sit there, listening but bored out of my mind. And the worst of it is that it makes me feel shy and quiet, when really I just have absolutely no idea who the heck they are talking about. It really just sucks!

I mean... What happened to talking about me? I like being the center of the attention! Could we please go back to that?