Find Me a Find, Catch Me a Catch
I always love dinners with the extended family. The conversation always follows the same predictable pattern.
Them: So Carly, are you dating anyone right now?
Me: Well no. Not right now.
Them: Then let me just tell you about how wonderful my chiropractor is....
Me: Um...I really don't like being set up.
Them: But this guy is exceptional. He's handsome, wealthy....
Me: Well I've never really considered a chiropractor to be a real doctor. They don't even go to med. school for that.
My little brother: Oh lighten up Carly. You're not getting any younger.
You can pretty much cut and paste this conversation and apply to every family gathering during every holiday. Granted the potential male suitor always changes. Sometimes he's a doctor or a dentist, other times a youth minister or business entrepreneur, but for some reason the people in my family have always felt some sort of need to arrange romance into my life. They went so far one year to even bring a guy to one of our family gatherings (all the way from Ohio or Iowa or some boring state like that). He was nice enough but I certainly felt no spark of interest and when questioned about it later because he was asking my family members for my phone number, I claimed that I just wasn't up for starting a long distance relationship with somebody I didn't know. My aunt informed me last night that upon hearing this news, he told her that he would consider moving to Colorado to pursue me if I was willing to give him a chance. Yikes. The picken's must be really slim up there in Iowa.
I guess (and I've noticed this with some of my friends too) that when a person is in a solid and happy relationship, it makes them feel better to see everyone else paired up as well. That might fuel the need to "arrange" relationships for the unfortunate single souls of this world. It certainly can be said that both sides of my extended family have been unsually successful in their marriages, so it would follow suit that they all wish the same success on me and believe that they know how to set it up well. But what doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me, is that my family members are viewing all single 20-something males with such a open eyes. Ultimately I'm the one who will have to live the rest of my life with the other person. Not them. So shouldn't I be doing the primary "matchmaking"? I'm 25 so I damn well know what is attractive about the opposite sex and what isn't attractive to me. Much better than someone who spends a few hours with me a couple of times a year.
Them: So Carly, are you dating anyone right now?
Me: Well no. Not right now.
Them: Then let me just tell you about how wonderful my chiropractor is....
Me: Um...I really don't like being set up.
Them: But this guy is exceptional. He's handsome, wealthy....
Me: Well I've never really considered a chiropractor to be a real doctor. They don't even go to med. school for that.
My little brother: Oh lighten up Carly. You're not getting any younger.
You can pretty much cut and paste this conversation and apply to every family gathering during every holiday. Granted the potential male suitor always changes. Sometimes he's a doctor or a dentist, other times a youth minister or business entrepreneur, but for some reason the people in my family have always felt some sort of need to arrange romance into my life. They went so far one year to even bring a guy to one of our family gatherings (all the way from Ohio or Iowa or some boring state like that). He was nice enough but I certainly felt no spark of interest and when questioned about it later because he was asking my family members for my phone number, I claimed that I just wasn't up for starting a long distance relationship with somebody I didn't know. My aunt informed me last night that upon hearing this news, he told her that he would consider moving to Colorado to pursue me if I was willing to give him a chance. Yikes. The picken's must be really slim up there in Iowa.
I guess (and I've noticed this with some of my friends too) that when a person is in a solid and happy relationship, it makes them feel better to see everyone else paired up as well. That might fuel the need to "arrange" relationships for the unfortunate single souls of this world. It certainly can be said that both sides of my extended family have been unsually successful in their marriages, so it would follow suit that they all wish the same success on me and believe that they know how to set it up well. But what doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me, is that my family members are viewing all single 20-something males with such a open eyes. Ultimately I'm the one who will have to live the rest of my life with the other person. Not them. So shouldn't I be doing the primary "matchmaking"? I'm 25 so I damn well know what is attractive about the opposite sex and what isn't attractive to me. Much better than someone who spends a few hours with me a couple of times a year.
posted by carlymarie | 12:44 PM
4 Comments:
Disclaimer #1: I love my parents. They never once have taken part in one of these conversations. I think that they would rather see me living at home and single at 35 then be caught up in a relationship that wasn't right. Last night on the way out of my aunt's house my dad hugged me and said to not listen to a word anybody had to say about my single status.
Disclaimer #2: Some of this posting is written in jest. I certainly mean no offense to any chiropractors who might be reading this (I'm sure your career is legit), or to any of the girls in Iowa or Ohio (I'm sure you're far more beautiful, talented, and successful than myself and any guy would be lucky to have you).
Hehe. I like the conversation I had with an uncle when I first started college:
Uncle: Since you're in college now with all of those beautiful girls you need to take advantage of the opportunity.
Me: Oh really? What do you mean?
Uncle: Well, you know that someday when you're married you won't be able to sleep with all of those beautiful girls.
Me: Aunt [blank] is lucky to have you.
hmmmmm.....pets and kids. I was just about to blog.....
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