family gathering sunday, ugh

[mopinko]

for the most part, i love my large extended family. we don't get together that often, and this party will have the far flung members that don't make it too often. there are the usual tensions, but all in all, get togethers are mostly warm and fuzzy. there is a certain amount of ribbing, tut tutting, and all, and i am sort of the black sheep, or at least the family eccentric. this doesn't usually really bother me.

but things have been going pretty crappy for me for a while. my health has been bad, my kids have had troubles, my artistic career is not going great. i don't really want to talk about this shit with them for the most part. i don't want to explain, don't want any advice from them.

the only thing that i have to brag about right now- my buttons- will be a touchy subject. politics in general is not that emotional, usually. but one of the reasons for the get together is that my nephew, who won the distinguished service cross in afganistan, will be there. i love this boy, and honor his service, but he is a dittohead. a couple of the other dittoheads that are not usually around will also be there.

i am sorely tempted to chicken out, and not go. it's not really an option, tho. it would make a temporary situation permanent. and there are people coming that i DDOOO want to see.

anybody got any advice on ducking things you don't want to talk about? i am so crappy at that.

[Bunny]

1. Go. Smile. Talk about everything but yourself.

Don't dwell on the things that aren't working out yet for you. Show genuine interest in what everyone else is doing. Give your dittohead nephew a great big hug and thank him for his service. Be happy for the good news of others. It will come back to you in spades! Good luck! PS - I'm not very adept socially, myself. I can give out advice but I don't always follow it! :)

[mopinko]

2. yeah, that's pretty much my plan

wracking my brain for a pithy answer to "what's up with you?"

[Bunny]

3. Pithy? Can't help ya there!

"I've got a few irons in the fire..." might get you by for a while. ;)