Catastrophic Thinking - Funny Example :)

Somehow we segued from catastrophic thinking to not wanting to spend much time with family.
That's okay. Might be part of the same thing.

About forty or more years ago I got very tired of family get-togethers every Saturday or Sunday.
My mom wanted them and so I went along with it. But it was BORING. Same people every weekend, my
stepfather, brother, and sister's husband swilling beer and bourbon and complaining about their jobs
while they watched sports on tv. Their wives were in the kitchen making meals and saying they hoped
they and their kids would get home alive that night because the men would be high but insisted on driving.

I finally had enough and slowed down on the weekend family reunions. Once a month or just on major
holidays. They got used to it, but I didn't care if they didn't. I wanted a life, and I go it.

No catastrophe.

 

I think those family get togethers must have been archetypal during that era: Women in the kitchen cooking the evening meal, men in the living room drinking, watching TV and complaining. No wonder all us "kids" used to go out in the backyard and get away from what had become for us an all too familiar tableau. I seem to recall that there was always a little explosion and fight over which one of the so-called adults had not received enough attention too. Frail masculine egos and the women who put up with and nurtured them.

 

Thank you Ellen! They say whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger...

 

Oh yes, Bruce, there were always a lot of family arguments during those weekend reunions.
Too much to drink, anger brought to the surface.

 

*waves hand* Yup. Me too. I used to joked that I could run a "dial a pessimist" hotline. Tell me your plans and I could rattle off 15 reasons...all with devastating outcomes...why you shouldn't do it. The other think is how my mind can IMMEDIATELY kick in the adrenaline because my imagination has run amuck. GAH!

Practicing mindfulness, guided imagery, nature and poetry are my go-to tools for combating the monkey mind. I've gotten a lot better at...no more panic attacks or very, very rarely anymore.

What a great group of people here!

 

Lol, what a great post MontanaMom!

I live in a rural area where most people still get together as families to complain, drink too much, and fight. The people who didn't like it either moved to the city or to a different rural area where they have no family. Nice to have choices.