"a child of a first cousin of one's parent"
That's second cousin to you and me. Did you ever wonder who your second cousin was? No? Don't worry, my friend Beth and I wondered for you. I had only two hours sleep last night, so I was perhaps more easily baffled than usual. But Beth got a good, solid night's sleep and she was every bit as confused as I was.
We started by scratching out this illustration to help us think:
It turned out the paper was way too small though, so we had to get a bigger sheet:
It's not pretty, but by substituting names of people we actually know, not only did we attain a vague sense of the relationship, but we got to have conversations such as this one:"So here's Grammy. You see? That would be like...
That would be like...
Well that would be...
Grammy!"
And this one, also between me and my daughter:
"Is that me?"
"This one?"
"Yes. That's you."
"This one?"
"Yes. The one that that says 'You are here'"
"It's me?"
"Yes."
"Why do I have short hair?"
In conclusion and apropos of nothing, here's an illustration of the surprises of parenthood summed up in 15 seconds:
21 comments:
Now will you explain the "once removed" business?
Matt
Matt,
Only if you're from Maine.
Actually, I'm willing to divulge that top secret information to a select group of Matts dispersed along the East coast...
Kidding! I believe the removal refers to a generation level difference which would require three more sheets of paper, a dry erase marker, a minimum of one sarcastic 12 year old, and a laser pointer to fully explain... :-0 :-0 :-0
I think you will need me there to supervise that explanation too, you couldn't have done it without me!!!
Smoking a pipe has never looked that much fun before.
And by the way, if you see Freud this weekened, ask him to look at the way you drew Grandpa.
Beth - Definitely!!!!!! The topic wouldn't even have come up if I hadn't been trying to recruit you to teach preschool, much less have ended with me almost sort of understanding it! :-0 :-0 :-0 And thanks for the Panda video too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
People - Yeah what, you pick on old people just 'cause their necks are extra long!?!?!?!?!? :-) :-) :-) Actually, I'm gonna have to try recruiting an extra Matt to give us the whole Freud insight on grandpa...
there is a website called cousincouples.com some rather fugly looking mulleted individuals, should you need a visual to go with the genogram.
And what, may I ask, started this whole extremely-detailed venture into the unknown?
Got a cute relative or something???
I've got loads of second cousins, as my family is so huge. That video is hilarious!
People - Oh ***that*** grandpa!!!!!!!! Well, that'll teach me to try to think, draw, write, post, and respond to posts on two hours sleep!!!!! :-0 I think he's actually kicking up that back foot! :-0 :-0 :-0 Though in my own defense, I think he originally started as an uncle...
Disa - I dodn't see the mullets but it looks like it's a-ok for Christians and Buddhists to marry first cousins, half ok for Hindus, very confusing for Muslims and they didn't actually say for Jews. I think I'll refrain though. :-)
Maureen - It was because I was trying to recruit Beth to teach preschool. When she didn't want to, I started asking her about friends and I got so confused about which friend was related to which other friend that I finally had to fess up that I could barely keep track of how I was related to my *own* cousins, much less how friends' cousins were related to each other (BTW Lisa, if you read this, sure you don't want to quit your job & teach preschool?!?!?)
dj kirkby - I thought so too! 'Course it could have been those two hours sleep. :-0
Just had to come back and watch the Panda clip again, too funny!
Ack, it's confusing..
And that is a hilarious video!
I know who my second cousins are as well as my great aunts and uncles. BTW, your video made me LOL after I peeled myself off the ceiling..thanks for sharing, LOL!!!
the drawings were hilarious and that panda video - seriously anthropomorphizing here! That mama panda looked so freakin' startled out of her mellow munching! It was too funny.
Does this mean a book on this is in the works? Hysterical!
OMG, the video was awesome, scared the crap out of me, but it was awesome!
Haven't kissed any cousins - so I don't have to attend the class right?
sj & circesmagic - you can test out but the exam is $72. :-0
Bastet, Irisi, Ms.Q, Ciresmagic & DJ kirkby - Glad you enjoyed it!!!!!!
this is an excellent illustration and makes it all so very clear to me. LOL! :-)
And when the second cousins have children do those children then become your third cousins? Or are they your children's third cousins?? And you just refer to the said children as your second cousin's children?? I always used the removed aspect to the aunts, uncles, and cousins lost to divorce.
Love those sketches!! :) I wonder if I can come up with a similar one for my family....with equally smiley faces!! Great job :)
Imagine my surprise when a friend of mine and I discovered we were 2nd cousins after a year of knowing each other.
You'd think we'd have known. :)
oh gosh I nearly died watching that video!!!
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