What's up with that? Family survival guide

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

If you happen to have a family that isn’t 100 percent awesome all the time, here’s a handy tip: At the dinner table, stuff one of the turkey legs in your sleeve and pretend it’s your arm. Your grandfather will laugh non-stop for the next 15 minutes. Believe me. I’ve witnessed this first-hand.

So if there’s ever an awkward pause in the dinner conversation, or your grandmother asks what exactly a creative writing degree is supposed to do — though this has never happened to me — whip out that gem and cause a distraction. When your grandfather finally catches his breath, you’ll forget what was even awkward in the first place.

— Nichols is a Stilwell Junior in creative writing.

The holidays are filled with good food, great friends and no school, but they can also have a troublesome side — a reunion with those pesky relatives you, thankfully, only see at this special time of year. These are the distant cousins, aunts and uncles who you know live far away from you for a reason.

They ask caring questions including, “Do you have a boyfriend yet?” and say loving things such as, “Don’t let the freshmen 15 get you down,” but it’s important to just ignore them to keep them from ruining your holiday season.

Remember, no matter what, they’re still your family, and just remind yourself that you’re the normal one.

— Esposito is an Overland Park sophomore in journalism and film.

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