For this post I decided to go with my grandparents. Now many people can relate to this but not surprisingly my grandparents are very very old fashioned. First I'll start with the one who lives with me my mothers mother. She is a very unique grandmother if I say so my self she is different then most. She is very opinionated and has many things to say if there is something she doesn't like she won't necessarily tell it to your face but you will know there is a problem. This grandma of mine has lived with me since I was born and I love her to death but she is probably the MOST ignorant family member that I can think of. If I ever do anything she will comment on it and tell me i'm wrong for it if she doesn't believe the same thing. She uses the guilt trick a lot trying to make me feel bad for not going home on time or not cleaning or getting my tattoo and even my ear piercings. By guilt trick i mean she tells me that these things are wrong and they're hurting my family when in reality even those my family is against tattoos and this stuff its not hurting anyone. She is also ignorant in the way she always has to blame bad things on my african american friends which i'm not surprised cause back in her day growing up in Honduras she didn't really know many black people so she grew up ignorant to a different culture same thing with tattoos and body modifications she didn't grow up with it so in her eyes its all wrong because she isn't educated in these things.
Now my other grandparents i'll talk about together since they all live away and for the most part feel the same way about everything. My other grandparents live in Honduras and Puerto Rico they are all very judgmental as well. If they found out that I had a tattoo they would freak out. I know this because for example when I went to Puerto Rico everyone knew about my tattoo other than my grandparents so all my other family members including my dad highly advised for me to hide it because they would be super upset by yelling at me and then ignoring me which I couldn't go through not with my grandparents who I love dearly. I know my grandparents in Honduras would feel and do the same if not worse because Honduras is such a "religious" country they have very strong opinions and emotions about certain things. So its really hard to go to visit my family in these countries when I have to cover up my whole chest for the time I'm there. Yet I want to add even though my grandparents are all very judgmental and ignorant I still love them for better or worse.
Have you done research on your religion and found a connection against piercings and tattoos? That could help fuel a more level-headed discussion with your family on the issues they claim "harm" them. Have you ever told your grandmother that the things she says harms you and your friends?
ReplyDeleteHow does your family handle conflict?
I'd like to see you add research on family dynamics here. You're doing a good job of providing a summary of your family, but where's the supporting data/research?
And don't forget to proofread. The lower-cased "I"s can take a serious topic and make it less effective to readers.