Yes. Listen to Oscar and his rotten toothed, sees his parents 2ce a year, doesn't mind when his parents and coworkers die, and wishes to die "deep inside" (just "like everyone" in his country) wisdom on interpersonal relations!
Cultures are different around the world. I guarantee Italians or Greeks would be offering different advice than him, for instance (famous for extended families). It doesn't make any way of running a family better or worse, just different. Generally, the more northern you go in Europe, the colder people are, and the more southern, the warmer... Actually I think that's mostly worldwide. I think weather has a lot to do with both culture and the temperament of different peoples.
Psy makes an interesting point, that many people might miss, pertaining to cultural differences and how extended and clannish families that operate differently that regular old middle American families handle their business. You could describe my family as a mix of Italian and Syrian cultures...with the Catholic ideology. In simple terms, we act like a big Italian family and are ALL very close, as we were ALL raised together. Do we have problems? Yes, just like any other large extended families. Do we all agree on everything...NO, but we support the decisions of the members of the family and offer assistance, even when we DON''T necessarily agree with an action or inaction.
Culturally we ARE different as Psy so eloquently described. We were not raised to abandon our teenagers or young adults at 18 (through 4 generations). We "step-up" and offer emotional and financial assistance to ALL family members, young and old. We try to take care of our own and to come from a place of "love & understanding"...even when we DON'T understand! We don't condemn just because we MIGHT NOT understand. This is a life long process
I have always been the rogue in my family & chose to live life differently with my son since I don't always agree with the methods my family uses to resolve issues, but I always keep n mind that they are coming from a place of "love"...as they see it! We are all tainted by our own belief systems. I was under the impression that 18 was a magic number and that Dylan would need to be on his own and NOT living in the family home, which he was doing at that point in his life. He left at 17 and went to live with his girlfriend...much to my dismay! But, hey, we all need to do what we have to do to find our own path in the world.
Periodically, I have let him come home to re-group, but he is OUT the minute OUR relationship becomes abusive. I offered him a chance to come home for 2008, in order to give him an opportunity to learn the "life skills" he will need to go forward with his life once I am gone...hopefully, he will get it before I am gone. Sure, we have times of unrest, but we try to work through them
I would also like to apologize for the incorrect posting of the link to my weblog. I had inadvertently added an extra "m" to my user name...my apologies as this was not what I expected to be dealing with on Christmas Day. Here is the correct link...
http://www.xanga.com/pammy8462. My blog is now secure and you will have to register in order to view my "public" blogs. No to sound harsh, but my parenting skills, however lacking, are not there to be judged, but if you feel you must...go ahead.
What the others have said is true...there was ONLY 1 person who had the link to my blog and they know who they are. I will not lower myself to a level to even confront that person...THEY know what they did and it was done out of sheer boredom and/or petty vindictiveness.
Yes, there have been "guests" and "registered users" that have posted on my behalf and I thank them is their desire to defend me or to give an accurate picture of what my family has been through during 2007-2008. The one guest that posted 2 complete blog entries..with dates and posted in their entirety, was my sister in law who was quite upset by reading this thread and other like it
Like many who have said this before...can't we just end this thread and keep the focus on the work that needs to be done?