Friday, July 11, 2008

Twisted Roots

I have been to a few reunions this year and since visiting the family tree I have been sitting on my branch (I'm off there on the left somewhere) looking around at the other twisted branches (and you know who you are) in my family tree and wondering about roots. I have especially enjoyed thinking about the family quirks that make people extremely interesting.


Some of these quirks seem to stretch back into past generations of intense quirkiness. There are some that have been around for so long that the inheritors no longer think of them as quirks but as normal.

In my family we have tardiness, stubbornness, organizational skills, bossiness, my way or the highway thinking, peace keeping skills, quick tempers, quick feet, obsessiveness about being on time, and many others I am sure I have forgotten (or maybe I am mentally blocking them if they are too painful to think about). Let me know if I have forgotten any glaringly obvious ones, Alli. Kelli's Crazy Couch
I love to see the histories of the quirks and see them meet other quirks when a marriage and children occur. Fascinating stuff. For example. My dad came from the "obsessively early" side where my mom came from "tardy" side of quirkland! So it caused quite a bit a stress at times in their marriage I am sure. It is fun to see how my different siblings and I have worked out our own adapted style. Me, I am right on time, a nice perfect balance.
I wonder what I do that seems completely normal to me and yet to someone else it would be a quirk? Hhhmmmm. Are you list makers? I make lists. I make lists of the lists I should make! I have cousins and siblings who have inherited other traits ande some have adopted some of their very own. I know some have developed the quirk of doodling while talking on the phone or others it is the quirk of strapping a gun to themselves 24/7.

Me going to a Relief Society Social. Yeah, my piece totally matches my shoes and handbag.

What are your inherited or invented family quirks?

Grandma??

9 comments:

Jacqui said...

Wow! That's great. How am I the first to comment?

I inherited my parents' driving. I drive like my mom (weave all over the road like I own it) but I backseat drive like my dad (slow down..slow down!...SLOW DOWN!!!)

I inherited my dad's preparedness--I have to be ready for every possible situation, every concievable scenario. For instance, yesterday while I was showering at 6:15am I had a mental run through of what I would do in an emergency that early in the morning with Kraig at work--who I would call, where I would go, etc. I think it borders on nerosis :)

Marilee said...

Wow. How will I ever keep up with your blog? How will I ever be so creative and literary and beautiful? Never. You should start getting advertizing. I mean really???

A. said...

You show up!

Kelli said...

Jacqui,
Driving with you sounds like quite the adventure. The Neurosis's that we inherit are so funny! Thanks for sharing!

Kelli said...

Alli,
What did I show up to? or for?

Brenny said...

Okay, I do have one to add. Thankfully I do not drive like my mother (unlike Jacqui, apparently) but I do *GASP* like my mom while others are driving. It isn't a back seat driving thing because rarely does the gasp even have to do with what is going on in the road at the time. The gasp is for something I've forgotten and just thought about, etc. Darren is used to it by now, but for the first years of our marriage it freaked him out.

As far as what I got from my dad... I'm pretty good spacially. I guess that means I get a little thrill when I pack anything (a bag, the car, a box for moving). I like to make things fit.

I like lists, too, like my dad, but I haven't made one with cross references yet. YET.

Kelli said...

Brenda,
I am a gasper too and Dave still has yet to get used to it! We have a few "Master Packers" in the family as well! So fun what we find in common!

Anonymous said...

Love the matching pistol, shoes and handbag. Where did you get them?
Angie

Jme said...

Kelli! Hi this is Jme Taylor (Jan's Daughter) just in case you didn't remember! I don't know how you couldn't :) Holy Cow you have an amazing blog! You should write a book! Check out my blog @ taylors381.blogspot.com! Love ya