Weird Relatives And What We Can Learn From Them

Do you have anyone goofy in your family? Ya know, that one weird uncle who can’t speak a sentence without mentioning duck hunting. Or the aunt who has more cats than bedrooms. Or the cousin who believes every conspiracy theory ever uttered. Sure you do-we’ve all got someone like this!

In my family, we have an extended relative who is kinda an odd bird, but totally harmless. And after being around him a little on this trip home, I realized something I’d never really noticed before.

Let me paint you a little portrait…

This guy is around 60, retired and lives in small town Missouri. Several years ago, he and his wife renewed their vows…but not only did the ceremony have the usual re-commitment of husband to wife (and vice versa), this ceremony included something more: interpretive dancers.

Now, my family are salt of the earth, pragmatic, sensible mid-westerners. They are NOT the type of folk who even know what interpretive dance is, much less would pay interpretive dancers to display their art. Yet? There they were! Flitting around the church sanctuary, trailing those ten foot long streamers from dowl rods, making quite the spectacle!

And this fella rides a scooter. One of those 50 cc engine motorbikes you might see ridden around college campuses or retirement villages-but NOT on state highways through cornfields and past farms.

Another thing? He crochets! Seriously, crochets! I did some latch hook as a kid, and I tried to cross stitch once with my grandma on vacation, but a seamstress (seamster?) I am not! And how many people (much less men) even still know this lost art?

All these eccentric things are just the tip of the iceberg. The stories can go on for hours about other things this relative has been involved in over the years.

And yet? He just doesn’t care what anyone thinks. He rides his scooter, he crochets blankets for his grandkids-and he doesn’t care that these things are looked upon by others with a bit of a raised eyebrow. He’s either incredibly secure with who he is-or he’s oblivious to the fact his lifestyle choices are, well, kinda odd for who he is.

But he does everything with a gusto and passion for life, never incumbered by stereotypes or the desire to impress people.

That, faithful reader, is something I, too, would like to strive for. So often, we don’t do what we want and love, but we do what we think others expect. To put aside all opinions and just live life on one’s own terms is impressive-and I want to be a little more like my weird relative.