Sometimes I am reminded that I am becoming more like my parents. The other day my doorbell rang at 10:00 p.m.. I went to open the door and there was a kid trying to sell something. The phrase "it's very late to be ringing my bell" sprang to my head but my mouth said "No thanks." What I found amusing is that the way I said it in my head is exactly how my mother would have said it out loud... her intonation, accent, pauses. I am assuming that down the road these phrases will no longer be running through my mind but will be out of my mouth.
I still can't figure out why a parent allowed their nine or ten year old child to ring houses so late at night. I used to get turned away at 8 p.m. on Hallowe'en. My folks barely tolerated sales people at our door past the same time. It was baffling. Less baffling is that as I've aged I'm more accepting and even appreciative of my genetic and socialized self. As a teenager I struggled so much to be an individual (only to be a conglomerate of my friends) that I tried to be "unKelly-like." I wasn't really fooling anyone. I'm very much a Kelly and can finally embrace that. Another benefit of aging.
Christmas in Canada
7 years ago
11 comments:
Even though people now know me as MsKaz, there is no denying I'm a Kelly. Just saying it makes me laugh, if only for this classic song from Woody on Cheers:
Kelly my darling, you are my sunshine;
When we're together I feel fine.
Your smile is so lovely; your hair is so clean;
You make me feel that the whole world is mine.
Kelly, Kelly, Kelly, Kelly, Kelly, Kelly, Kelly, Kelly,
Kelly, Kelly, Kelly, Kelly, K-E-L-L-Y ...
Why? Because you're
Kelly, Kelly, Kelly, Kelly, Kelly, Kelly, Kelly,
(pause) Kelly, Kelly, Kelly, Kelly, Kelly, Kelly,
Kelly of mine!
(applause)
Mine, Mine, Mine, Mine, Mine, Mine, Mine, Mine,
Mine, Mine, Mine, Mine, Mine, Mine, Mine, Mine,
... Mine!
I hear mom and dad in so many of the things I say. And like you, now I embrace it. In fact the other day Aves said something silly and she was giggling like a maniac, and I said, "Very dumb." Just like dad did on that infamous tape recording. I found it the other day and when we all get together in the summer, we'll have to play it.
i freakin' love that tape although i was too young to have a speaking part. aves sounds a lot like you did from that tape. you'll also have to sing me that kelly song because i don't remember it from cheers.
i love aging. the older i get the happier i am. probably because, like you said, i'm not struggling so much to be an individual. when everyone just acts like themselves, that's pretty individual. i think i'm also understanding myself more.
oh and when you have kids, you will especially notice how much you are your mother. it gave me a new perspective of my own relationship towards my mother.
I appreciate this post, aisy.
I have inherited phrases from my father.
"The heck you say." Sometimes I have my own variation where you insert a word for heck.
"I've got a bone in my leg." You use this when downplaying how rough life can be. Or if you make a mistake. Well, I've got a bone in my leg. I think it's as good an explanation as any.
"Do your best, it's bad enough." You have no idea how many times I repeat this to myself and laugh.
Aisy... I love your observations - like how you noticed your sister used some 'mum' phrasing recently. It went right by me - but then I guess it would.
I'm not sure when I turned into my mother - but notice it more and more. At one time I would have been horrified, but now think I'm very lucky... she was much nicer than I am.
just like you are much nicer than me! so i guess i have hope.
ryan, i love that bone in the leg phrase. i may adopt it.
elisabeth, i totally agree. aging is a great thing.
it's cause you live in provost.
weird things happen there.
Kellys are good people.
And, speaking of your pa, I vividly remember how sneaky he thought he was up on the stand in sacrament meeting. He'd eat chocolates all the way through the beginning, lifting up his program to mask the fact he was popping them in his mouth. Only those blessing the sacrament knew the real story.
Aislinn, from what I've heard, it's never to late to ring YOUR bell...
BURN!!!
hmmm, my pa was eating chocs? not surprising. i always appreciated his pretending to meditate but actually snoozing.
anon, you're just jealous that you can't ring my bell.
ring my bell
i love that song...
mmm, debbie harry
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