Have you ever had a deep conversation with a family member?

[TickTockMan]

How was it?

Embarrassing, enlightening, tiring, fun?

 

[Rickrock]

Yes, and they are usually informative and encouraging although there have been exceptions, or partial exceptions.

 

[Harke the Boeotarch]

Those conversations were usually very one-sided. But they loved me.

 

[Vannie]

Yes

I recall there was a flying turkey and cranberry sauce dripping down a wall.

 

[LeicsDom]

As far as I remember there was only one occasion. That was with my brother when he was having difficulties in his marriage

 

[Kahaih]

Always.

My family knows that I can tolerate very little chitchat, and that once the important issues have been discussed it's time to go.

 

[NotHardUp1]

All the time. I have never had to luxury of not having to have deep conversations due to the utter fail that was our upbringing with my mother.

So, conversations with her included asking who our fathers were, if we were going to continue living with her, why we were moving, why we were moving back with her abusing boyfriend, why we couldn't join the school band, why we wanted to go to school/church/anywhere, etc.

During living with her and after, there were long conversations with grandparents and great grandparents, and neighbors and friends' parents acting as substitute parents and counselors.

All during my life with Grandmother, I had deep conversations with her about science, religion, family, society, law, psychology, genealogy, cinema, anthropology, death, debt, horticulture, music, psychology, marriage, family, and our immediate family.

Also, I met with my aunt and uncle a few times and stayed a weekend or so, and we talked long into the night.

My eldest sister is seven years older, and has long acted a matriarch in our family.

These days, I have long conversations by phone, text, and in person with my siblings and cousins.

We are a family that has always communicated. It runs the spectrum of topics and emotions. Sometimes it's joyful, sometimes tedious, sometimes annoying, and many other emotions.

Are you going to share your basis for asking? What happens in your family?

 

[unloadonme]

The most embarrassing was when my mother decided to explain human reproduction ("the birds and the bees") to me. I'm guessing I was about 8 or 9. I was getting dried after a bath or shower (which she must have still been supervising at that age) and the nakedness angle only made it more awkward. Looking back on it now, she was probably just as uncomfortable as I was. Neither of my parents liked discussing personal (especially sexual) issues and I can imagine that my mother must have drawn the short straw on that day.

The whole exercise was completely pointless. We grew up in the countryside and I had lots of pets when I was young, so I'd already figured sex out. Also, of course, what I knew at that age and my mother didn't was that my tastes lay elsewhere.

 

[rareboy]

I suppose I have over the years...but I honestly don't remember any one conversation really.

 

[Kahaih]

. . . .

Also, of course, what I knew at that age and my mother didn't was that my tastes lay elsewhere.

Or, maybe that was the reason for the talk.

 

[TickTockMan]

Are you going to share your basis for asking? What happens in your family?

I saw a movie yesterday called American Fiction. Spoiler below.


In the movie the oldest brother is talking to his sister and she remarked they had never had an adult kind of talk. The movie went on that their dad had many affairs that the sister and younger brother knew about, but the older brother was shocked about. Because the oldest was closest to the father and the siblings were not close it was never brought up or any other serious topic.

It got me thinking. I strive for deeper connections, but rarely get them. Most people are too uncomfortable for such things.



In general my family don't talk about deep issues, personal or other wise, usually.

There however was a time when my family asked me about sexual things. That was a long time ago though.

 

[belamyi]

Barely below my ankles.

 

[cityboy-stl]

Never mind.