I’m 31 years old and I think I am beginning to turn into my parents since I’ve picked up some of their odd quirky habits. Just like my dad, I’ve started blowing my nose into my napkin (even though my hanky is in my pocket) when I’ve finished my lunch or dinner. I have no idea why I have to blow my nose after eating! And just like my mom, I have a poor sense of direction as I do not remember how to get anywhere unless I’m the one driving. For example, I’ve always been the passenger in the car when driving to visit my in-laws and thus I have no idea at all how to get there at all.
What about y’all? Do y’all have any quirky habits/behaviors/inclinations that you’ve picked up from your folks?
Filed under: Keeping it Weird
I’m the same way when it comes to remembering how to get places I’ve only been as a passenger, probably because I’m reading or stitching or talking to hubby or kiddo and just generally not looking where we’re going! It’s been so long (13 or 14 years, at least) since I’ve been the one to drive when we go visit my dad and stepmom that I couldn’t drive myself alone without hubby drawing me a map or writing me directions beforehand. Crazy.
But put the two of us in a mall and I’ll always be able to remember where we came in, where we are in relation to that at any given time, and how to get us back out, whereas hubby will be totally lost. Funny, no?!! Even funnier is that I hate shopping and have no interest being in a mall
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Each of my brothers and I have mannerisms, etc. that are similar to each of our parents. What’s really neat is seeing that even tho my brothers were not raised around my dad for very many of their growing up years, my youngest brother especially has some nearly identical mannerisms as my dad. Makes for a very interesting nature vs. nurture discussion.
I definitely need to drive somewhere myself in order to internalize how to get there (e.g., I only figured out how to get to and from Will’s parents’ house last month, even though I’ve been going there for 4 years, because I finally drove).
Re: shared parental quirks, my signature is nearly identical to my mom’s.
glad to know i’m not the only one that has to drive somewhere to remember how to get there in the future
@glenda, i agree, that would make a very good nature verses nurture discussion.
@redsquirrel, my signature isn’t like either of my folks, but my mom, her sister, and their mom have nearly identical signatures
I will find myself doing small things that are very like my mom, and it makes me feel weird. My mom always counts out exact change at the checkout, something that I remember well from my childhood, so whenever I count out exact change at the checkout, I feel like I am assuming her body posture and mannerisms while I do that. I also never ever felt that I looked like my mom when I was growing up, but now that she is in her 70s, she has grown her hair out past her shoulders, and holy cow, we have the exact same hair, not in color, but in style and texture… It’s weird. So that makes me feel like we look alike, when I never thought so before! And it seems that more and more lately I will say or do something, and I think ‘Oh no! I’m turning into my mom!” Part of that must be because I was 11 when she was the age I am now, and when you are a kid that age I think you become more aware of what your mom is like socially. She was making her biggest impression on me socially when she was in her early 40s, which is where I am now.
Tracy, thanks for the story. I think it’s cool that you are the age now of your mom from when you were a child having those memories
I also remember my mom counting out exact change and and also being very impressed that she could give the right amount of pennies too so she would just get silver coins back in change
I do that now too and when I do I feel that strange connection 