There’s another reason I’m often quiet, and my family is to blame.

What Did You Say?

My family likes to talk…a lot. And when they talk, they like to talk very loud. And all at once. So if you have something to say, you’d better start talking fast, and over the other person who might interrupt you to insert their two cents, or a totally different topic.

Thus, as a person who isn’t very loud, there were times I’d resort to raising my hand to try to get a word in. Then I grew up and married a very loud husband.

The benefit of battling to be heard for most of my life is that I became a very good listener, and I started writing more. As I explained before in this post on Paranormal Romantics, writing is one of the few ways I can talk without getting interrupted.

With that being said, I love my quiet time, and prefer complete silence when I’m writing—but no other time. I find it odd to be with a family that isn’t oversharing their day, and blaring music, while someone might be yelling from the other room.

I suppose I’ve found comfort in this. My girls can be very chatty when they are together, but often resort to my tactic of silence and observation.

Family Matters

Besides my family having a better understand of my quiet nature…

There are other things that only my #family would understand, and there is one thing in particular, Dadisms #MFRW
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I could write the entire blog post, and perhaps a whole book, on famous “Dad Quotes” that only my family would understand—usually. Sometimes we’re even challenged, but when you’ve heard them enough, you figure them out. I’ll share a few here to leave to your imagination since most make absolutely no sense to anyone else but mentioning them to my family almost always brings a laugh or a shake of their head.

• “Looks like you’ve been eating ham.”
• “I’m used to doing without.”
• “Who’s the best?!”
• “Looks like a relief-er.”
• “Is that a pimple?”
• “You’re all head and feet.”
• “What am I, an orphan?”
• “Dough ball.”

It’s a Blog Hop

Check out the other author’s blogs to see if you can understand the little idiosyncrasies that come with a family and perhaps share a few of your own.

Share Something Only Your Family Would Understand—Or Your Own Dadism.

The post If I Could Get a Word In—My Family Would Understand appeared first on Author Maureen L. Bonatch.

High School 

If I heard it once back in the day, I heard it a hundred times. Enjoy high school, these are the best years of your life! 

I disagree. 

High School was hard. Not the courses, but the awkward teenage years. Everything and everyone changes. You feel like you don’t fit in anywhere. Every little inadequacy feels as if it’s spotlighted into a massive flaw.  

At the time, I’d blamed much of my social ineptness on not being rich enough to afford the latest social fashions. Or losing my childhood friend. Because apparently once you hit high school you couldn’t have a best friend who was a boy—unless you were a couple. 

I was wrong.

We aren’t rich by any means, but my girls were able to buy brand name and wear the latest fashions in junior high. But it made no difference in their social ease or popularity. It didn’t stop them from losing long time friendships as girls became catty and hormones separated the strong from the weak. 

I’ve never once told my girls these were the best years of their life, because that’s a lie.

Believing that would mean we peak at a young age and the rest of our lives are endured on a downhill slope. What would there be to look forward to? Despite how many times I tell my girls not to worry about these little things that seem so big. That there are so many more things coming. That they’re so much more wonderful than they realize. To enjoy these years but don’t fret about them— they can’t hear me.

I’m just Mom.

The woman who won’t really know anything for another handful of years. 

As I reflect back over my life I can finally assure my teen self that these things had nothing to do with happiness and popularity. I’ve long ago accepted the stunning truth that popularity doesn’t = happiness.

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You require one thing to achieve happiness. Once you have it, you'll no longer care about popularity.
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It’s a little gem that can’t be bought or shared…you must discover this magic within. Sometimes you can’t unearth it. Then you just have to fake it until you make it your reality.

Confidence

Despite the pain at not being able to wave my Mom-magic-wand and make everything better as I could when they were small, I’ve discovered something blossoming within my young teens.

As they maneuver the senior high years, they’ve finally shed the chameleon shell. The one where they blended into whatever they felt was expected from their friends. They’ve found their true selves and embraced their heart.

They might not see it yet, but I’ve noticed this little growth of confidence…these little changes inspiring them to follow their own path…and it’s beautiful. 

So tell me, what little piece of advice would you give your high-school self? 

Leaving a comment will enter you in a random drawing for a copy of your choice of one of my books in ebook format. Winner will be announced by April 6th. 

The post How to convince my shy teens the truth about popularity appeared first on Author Maureen L. Bonatch.