f r e s h s t a r t

Saturday, December 30, 2006

 

Home is where you can embarrass yourself with minimal repercussions

I had one day in Chicago to shop and pack in between my last final and the first family Christmas obligation in Michigan. Since I didn't have time to drink with my friends, I spent a few days drinking with my relatives. When I arrived at home I had a few hours to relax and get settled before heading out to the party for my Dad's side. This is the rowdier family party, with around 20 cousins, mostly my age, lots of alcohol and laughing and teasing. One of my younger cousins had just turned 21, so a group of us decided to go out the next night to the bar. My family and the families of two of my Dad's brothers live in the same small town. It's a one restaurant, one gas station, one bar kind of town, literally. I went away to college before I was of drinking age obviously, and on visits home never really spent much time in the village bar, since the college town of East Lansing, 15 minutes away, had more enticing options. My family had hosted a party for my Mom's side from earlier in the day, so by the time we arrived at the bar to meet up with the birthday girl, I was already a little buzzed. Family friends started to trickle in, our parents left, and someone started handing me shots. Apparently, at least around the holidays, our town bar is a magnet for people I went to elementary, junior high, and high school with. A lot of people looked vaguely familiar, but someone else had to put names to the faces. As soon as one of my cousins or a friend said a name, I said the first thing that popped into my head, free association style. Matt? Oh, you were so short in elementary school! etc. Nothing awful, but nothing particularly polite. It just gives me a few more people to avoid at the high school reunion.

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