Over the summer, after a long, strictly educational six week program, I had the joy, no, the privilege of staying with my grandmother and my grandfather for two long, enjoyable weeks.
Usually, most people refer to their grandmother and grandfather as their "grandparents," but purposefully, I decided to separate them, for they have two unique, and incredibly distinct characteristics that differ significantly.
Upon my arrival to their quaint 3 bedroom house, I was stuck with a perplexing reality. This was the first summer since I was 12 that I would spend with my grandparents alone, without any protection from my overly overprotective parents. Four long years can greatly change a person. And so, without any doubt on my part, my grandmother and grandfather were able to detect these sinful changes.
My grandmother is a very spiritual person to say the least. She quotes the Bible frequently and believes religion should be the basis of society, rather than politics, government, individual intellectual standpoints...etc. She tried to push religion on me when I was a child. I guess she didn't do such a good job, since I "question" faith and spiritually. I'm full of an "evil spirit", in her "holy" words.
My grandfather is quite the opposite. How these two ever got married and had two kids blows my mind. My grandfather is an angry man. He yells frequently, which may have something to do with the fact that he can't hear very well. He was in the Korean Conflict and he got shot, which may also have something to do with his anger issues. I love my grandfather dearly. He's a hilarious man, even with his mood swings and his need to go to sleep at 4 pm. He loves sweets, newspapers, old western movies, and soap operas (the not-so-crappy ones that come on CBS). However, he was also able to notice a change in me as well. I could tell in his sad, droopy, wrinkly eyes that he misses the innocent, completely subservient little girl I was. And he was appalled of my newly formed independence.
Now that I was able to "talk-back" and express my opinions was a complete shock to the ignorant minds of my aged grandmother and grandfather. They were so horrifically accustomed to my obedience, my subservience, my own ignorance to the concept of independence, that now, looking at me, a very opinionated teenage girl, they were puzzled. I don't think they necessarily knew how to respond to this new found glory. I could see the confusion in their old eyes when I successfully conducted my first "talk-back."
It's as if I could hear them thinking...
"I wonder if she's just having a hormonal moment..."
"Maybe her parents deem this type of behavior as 'acceptable'"
"Perhaps I'm dreaming, and my perfect grandchild did not say such an un-Godly thing."
What a foolish pair. Yes, I might have been having a slight issue with my hormones that day, but they were wrong. My parents did not deem "talking back" as an acceptable behavior and, no, they were not having a terrible nightmare. Yes, I talked back. I expressed my opinion. And now, I'm un-Godly.
My grandmother, a completely spiritual, devout woman, could only relate this action to the lack of God in my life. However, when the opinions kept leaping out of my mouth, into the atmosphere, and into her small, grandmotherly-like ears, she quickly assumed I was consumed by the devil.
The Devil? Oh yes, the devil. The most evil spirit in the world. I am now consumed with evilness simply because I expressed an opinion. Oh, what perfect sense.
So, now that the devil is in me, I must now profess my evilness to the world. MWAHAHA.
But, on a more serious note, how can someone accuse me of such madness? Because I simply expressed an opinion contrary to my grandmother's belief, I am now the host of such an evil being.
There is no theologian, nor biblical scholar that can justify that claim. Any attempt of justification will simply result in a laugh and a call of "blasphemy!" on my part.
According to my grandmother, I also carried two, different, distinct personalities. I had an evil side, and a loving side. But, without realization on my part, I was allowing the evilness to shine through the goodness that so dearly wants to be the one to outshine.
No offense to my grandmother's belief, but that is complete and utter crap. I'm sorry, maybe I am an atheist, maybe I am consumed by the devil, and maybe I do have multiple personalities syndrome. But in all honesty, can she really believe that I am that bad?
Unlike the rest of the typical cliches that society has placed on the adolescent generation, I do not do drugs, partake in any illegal actions, crash cars into trees while drunk, nor do I listen to screamo or cut myself. But no, it's the "voicing my opinion" that leads to such dismay.
My grandfather likes to look at this entire situation as simple disrespect. He finds me to be the type of person that will say whatever I want without giving a crap about what people may think about it. Which is very true.
This is why I love my grandfather so much. He doesn't try to explain things with God, or any other mystical being created by society, he narrows it down, to the core, and deems a good old-fashioned spanking a tolerable punishment.
Overall, my family is quite hilarious. They are so animated in their beliefs that I can hardly stand it. Luckily, I didn't turn out that way. Now, I can make fun of them and laugh at the stupidity that exudes from their ignorant minds.
So, finally, through a heavy load of bickering, I was able to win my case.
"I'm getting older, I don't need approval."
I think they took this negatively. But I don't give a damn.
I just know that I personally think I won my case. Too bad the devil's still got me in a choke-hold.
