It was that time of that year again – that time where I've got to go out and face countless people and tell them all about who I am and what I've been doing all this time. It was that time of the year again where people get to tell me how much I've grown. That time where I get to scrutinize everyone's life as they scrutinize mine.
Yep, I never thought that I'd have to go through this again. Welcome to the story of our annual family reunion.
Usually held during the last days of December, our family reunion was pushed back to early January due to conflicts I do not know about. Some didn't make it but mostly everyone was there. I've seen new faces and some old ones – people so old they could be easily mistaken for Larry King's father.
Obviously, I'm not a fan of our family reunion. It's not that I'm antisocial. It's just that I can't comprehend why I have to go to a place where I know I won't be talking to anyone about anything. I don't like my other relatives.
This wasn't just a family reunion. This was the mother of all family reunions. It started with my grandfather's family. My great grandmother had 5 children: my granddad and 4 other people whose names I couldn't recall. They made it a point to meet up year after year. And every year, the numbers grew until we reached a number so big, we don't even know how many of us are truly out there.
In the past, I'd go to these reunions without hesitation. I love seeing people get together and talk about how they've been and reminisce about the old times. We'd play games and everyone would have a great time. As time passed, however, things became dull. What used to be fun became a chore.
I don't know what happened. Maybe they have changed. Or maybe I have changed. Who truly knows? I was better off checking my Myspace and Fling accounts. I'd rather eat out by myself than eat amongst a great number of people who are more like strangers than family.
Then I started to skip reunions. I became bored with the yearly comments and got tired with hearing the same stories over and over.
But this year, my dad asked me to come. God knows I wouldn't even dare turn him down since he rarely asks me for anything. So I went with them just to see if things have changed - this year's festivities wasn't that different.
I don't like the fact that my relatives are comparing themselves and what they've accomplished. Reunions are those times when you shouldn't talk about work and just be happy that you're with your family. It's a time to be thankful that they're there. It was never about who's who and who's what.
But for my father's sake, I wish these reunions wouldn't stop. After all, he looks more forward to this than Christmas and Thanksgiving. And no matter how I don't like talking to them, they're family all in the end, they're all I've got. I just wish they come to realize the real importance of this event.
I'd like to feel more like I'm actually with my family than competition. That's the way a family reunion should be envisioned. That's the way things should have been in the first place.
