7:24 p.m. | 2002-08-20 Which Car is Your Car? I went to the annual family gathering last month. It�s an interesting event to say the least. Anyway, at one point, one of my sisters told her youngest son (YS), 14, to carry something out to my car. He looked outside at all the cars then looked back at me and here�s how it went: (YS:) Which car is yours? (CI:) What do you mean �which car is mine�? I�ve had the same car since you were born. (He�s 14 years old and my car is 14 years old. He has seen this car all of his life.) (YS:) Yeah well, which one? (Rolling his eyes and looking like a petulant teenager.) (CI:) Just go find the most beat up, sorriest looking car out there. That�s mine. It�s blue, if that helps. (YS:) Well, where did you park? (My Sister:) Just go put that stuff in Auntie�s car. Now. (YS:) (Drags himself outdoors like we just sent him on Mission Impossible.) (CI:) What is wrong with your child?! Did he fall on his head? (He�s normally a fairly bright child.) (My Sister:) It�s that whole teenager thing. He�s just trying to act stupid so he doesn�t have to do it. (Heavy sigh.) He was so funny. You could tell that the last thing he wanted to do was attend the annual festivities. He just wanted to go fishing or swimming or hang out with his buddies. I certainly remember those days! There was nothing worse than a family gathering with boring grownups and pesky little kids. So, of course, all the �sisters� (there�s seven, including steps) did everything possible that could be embarrassing, boring or annoying. He tried to blend into the male crowd but that only stepped up our shenanigans. His 20-year-old brother faired much better, but he�s always been a �ladies man� and loves hanging out with the �sisters�. And, his mother has taught him well. He always flatters us, waits on us hand-and-foot and charms us. But he also holds his own in the male crowd. He�s quite accomplished at mixing and mingling, even at his young age. He�s also great with the grandparents and the little ones. Their mom is only one year older than me, 39, and it�s weird to think that I too could have kids that age. She�s done well as a single mom. That�s a long, hard road to traverse. The gathering went well. I had fun. Not that we don�t have any problems in our family. Oh, we have plenty. But, respectfully, everyone puts all that stuff on the shelf for one day of the year so we all just get along. Now, the rest of the year, that�s a different story for a different day. your thoughts? seed flower