Do you ever do something or say something without thinking and then immediately catch yourself, knowing exactly where that came from? I've realized that several of my behaviors or responses to Katherine have come directly from childhood. Here are a few examples:
While driving to and fro, especially to the office in New Jersey, I instinctively play the "license plate game" in my head. It has amazed me how many people are driving through MD, DE, and NJ from other parts of the country. Some of this can probably be attributed to military personnel and their families, but I also wonder if people are driving more instead of flying because of the economy. Just this week (2 commuting days) I have seen cars from MD, DE, NJ, PA, VA, NY, MA, ME, VT, CT, NC, SC, FL, TN, CA, TX, WA, AK, OH, KY, SD, and LA. And why are there so many people from Quebec driving through this area?! Just yesterday, I saw no less than 15 cars from Quebec!
Trains - When I am stopped at a train crossing, I automatically start counting the number of cars on the train. Mom used to do this with me, probably so I'd be more patient with our delay.
Responses to Katherine - When we're getting ready to leave the house to go somewhere, we tell Katherine to go to the potty. Sometimes she says "but I don't have to go". My response is "TRY". (Thanks Dad) Sometimes Katherine asks "Why?" incessantly as most toddlers are known to do. After exhausting all of the real answers, I sometimes end up responding "Because I said so!" (Thanks Mom and Dad)
To this day, when I eat a ripe plum (one of my favorite summer-time treats!) I instinctively walk outside before biting into it. Apparently Mom used to send Scott and I outside to eat our plums so we wouldn't dribble the juice all over the house!
What habits do you attribute to your childhood?
Webernj - Navigating the courses of life.
4 comments:
1. Always go potty before you leave the house. (Thanks to MY Mom and Dad.)
2. Make sure you cook so that everyone can have 2nds and 3rds. (Thanks Mom - and growing up in the south.)
3. Walk around the back of the car before backing out. (Thanks, Mom and Dad for taking me to that little kid's funeral.)
4. Always have kleenex in your purse. (Thanks Mom.)
5. All the southern/KY words, phrases that I occasionally fall back to: buggy=shopping cart, supper=dinner, etc.
I just loved it when in the car traveling from say Hershey and Courtney out of nowhere would decide if a bathroom was furnished over in the next 3 seconds should would lose it, as if she didn't have to go only one mile back at the rest stop!
I don't have a child, but I have coworkers and I'm responsible for the equipment in my office's high-tech meeting rooms. Its amazing how many places you can lose a wireless mouse and remote control. I often want to tell these people "Leave the room the way you found it." Thanks Dad.
Occasionally I find myself saying "Now you're cooking with gas". It's another way of saying you've got things underway or you've got it going now. My Dad use to say this when I was little and I guess it's carried over to me. (Thanks Dad.)
The other day my brother reminded me that when I take a sip of someones (Erin or Katherine) drink, I take a "Mom sip". When my brother and I were little my Mom use to take sips of our drinks and they were more like gulps. I guess this has carried over too. (Thanks Mom.)
Rob
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