Thicker Than Water

On Sunday everyone had to be back in Indiana by the afternoon for various events. Mine was a not-so-progressive dinner with the youth group.
We couldn't get enough families to sign up - so we played games and had dinner at the church before driving to a Jr. Higher's home, where his parent's had prepared some pretty tasty desserts to top off our evening.

Each of us leaders piled some Jr. Highers into our itty, we-don't-have-kids-yet vehicles. My group claimed they couldn't breathe because they were so crowded. When we arrived at the house a back door handle got ripped off in their desperation to be released. Fine workmanship.
Chevy must be proud.

In Jr. High it is a measure of one's coolness that they can quote the latest music and movies. Actually, for some people this never changes. But while some of the girls were happily rattling off material from PG type programing, two sisters had to sing the "We're not allowed" anthem.
The tune hasn't changed from when I was a kid. It still makes everyone cringe. The kids who can't do what most people are - the kids who don't understand why anyone wouldn't be allowed to say, "Shut-up!" Adults who are silently grateful that they never have to sing that song again.

I understand why parents place restrictions on what their children can say/do/watch. When I was in college the awfulness of what was shown on television made Ashleigh and I decided we weren't going to let our children watch anything but TVLand, Nick at Night, and the news. Sometimes not the news.

On the other hand, explaining my parents' rules to my friends was like trying shove a basketball through a strainer - it didn't even make sense to try.
More resourceful than I was, the girl sitting next to me confided that she uses the rules to shock her friends. When life gives you lemons...

I assured the girl that my parents had the same rules for me when I was at home.

There's a bond between people who have been in the same situation. Especially when they've been through a trauma: cancer patients, people who have experienced the loss of a loved one, math students - the survival bond is always strong.

I think this accounts for the fact that after my comment the girl's face lit up and she notified her sister that, "She had the same rules as we do! She's family!" Her sister looked a bit confused - but it's like meeting someone in another country and finding out they're from your hometown. Instant friend. Instant family.