I find it funny (actually more annoying than funny, really!) that in each stage of life that you're in there is a sort of script. What I mean by that is that anyone and everyone that has a conversation with you will ask you all of the same questions, like they're reading from a script. I have noticed that the questions for each stage of life are as follows (I am starting at YSA, because that's as far back as I can remember.):
Young single adult (the setting for these questions would be a YSA church dance)1. So, where do you go to school?
2. What's your major?
3. What ward are you in?
I think every guy I ever danced with at a YSA dance, asked me these same 3 questions, no joke!
Engaged:
1. How did he propose? (This one I don't mind at all, because I never minded telling people how I was proposed to!)
2. When are you getting married?
3. Where are you going on your honeymoon?
Newlyweds:
1. How long have you been married?
2. When are you going to start having kids?
Pregnant:
1. When are you due?
2. Is it a boy or a girl?
3. What are you going to name it?
When I was pregnant a teacher at my school was on the verge of making a sign to go around my neck, with the answers to each of these questions. So when someone asked them, instead of telling them I could just point to the answer!)
Just had a baby (I know this one well, since it's the stage of life I'm currently in!)
1. Is he/she sleeping through the night? (This question literally makes me want to pull my hair out, no kidding!)
2. How old is he/she?
3. What's his/her name?
4. When are you going to start having more?
Since I have not yet been through the other stages of life yet, I can't comment on those scripts. However, I think it's an interesting phenomenon that in our culture we've somehow learned to ask people these same sets of questions over and over again. Where did we learn to ask these questions? Who first started asking them? The sad thing is, I have found myself asking people these same exact questions and everytime I do it makes me mad at myself. Also, please don't think this post is directed towards anyone in particular, because it's really not. It just happens to be something I've observed about us as humans.
8 comments:
Melissa,
I agree 100% It is ridiculous sometimes how many of the same questions you hear!
Lara
I ask these same darn Q's just for conversation I guess. Although, I think asking when someone is planning on having more is bordering on a bit personal and i find myself getting defensive unless it is a close freind or someone who you are discussing the exact issue of when to have children with.
This makes me laugh. It's so true!I agree with Nancy. I don't think it's anyone's business when you are planning to have kids. It's a little too personal to be sharing with other people. Why do they really care anyway? It's your decision.
I try not to ask any questions that involve having a kid/more kids and what you will be naming that child when you are pregnant. That was my biggest annoyance was when people would ask what I was naming my unborn child even when I had previously told them I wasn't sure or wasn't going to say even if I did know the name.
These are the next phases of questions you will get:
1)Are you done having kids?
2)Are all these kids yours?
3)All Girls???? (boys in my case?)
4)Are you going to try for a boy?(girl in my case)
5)Will you serve in the primary?
Yes, the questions are always delightful!=)
I've got some answers to these questions, "Shut up!" "Mind your own p's & q's." "Get the heck (or hell, depending on my mood) out of my face." "Please don't ever talk to me again."
It gets really, really old. At least you're not at my stage in life (that's divorced and single-mom). Because then people constantly ask, "So when are you going to get married again?" If I knew the answer, I wouldn't still be single and you wouldn't be asking me such a stupid question.
Juli and Erik said...
Did you take funny pills this week or what? Dang...this one had me going too. Maybe it's because I have lived the last few closely behind you. The sleeping question is the worst one ever. How old do they have to be before those stop? I had to answer them about 30 times this afternoon, I almost shot myself.
Totally unrelated to anything--I was so excited when I turned on the TV Fri. morning at 7:20 a.m. to find, guess who, "Sam the Cooking Guy." Yes!
Post a Comment