Talking

Remember last Christmas? When I made these:

Why?
So that instead of talking about our aches and pains we would talk about something else. Maybe something interesting. Maybe something enlightening. Maybe something fun?

When I brought my box o' questions out, certain family members absolutely outright refused to have any part in any discussion period.

I ignored the rebellion and plodded ahead, regardless. Of the 16 of us, I'd say 10 were good sports.

This year, I thought I'd try again.
Why?
Because I'm an optimistic fool who really loves dinner conversations that meander all over the place. I can do this with girlfriends. I can do this with couple-friends.
Why can't this happen at family meals?

Typically we talk about who has what owies. And then dad interrupts with random bits of trivia, "We lived for 35 years on the farm." "I used to drive a silver Buick." "I have three children." "Billie was the May Queen." "I like watching Overboard." "Julie has a dog named Chewy." We all pause when he interjects his two-bits and one of us will explore his topic with him further; but really, he doesn't particularly want to discuss it - he just wants to say something.

This is a sad reality, but we've all made the adjustments.

Because I am a glutton for negative responses, I tried again this year:

Thinking, maybe, last year's unenthusiastic reaction was due to the crafty-home-made-ness of the presentation of the questions, I purchased the above set of cards from Chapters a few days before Christmas. I pre-read all the questions and removed anything too personal or potentially embarrassing.

And I didn't even get a chance to put them on the table.
The very vocal naysayers didn't even give me a chance. If there was anyone in the house open to the idea, I never heard them over the booing and hissing.

(Coincidently it was the same group who definitely completely positively was NOT going to play pictionary either.)

Tough crowd.

So.

I've got these questions, yo.
And I'm going to get my money out of them.

So everyday I'm posting a question of facebook. (And here too, for those of you still thinking facebook is just a fad that will fade away in a few months.)

Today's question: What do you complain about more than anything else?
I have two things. One of them is a private complaint because no one is in the truck with me at the time. But hoo diddy I sure hate red lights. And I am a Red Light Magnet. My commute to work has me going through 9 lighted intersections. And on most mornings I hit 9 red lights; DOUBLING the time of my commute.

My other number one complaint?
People who say they are going to do something and they don't.
Grrr.

How about you?

As I looked at the responses folks were putting on my wall on facebook, the next (logical?) question that came to my mind was, "What can we do about it? How can we change our circumstances so that we don't have that particular irritant driving us crazy?"

And for me - I guess I should find another route.
Don't know what to do about folks who can't follow through. Extend grace, probably.


Anyway. Feel free to join the conversation, either here or on facebook.
One question per day til I get tired of playing this game.
:)