A Nice Visit

Gordon's oldest, Lizzie, spent the week on a temp job here in town and camping out with us (with her terrorist kitten :-O). It was kind of fun getting to know her a bit better (she's been away at college or in Oakland with her fiance since before her dad and I finally married). She's good people and seems to have her head on straight. She's a pretty typical college-aged person who is asking the questions she should and finding out who she is...but atypical in that she already seems to have her life partner picked out. Hey, not everybody is cut out for the "Ranger" existence I fell into early on, with a long perilous quest and nomadic lifestyle before finally finding a fellow warrior to hook up with.

It's interesting to hear her talk about her future in-laws, a very "high strung" set of intellectual over-achievers and academics. She feels a bit sub-standard around them at times, which she shouldn't, but I understand her position and can empathize. When I was her age I was peripherally part of a group of friends by way of my best girlfriend Angela. Not only was I a middle-class, Protestant, tea-totaller undergrad while they were (mostly) Catholic, upper-crusty, graduate types, but I was also the youngest by far. Even now, when I see this gang on occasional visits to Seattle, I still feel like a "poor relation" in the culture, intellect, and social status departments. When we would go to movies or on other outings I was forever in fear of committing some faux pas or another, and much of their conversation was outside of my experience. It's totally irrational, because if they had seen me as some kind of misfit they wouldn't have invited me along when they did. Nevertheless, I still felt oafish much of the time.

It sounds trite, but she's marrying in to a family who loves her for what she is, not what she isn't. Most of this family are well into high-power careers, and she is fresh out of a four-year degree. Frankly, it sounds like she has a lot to offer them, as well, in terms of just, well, lightening up a bit. I'm sure her future husband seems a bit "type-A" at times, but this can be a very good thing if channelled in constructive ways. Trust me, it's harder to channel a lack of enthusiasm...I speak from personal experience.