Monday, November 10, 2008

The big secret

I have about 6 other blogs that are all half written, but for some reason - I want to post this one before finishing the others.

Just over a month ago, the brother, the sister-in-law, and the niece came to visit. Good times were had by all and there was very little arguing (which is rare for us as my conservative views often clash with the rest of my family.) On the Tuesday night prior to their departure, my father came to me and said, "So has Chad talked to you about that thing?" Being too dumb to respond, "Oh yeah! Can you believe it?" I responded that Chad in fact had not talked to me about anything. "Oh, well I'm not allowed to tell you so just forget I mentioned it."
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Let's break from this for a moment. Imagine for a moment that you have a brown bag. Inside that brown bag you have let's say 40 cats. In a moment of sheare genius you decide to open that bag and the cats get out. Have you ever tried to heard cats back into a bag, once the cat is out of the bag?
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I haven't been able to simply forget my dad mentioned it. Instead, I've shared with some of my friends and co-workers the idea that my liberal sister-in-law and liberal brother have a secret they are holding onto that my father says, "Really Sean, it's no big deal."

But I didn't think it was fair to hold this discussion off line, so I open it up to you - all two of you that read this - and welcome your ideas. What could the big secret be?

11 comments:

mkamye said...

No clue what the secret could be, but I HATE it when people do that. Like you're really gonna forget.

Katie said...

Maybe your SIL is pregnant and doesn't wish to share it with everyone else until she's past the first trimester. :)

Anonymous said...

The "secret" is not really a big deal and I have no idea why they are so secretive about it.

I have tried to respect their wishes, but if they don't talk to you within 24 hours, call me and I will spill all the beans.

Sometimes being a family is so much more work than it needs to be.

Anonymous said...

When a married couple are making choices for themselves they don't have to include anyone else. They have a right to their privacy just as you do. When they are comfortable with letting others know, they will do that.

Someone once said, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." If you don't want them poking around in your business, simply stay out of theirs.

Love is accepting people as they are regardless of our own personal desires for something else. When you can understand and accept that, you will find it very beneficial to your own peace of mind.

Sean said...

As usual, Dad's GF, you read way too much into this post. I was looking for suggestions from friends of what it could be. I was letting the imaginations of my readers come up with dreaming the impossible dream. I really don't care what the secret is - but I do care what others think is a good secret to hold onto. I have several votes for pregnancy. I have a few votes for Chad returning to school and becoming a professor. As much as Chad and the SIL take little Olivia to farms, someone actually suggested that Chad was going to buy a farm.

That's all I'm looking for out of this post - other suggestions as to what it could be.

As for your advice to do unto others as you would have them do unto you...Please note that I don't comment on your blog.

Anonymous said...

Sorry, I didn't get that you were only playing around with ideas. Your dad sent me an e-mail that made it sound way more complicated. And even his post above sounds urgent.

Apparently it's not a huge issue after all.

Communication is one of the hardest things we do. I promise not to intrude again. It's better if I stay out of things when I am not personally involved and don't know all the details.

Sean said...

Actually I had forgotten about it until a co-worker on Monday asked me about it. (she's with the group that thinks Liz is pregnant)

I think my father sees this as urgent because he's the one that let the cats out of the bag. If he wouldn't have told me there was a family secret 4 weeks ago - I would have never known and they would have no need to tell me. But because my father over stepped his bounds of a "secret holder" I think he thinks it's important that this gets out before he accidentally spills more and upsets those fine people in WI.

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I think my father also sees this as urgent because he likes to think Chad and I are closer, and we're not. We're closer than Dad and his brother, but we're not best friends and I think that is what my father would like us to be. He sees this secret (I think) as us taking more steps apart from each other than toward each other.

Sean said...

Oh, and someone mentioned to me today that Chad and Liz are going to Africa on a world tour and that's what the secret is. I don't see that one happening but what a cool idea.

Cindy said...

I personally think Obama has selected Chad to be the next secretary of state and Liz is in line for a fabulous new wardrobe courtesy of the Republican party!! ;)

Liz Allman said...

The "secret" really isn't a secret. It is just some news that has taken a back burner to my crazy life, thus far. Now that Chad and I are in the same state for the first time in a month we will give you a call. it was never meant to be a secret, we just happen to like to share the news ourselves, it isn't often that we have good news to share, right? Though now I am totally bummed that I am not going to Africa or getting a new wardrobe. not even a maternity one. Did I dispell all the rumors out there?

You are totally right about your Dad. Apparently, he finds it hard to be the only one in the know, noted for future refrence.

Liz Allman said...

I want to add that I think you are totally right, you don't need to be best friends to be good brothers, Chad and I are excited to share our news with you because we know that you will be supportive!