When you unexpectedly see members of your extended family at a store...

Do you dart in between aisles hoping you haven't been seen, or do you stop and enjoy a moment with your aunt/uncle/grandma/etc.?

My family is so scattered across the earth that it would be shocking to run into members of my extended family anywhere I was at, without planning it.

I'm the de facto patriarch due to aging and illness in my family. It first came about after my cousin had a stroke and things were in chaos. It is odd and unnatural as I was not a natural leader by any means. Still, I have a duty to all of them. I get them together. Of course, I spend the day with my relative. It would only be possible back in Cali for that to happen though.

OEC

I try to avoid my family at all costs. We don't exactly get along. They're convinced I'm going to hell because I smoke and drink don't, go to church, have metal in my tongue, blah blah blah...(If only they really knew).
So when I do see them it's awkward and annoying, and we have nothing to say to eachother.

I try to avoid my family at all costs. We don't exactly get along. They're convinced I'm going to hell because I smoke and drink don't, go to church, have tattoos and metal in my tongue, blah blah blah...(If only they knew).
So when I do see them it's awkward and annoying, and we have nothing to say to eachother.

Hmm, if I see a family memeber in a store, I wonder, "what are you doing in my state? I thought I moved hundreds of miles away from you..."

*hide in the racks of clothing and hope you seen them first*

(kidding)

family with me is odd.

some are very close, near inseparable, others unknown, a few scattered around the northern hemisphere. and others known through family ties but never met.

me. I'll talk to anyone :D and make a firm stand that i will not be used in any family mindgames or fueds that happen

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Originally Posted by mystoo

I try to avoid my family at all costs. We don't exactly get along. They're convinced I'm going to hell because I smoke and drink don't, go to church, have tattoos and metal in my tongue, blah blah blah...(If only they knew).
So when I do see them it's awkward and annoying, and we have nothing to say to eachother.

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Dont let their beliefs spill over onto you....... you are fine just the way you are

I never did answer my own question. This was brought about by the fact that I was waiting in my mom's car while she was shopping at a craft store, and I saw my aunt (her sister) walk in, and I automatically called to warn her so she could hurry up and attempt to get out of there incognito. If it were me I would've stopped to chat, despite my mother's immediate family and their backstabbing nature. I just could care less what they spread around involving me now, because they really have no one to tell that could actually hurt me.

I've got the most rediculously LARGE family ... MY grandparents had 15 children ONLY ONE set of twins...

family reunion is like a county fair...

and all but about one percent are judgmental, and the other percent is a perv.

I run. Fast.

Oh god, my "uncle" (dad's best friend when I was growing up) stalked me down at my regular bar a few times. I ended up almost decking him because he snuck up behind me while I was talking to my buddy and grabbed my shoulders. But he ended up buying beers for me and my buddy for a couple hours so it's cool.

I still don't know how he found out what dive I hang out at or why he felt he needed to go so far out of his way to come find me though...

I lived with my aunt and uncle(by marriage), and he took me out to teach me how to drive, I was sitting close to him in his truck, and when I had my hands on the wheel... TO PRACTICE, He took the opportunity to put his hand on my thigh...

don't really have any extended family

There's over 200+ from my mamaw and papaw ... on down...

Sometimes its wonderful.. but sometimes its sucks, seriously

I would stop and say hello. my family is like that. we're pretty tight.