The "Right" Family, that is. We just returned from a terrific weekend at Spider Lake with our Friend Brad. I realized, not for the first time, during the weekend that all four of us in the KilKenney family like to be right. Jack calls us the "exacto" family. I don't think I truly understood that until I stopped and listened to how many times we corrected each other over inane facts this weekend. Do you really have to skip a turn in Scrabble if you get all vowels and you put your tiles back? Does Cousin Jan work FOR the MLS or WITH the MLS? Is it a Shirley Temple or a Roy Rogers? and on and on.....
I'm not sure how it all got started. Are we just a competitive group? Does being right make us feel that much better? Do we all need more attention? I honestly don't know the answer, but I do know it needs to stop because it gives me a headache.
So as a part of this self-insight journey to my 50th birthday, I guess I need to admit that as the matriarch of the "Right" family, I have the power to make, at least my participation, stop. That, of course, means I need to start letting things go, and not feel the need to be right (at least all the time). I have to admit, that doesn't come naturally, so I feel some work coming on. I am going to try to catch myself before I correct unimportant facts and let the conversation flow. I'll let you know how it goes in the coming months. At the very least, it will be a good exercise in restraint.
Does this register for anyone else? Again, in my quest for self actualization, I'd love to hear any stories, tips or ideas.
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I hear you with the "Right" Family. I would consider the Kenney-Bracco crew to fit this description, as well. I also don't understand why everyone always feels the need to be right (I am guilty of this myself). Sometimes life can seem so out of control, but if we are "right" about a particular arguement, fact, or something perhaps it gives us that little slice of control that we are looking for. I don't know, but there have been many conversations between my family members that ended poorly because someone had to be right. I like your call to let conversations flow a little bit and let go of that need. Thanks again for all your great posts :-) I am really enjoying this blog, and it is making me miss keeping my Italy blog! Lots of love!
ReplyDeletei don't want to sound righteous(a small pun) but once in awhile a family member or two has insisted on being correct....,,,,mhk
ReplyDeleteyou are all so right about this !!!
ReplyDeleteA wise woman (Anne Kenney Smart) once said "Do you want to be right or do you want to be happy?" With lawyers in the family being right will always take precedence. Google settles a lot of these arguments, World Book used to. We used to tell the Brandes girls "We don't guess. We look it up." Now they don't guess, they know! Love the blog.
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