Skip to main content

Playing Family Feud in Real-Time

There are times, when handling the ups and downs of an extended family, that life mimics a real-time version of a game-show gone terribly wrong.  The contestants range in age across multiple generations; pressing their buzzers and shouting to be heard above everyone else on the panel with no regard to the rules or game format.

The biggest problem with this game of Family Feud, is that everyone is hoping for a drastically different outcome.  Mom is hoping that behind door number one the entire family (children, second cousins, great-aunts twice removed included) will get along; sharing and caring together while putting aside clashes in opinion and personality.  Dad is sure that behind door number two is the key to getting everyone to see things from his point of view and agreeing that he is utterly right in his stance on all things big and small.  Cousin Sally has her fingers crossed that door number three will give her the house, platinum serving set, husband, dog and 2.4 children she is sure she needs to have the perfect Christmas gathering next year.  And dear old Aunt Mildred just wants everyone to leave her the $&%* alone.

Left to decode the shouts, screeches and incessant ringing of the buzzer is the poor game-show host; a man (or woman) who had once dreamed of being a famous actor but in a twist of fate became ringleader of this prime-time circus.  He does his best to keep his smile wide and bright, even when it's obvious that none of the contestants are going to follow the rules or have something intelligent to say in response to the questions peppered on the cue cards in front of him.  He nods emphatically and puts on his best "happy face" as he wrangles the onslaught of ribs and jabs that the contestants pass back and forth, and no one gives any regard to the fact that truthfully he detests both game and contestant equally.

Unfortunately in the end no one gets anywhere near the prize doors and the game drags on forever because no one is willing to stop pointing fingers and distributing blame long enough to hear what anyone else has to say.  It can (and does) drag on for decades; splitting the family apart with rifts that are not easily breached.  It is as painful to watch as it is to participate in, and yet every family still signs up to play with unbridled enthusiasm.

Perhaps when we find ourselves banging our own buzzer against the table, we should take a moment to step back and evaluate how we are playing the game.  If we took the time to define who we are and what we are hoping to accomplish, and tried to understand the same for the family standing around us then perhaps we could all set down our buzzers and have a more relaxing evening playing Connect Four.

Now Watching



http://astore.amazon.com/quietkey-20

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Don't Wait

I awoke Friday morning to a message from someone whose name was only vaguely familiar. Laying in bed, scrolling through Facebook on my cell phone, I opened the message. It was a quick note from a woman who was good friends with a woman who I have been close to for over a decade. I read it, and reeled with shock. My friend, a woman who had been with me through the best and worst of times, is gone. Taken from this life because of a driver who didn't stop at a stop sign on a country road. "Accidents happen," many say. It's true, but it isn't right. We never know when our time is going to be up. Today might be your last day, or mine. There's no way of predicting what will happen tomorrow... this evening... fifteen minutes from now. There are many tragedies stemming from this simple accident. First, a mother with fierce love of her two teenage children was stolen from them. A woman who was a pillar of support for so many has fallen from their list of who to cal...

Proofing.

The first printed copy of A Giraffe in the Room has arrived in my office. The giant "Proof" stamp is wonderful to see, and I am looking forward to picking through the pages to make sure that the novelette is ready to be released commercially. Every time writing takes a step forward - whether it is the completion of a piece, reading through editing mark ups for the first time, or getting a print proof in the mail, it is a wonderful feeling. I hope that everyone who finds their passion gets the chance to feel the pride of taking a step forward.  I will say that at under 50 pages, I think A Giraffe in the Room looks a little bit like a pamphlet that someone would hand you through the open crack of your screen door as they try to tell you about the Good News. Other than the brevity of the thing (it is a novelette, after all), I'm very pleased with the little bit of it that I've had a chance to look over. I hope to comb over it this week, and estimate that copies ...

The 2nd Edition of Adaline is LIVE!

Guess what? I've been writing. Biocide, the second book in the Adaline series is in the final stages of production. I'm editing the manuscript now, and hope to have the book in print and ready for your bookshelf in just a few weeks. I'm so excited for the production of Biocide, that I just had to give Adaline a facelift to keep up with the direction that the series is going. There's a new cover, a couple of new sentences on the pages, and a nifty promotion for Biocide tucked into the back of the book.  The Adaline series is taking its next big step forward, and as always I have to thank you readers for helping me to take the leap. This is my first time with a series and my first second edition. Many thanks to all of you for your patience, understanding and enthusiasm as I continue to write. The upload is so fresh that I'm still waiting for Amazon to link the listings - so if you're looking, here are the links: - Paperback $12.99 - Kindle $2....