Family Dynamics

Over the years through meetings lots of different families I have noticed something. Every family as something that they bond over. Something that when they get together for dinner or whatever, helps them to connect with each other. For some of my friends that would be, intelligent conversation, whether it be politics, current events, what have you. Other friends it's who is the best at whatever, taking turns telling stories of grandeur and one upping each other. For my family it's making each other laugh. Who can get to the joke first? Who can make fun of the person the fastest? Every time we get together we spend the majority of the evening laughing SO HARD!
Some of the things that make us laugh the hardest is when someone tells what should be a funny story that doesn't translate like they should and someone else calling them out on it. Personal example. I heard this hilarious story, when I heard it I laughed so hard for so long it got pretty awkward as the person I was with just sat there waiting patiently for me to stop. I can tell a good story so at a family dinner I re-told it. I didn't get the laugh I was wanting, so as my laugh faded out I said, "Oh man I laughed so hard when _____ told me." Without skipping a beat my brother Dane says, "So he told it better than you then?" And the family roared with laughter.
Another thing that gets us going is the person who keeps a joke going one step longer than it should. We can take a word or a saying or a joke and spin it into so many different jokes after each one laughing just as hard as the first, but there is a time limit on this. HEAVEN FORBID you be the person that tells the joke that crosses that time line and turns the focus on you and your idiocy, starting a new round of joking.
We are a family that likes to use ridiculous words for sport, such as, "progrum" "'twixt" "unbeknownst" (which as of yesterday led to "beknownst" and "knownst". However we are grammar sticklers (more in the form of speaking, not typing) I remember one night we were talking about words that drive us crazy like "irregardless". My brother Justin said, "I know it's like the word 'always'. 'Always' isn't a word... it's 'Alway...' (this is the point that he realized he wasn't thinking of the word "always" he was thinking of the word "anyways". We all had a hay-day with that one.
One thing that sucks when it happens to you, but is awesome when you do it is stealing someone's joke. There was one time we were sitting around the table telling stories as we always end up doing and through the boisterous conversation I said something that was HILARIOUS, but due to the volume no one but my brother Dane heard it. Realizing his opportunity, he didn't laugh at my awesome joke either, if he had he wouldn't be able to use it. Instead he waited a second and when it had quieted down he repeated it verbatim. The table went wild with his hilarity. Through everyone's laughter and my dismay, he looks over at me and quietly said, "You see what I did there?" Totally getting the credit for my joke. (Same thing happened to me last night but the joke stealer didn't hear me say it, just also said it a little later but got more laughs... I turned to my brother-in-law who heard me say it the first time and said, "I guess it's funnier coming from Jennie")
I love this about my family, and when it comes to dating one of the first things I look for is someone who I feel could keep up. It actually is a deal breaker. Years ago there was a guy I was TOTALLY interested in. Like big time crush. He was also a guy that if arranged marriages were something going on these days, my parents would pick him out in a heart beat. BUT we were all sitting around the table one day and I just imagined what it would be like if he were there, and I knew in that moment he would not fit in. He wouldn't be able to join in, he may be offended even. In that moment the crush was completely wiped out.
I love my family dynamic. I love that we have so much fun together. It's what keeps us getting together on a monthly basis if not more. We LOVE to hang out with each other. There is never a dull moment. Last night I was driving home from dinner and I was just thinking about different things that were said, and I couldn't help but chuckle as I drove.
I lucked out in the family department.