oldkicker
<font color=purple>Pay no attention to <img src=ht
- Joined
- Aug 23, 1999
- Messages
- 9,835
Has this happened to your family?
What once was a group of people who would do anything for each other has been turned into a sulky group of people who are firmly attached to their chairs, refusing to move even as the phone rings or the bathroom beckons.
All because of overuse of "While you're up...."
You know, when someone heads into the kitchen and the rest of the family tacks on additional chores for them.
"Hey, while you're up, would you get me a glass of water."
"While you're up, how about getting me a piece of that nice apple pie?"
"While you're up, would you feed the dog? And clean the bathroom?"
All of these, one their own, are simple enough requests. Simplicity is cast away though as they are all uttered within the same moment; the moment that someone rises to their feet.
The simple glass of water request can be twisted a bit further by adding the tag line "Here's my glass" and waiting until the person who is up has almost entered the kitchen, making them turn around and make the walk back into the family room to get said glass. Ingnomy is added by complaining that they are blocking the view to the TV set, even when it's just some dumb commercial that we've all seen a million times.
The requests go from the sublime to the ridiculous. My favorite? "While you're up, what's for dinner?" Suddenly the simple act of standing up puts one in charge of making dinner!! Being a good-hearted soul doesn't pay either. Say that you do engage in that conversation and make a suggestion for dinner and even offer to make it. Suddenly everyone who had been silent as church mice has an opinion about what should be served for dinner. The room erupts in suggestions about dinner, each suggestion as far removed from the previous as is possible, just so no common ground can be reached! And some suggestions made for dinner are taken as personal affronts by other members of the ruling (sitting) class! "Spaghetti and meatballs? I just had spaghetti and meatballs last week!!"
Once upon a time we used to offer to serve when we got up. The phrase "Can I get you anything while I'm up?" has been removed completely from our vocabulary. We all eye each other warily now or pretend that we are completely disinterested. We have our lists of needs ready though, and we are patient.
Even my ten-year-old, who can sit still for about as long as a politician can refrain from making promises, has taken on a new air. She fidgets, but now keeps her little bottom in full contact with her seat at all times. She fears that losing that point of contact will be construed as getting up. She had been the first to go to bed, but now she sits, night after night, head nodding and eyes heavy, waiting for someone else to move so that she can escape the room unnoticed while the first riser is barraged with requests.
Mornings are no better than evenings.
An unwitting victim will stumble out of bed and go downstairs, wiping the sleep from their eyes only to find someone already up, eyes keen and slightly impatient. Someone who has been waiting, waiting for who knows how long, waiting for someone else to get up. Perhaps they stayed up all night, who knows? The newly risen one suddenly looks like a deer in the headlights. Doomed to servitude. The first person up is thirsty, tired and hungry.
This is a cautionary tale.
Be sure that you let your family members know that they can get up on their own to get their own water, eat, answer the door. Be sure they know that there can actually be two or more people up at any given time. Be sure that your family keeps the fierce spirit of independence that has made this country great.
Let me know how things go for you.
I'll be right here.
Waiting.
What once was a group of people who would do anything for each other has been turned into a sulky group of people who are firmly attached to their chairs, refusing to move even as the phone rings or the bathroom beckons.
All because of overuse of "While you're up...."
You know, when someone heads into the kitchen and the rest of the family tacks on additional chores for them.
"Hey, while you're up, would you get me a glass of water."
"While you're up, how about getting me a piece of that nice apple pie?"
"While you're up, would you feed the dog? And clean the bathroom?"
All of these, one their own, are simple enough requests. Simplicity is cast away though as they are all uttered within the same moment; the moment that someone rises to their feet.
The simple glass of water request can be twisted a bit further by adding the tag line "Here's my glass" and waiting until the person who is up has almost entered the kitchen, making them turn around and make the walk back into the family room to get said glass. Ingnomy is added by complaining that they are blocking the view to the TV set, even when it's just some dumb commercial that we've all seen a million times.
The requests go from the sublime to the ridiculous. My favorite? "While you're up, what's for dinner?" Suddenly the simple act of standing up puts one in charge of making dinner!! Being a good-hearted soul doesn't pay either. Say that you do engage in that conversation and make a suggestion for dinner and even offer to make it. Suddenly everyone who had been silent as church mice has an opinion about what should be served for dinner. The room erupts in suggestions about dinner, each suggestion as far removed from the previous as is possible, just so no common ground can be reached! And some suggestions made for dinner are taken as personal affronts by other members of the ruling (sitting) class! "Spaghetti and meatballs? I just had spaghetti and meatballs last week!!"
Once upon a time we used to offer to serve when we got up. The phrase "Can I get you anything while I'm up?" has been removed completely from our vocabulary. We all eye each other warily now or pretend that we are completely disinterested. We have our lists of needs ready though, and we are patient.
Even my ten-year-old, who can sit still for about as long as a politician can refrain from making promises, has taken on a new air. She fidgets, but now keeps her little bottom in full contact with her seat at all times. She fears that losing that point of contact will be construed as getting up. She had been the first to go to bed, but now she sits, night after night, head nodding and eyes heavy, waiting for someone else to move so that she can escape the room unnoticed while the first riser is barraged with requests.
Mornings are no better than evenings.
An unwitting victim will stumble out of bed and go downstairs, wiping the sleep from their eyes only to find someone already up, eyes keen and slightly impatient. Someone who has been waiting, waiting for who knows how long, waiting for someone else to get up. Perhaps they stayed up all night, who knows? The newly risen one suddenly looks like a deer in the headlights. Doomed to servitude. The first person up is thirsty, tired and hungry.
This is a cautionary tale.
Be sure that you let your family members know that they can get up on their own to get their own water, eat, answer the door. Be sure they know that there can actually be two or more people up at any given time. Be sure that your family keeps the fierce spirit of independence that has made this country great.
Let me know how things go for you.
I'll be right here.
Waiting.
