My new friend and I were comparing personal backgrounds last night (we're both in our 40s) and concluded, after a few glasses of wine, that we and most of the people we know grew up in some kind of "abnormal" family situation , or our accumulated families in our adult life are abnormal. In the depths of last night, it was pretty clear to us what we were talking about, but in the new day it is not so clear.

Anyway, we made a bar bet about what percent of people would say they are or were in an abnormal family. I promised I would post a poll (she's not on this forum), and I would offer no definition of what abnormal means; everyone has to use their own internal definition.

So, I gotta round resting on this guys and gals: Please vote, and there is no "Undecided" option; you gotta pick one or the other. Did you grow up in some kind of abnormal or dysfunctional family or are in one now? I'm sure any comments or or amplification you add will make this a more interesting discussion. After a few posters, I will give you my long, sad abnormal background. But it can't be that bad, cuz here I am with an '8 and a 'puter so I guess things worked out ok in the end. Cast your vote now! And don't bemoan that I didn't define it; that was intentional and part of our bet.

haha, I just remembered this from the West Side Story stage play (I played a Jet in high school). From the song, "Gee Officer Krupke."

My father is a bastard,
My ma's an S.O.B.
My grandpa's always plastered,
My grandma pushes tea.
My sister wears a mustache,
My brother wears a dress.
Goodness gracious, that's why I'm a mess!

Find the complete lyrics here. (http://www.westsidestory.com/site/level2/lyrics/krupke.html)

My mother started showing signs of MS when I was barely out of diapers. Eventually, a couple years later, her mother moved in with us when she was no longer able to perform the regular chores of a wife & mother of 4. She passed away when I was 13, after years of being bedridden. That I think falls in the abnormal grouping.

As far as my present family, I'm a white yankee, married to a black woman. Pretty abnormal there too.

:D

Originally posted by Racer X-8
As far as my present family, I'm a white yankee, married to a black woman. Pretty abnormal there too.

In california, this would barely be noticed. SC on the other, ohh yeahh. Def abnormal. Sorry 'bout your mom, though.

We were all damaged by our parents.....a rarity to have a decent, normal childhood. Of course are parents were damaged by their parents and so on & so on.......You have to break the "Cycle".....hmmm, obsessed with a car.....is that normal???

this is too funny

My family is Itailian and thinks yelling is required to communicate

so how did u vote, MikeB (if you don't mind telling?) Maybe not yelling in your neighborhood would have been abnormal. :-)

I vote my family is crazy but its good and not boring

it makes things interesting and fun sometimes

Originally posted by mikeb
this is too funny

My family is Itailian and thinks yelling is required to communicate

That's funny, that trait seems to run in my family too! (especially my mom) and I'm Asian. Or is it because I don't listen? :confused:

I fall into the "so normal is makes me sick category". When I was growing up things were pretty boring, same old routine every day, dad went to work, mom stayed home and looked after us kids, went to church on Sunday, did the family vacation thing to visit relatives and stuff over summer and at Christmas, mom and dad are still married and rarely argued, at least not in front of the kids, they always seemed happy.

I think now having what would be considered a normal family is considered abnormal. and definately in the minority. Very few families these days aren't dysfuntional in some way.

if everyone is abnormal than abnormal is actually normal. And since abnormal is normal then that means normal is now abnormal. So am I now normal or abnormal?? I just gotta be me... :-)

I dunno; in TX pretty much everything is abnormal. Or just big. ;-)

I think I would concur. Things are a bit different down here. Being originally from Pennsylvania had a bit of a culture shock. Still a good place to live, though.

Ok.....had a cousin who is actually insane....unspeakably abused her child, ate her hair, choked her mom, just took off. (these people I no longer see...only as a kid).....my uncle has a huge hand that looks all blown up like a balloon and now has no legs and he's very odd, my other cousin has retardation, my Aunt lives in Utah...away from everyone wacky, My Mom was sexually abused as a child and was raped 3 times in her life.( She worked as a nurse at a County jail). This was all on my Dad's side and we stopped seeing these people by the time I was 10. Gee....I see why!! So some weird stuff, some health issues all make for some abnormal family stuff....and that is just to name a few. I am normal except for my obsession to this car!!

ok, time to wrap this up. As I said, I had a bar bet riding on this and it looks like I win. I said 80 percent would claim abnormal family; my friend said I was low. So at least I'm closest (as of right now, it's at 73 percent kooks.) anymore nut cases wanna vote to sway the results?

Now that we're all nestled around the tree, and celebrating a warm family feast for the holidays, I thought it would be an idea time to dust off this thead and continue the dialog. Anyone else care to comment or vote on your warm family holiday?