I know.......I normally go on Monday evenings, but Mom had visitors she wanted me to see. My Aunt S, and my cousin R, came down on the train from Pennsylvania for a couple of days. I see my Aunt S at least once, if not twice a year, but I hadn't seen my cousin R since 2002, when I went up to Pa., for one of my aunt's funerals. That was the first time I had seen her since just after I had graduated high school in 1966, when she was just a sprightly six year, old slurping on Popsicles, and laughing her innocent head off! Now she is a lovey confident fifty year old woman, and I feel so old and inadequate! Still it was wonderful to see her again. Because we were an Army family, we were always on the move. Consequently we only saw our cousins once in a blue moon. Most of them grew up together in Pennsylvania, and know each other very well, but my sisters and especially me, were the estranged ones.
My aunt invited me up for a big bash they have every year in mid July at their gun club. She lives in a rural area between Harrisburg, Pa., and the old family homestead in Wilkes-Barre. Apparently this is a no holds barred bash, where lots of beer and wine is consumed, guns are shot, and fireworks are set off. Oh, and I almost forgot, the men all go off into the nearby treeline to relieve themselves!
She doesn't know about me. How could I possibly tell her, I wasn't like her sons, and would never in a million years feel comfortable in a situation like that? She is a sweetheart and I have always loved her, but she had a family dominated by males, who were all very happy to be males, and she just assumes I am the same. The fly is completely on me, not her. The poor girl doesn't know any better. Still, I love her and was very glad to see her again.
Want to know what else I'm listening to tonight? I think told you a few posts ago, about how much I love Diana Krall. Well, here is another positively lovely number of her's:
Melissa XX
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7 comments:
I so hate being around too much testosterone, usually I can get away with chatting with someone off to the side at those type of events.
Thanks for the exposure to a great artist, although I suppose I would have to be in a certain mood to listen to Diana, nice for raining days.
Hope all is well :)
B
Great post Melissa.
Diana is an amazing artist with piano technique to die for and a voice that can be gritty or sultry when called for. She is Canadian; just icing on the cake for me :P
Bree, I am so with you on the Testosterone comment. My sensitivity to this has got way worse since accepting who I am. It will probably be my downfall in maintaining the image of strong male for the people around me.
Melissa, your empathy for folks who just could not know any better is wonderful. Such a great observation on our need to remember who is doing the changing. Not everyone should be expected to line up to accept us, should they?
hugs,
Halle
You are a wonderful woman Melissa.
You always think of others feelings. A mother hen ! :-)
Thanks for being a friend.
x
Beer and firearms. Always a good combination.
Gatherings down on the farm in these parts are much more civilised. No guns, for a start. And the ladies are usually present. I normally end up sitting with them, being happily married I am "Harmless", and I take full advantage of this, playing a cross between a New Man and a Perfect Gentleman while behind the scenes slipping unto the stealth girl role.
@ Bree
I like to hang out with the girls as much as possible, or at the very least, with the least obnoxious guys. Guns, beer, and peeing in the treeline is not exactly my cup of tea!
Give Diana Krall a good chance! She is no rocker, but she knows how to take you to a quiet contemplative place, and that can be very sweet.
@ Halle
Thanks so much for responding!
Diana Krall is....wonderful....marvelous.....
OK, enough with the jokes, but no doubt about it, she is the real deal! Listening to her music always affects me.
Canada has given us so many wonderful Artists. Thank you!
Melissa XX
I would have found that a strange experience back in the old days. Sounds like you handled it with grace!
Although as you might remember, we did go to the shooting range on "ladies night." No drinking allowed. :)
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