Here it is Friday again. My books for this week of the Summer Reading Challenge were Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs, about which I have written, and Mrs. Pargeter’s Point of Honor, which is another excellent entry in Simon Brett’s excellent series. Brett is always fun to read. I am finishing off 44 Scotland Street, which I laid aside at some point and neglected to finish.
I just responded at last to an invitation I received about a month ago. I got a third email on the subject and it seemed like high time. The truth is, I couldn’t decide whether I wanted to go or not.
The Mendelian Ratio may not be a common topic of conversation at your house, but it is chez fibermom. You will recall that Gregor Mendel, fooling around with peas, discovered that in a case in which the parents have two different characteristics, you normally find that the offspring display those characteristics in a 3/1 ratio. We have four children, and we constantly see this ratio at work. We have three ectomorphs (Deer People, as they say in my husband’s country) and one mesomorph (Horse People). We have three with dark skin and one with fair skin. One has some red in his hair. One has typically Asian hair. We have two grown up, and one is tall and the other is small. We are waiting to see which direction height will go, but the boys are hoping that it will be three tall and one small, and not the other way around.
So I understood completely what #1 son meant when he said that he hoped the Mendelian ratio wouldn’t be one outgoing and three unsociable.
Actually, he began by asking “Does antisocial behavior run in our family?”
A somewhat alarming question to hear from your teenager. What kind of antisocial behavior did he have in mind? Had he been stealing cars or what?
Really, he meant unsociable. And the answer is yes. We have some family members famous for their charm, but we also have some who are notable recluses. Some fall into both categories. This trait is marked enough that it was not unreasonable for my son to fear that he might be genetically fated to hanging around an atelier, reading. And since he is going into horticulture, he might be fooling around with peas, too.
We are unsociable enough as a group that I feel as though I have to guard against unsociability. I have to make a point of accepting invitations even if I am not sure that I want to. At least sometimes. If you always refuse, you know, people quit asking you after a while.
So I said yes and offered to bring a salad.
Work was very busy yesterday, right on schedule, and afterwards I went walking with Partygirl. She said how she often went places without her husband, since he was an old stick in the mud.
I also often go places without my husband. He comes from a country where the men and women don’t usually socialize together. I wouldn’t say that he is an old stick in the mud, but he generally hangs out with his home boys. I can feel sure that he won’t go to the party with me. It will be just me and my salad.
My aunt and uncle are just like you and your hubby – he sticks close to home and she is out and about. My hubby and I are the same. We hang out separately with our friends sometimes, we hang out with other couples sometimes, and we hang out at home together sometimes. For us, it’s a nice balance. I’m searching patterns like a crazy woman for the SWAPalong. It’s hard this time of year because I want to make summer clothes for the SWAPalong, but I’ll be making and wearing them in the fall/winter. Now where’s that 40% off coupon for Joann’s hiding?
On behalf of all the ancestors: We apologize.
Interesting! Does this mean that if we’d had a 4th child, he or she would have been a red-head like 2 out of my 3? Something to ponder. Where did you meet your husband? if you don’t mind my asking. You seem to come from such different backgrounds. I’d like to participate in the SWAPalong, but fear I don’t have the necessary skills. I’m still overwhelmed by zippers.
In a family of 3 kids, with two sort-of-sociable parents we ended up with one very unsociable, one very sociable and one who oscillates between the two states. Only the very sociable one has reproduced and her offspring is also very sociable. Ain’t genetics fun
Well, I only have two, and they break down 1/2, interestingly enough. One is taller, thicker, lighter and more unsociable. My ‘baby’ is thinner, darker and the life of the party. His ‘sociability’ can get out of hand though, whereas my firstborn is more of an introvert, but has many friends!