What Goes Around Comes Around--Though It Might Take a Very Long Time

A million, bazillion years ago, Little Sister and I, ages 12 and 13 went to see a movie with assorted aunts and cousins. The movie, to give you an idea exactly HOW long ago it was, was Blue Lagoon, which we didn't actually get to see because there was a line at the theater all the way around the corner and the aunts weren't at all interested in standing in line for an hour or so to find out all the seats were sold. Instead, they tried to distract us from our catastrophic disappointment by taking us out for pizza.

As we were walking down the street, Little Sister, Cousin L (at the ripe and impossibly mature age of 14), and I tried to distance ourselves from our hopelessly uncool mother/aunts. A carload of hooting and hollering boys went by and Cousin L whistled or shouted something back to them--something somewhat encouraging, though I no longer remember exactly what.

Cousin L's mother (who I uncharitably called--at least in my head--Fat Aunt M the whole time I was in high school*) shouted, "Keep that up and you're not going to have a ride home!"

"Oh, I'll have a ride home," Cousin L laughed, "Maybe not my home, but I'll definitely have a ride home."

Funniest thing I ever heard, I'm tellin' ya'. Little Sister and I have even said it to each other for absolutely no reason once in a while over the years. "Maybe not my home..." heh, heh, heh.

Payback sometimes come in strange and indirect packages.

Last night, Son-Two and I were discussing computer time (which is at a premium around here even though we have three computers, because we have six people--all of whom have various Internet addictions to feed--except me of course. I'm not addicted...I can quit anytime I want...), or some other privilege (again, can't remember and this time it was only last night--not a million, bazillion years ago--how scary is that?) and I thought it was the perfect time to bring up his school performance--to remind him of the connection between good work and rewards.

"When the progress reports come out in a few weeks, I'm not going to find any nasty surprises in the mailbox am I?"

"Weeellll...by now, they shouldn't be surprises, they may be nasty, but they definitely shouldn't be surprising."


*Speaking of karmic retribution--I think I just realized why I'm Fat Aunt S.