Kaboom.

I just spent the evening at my parents' talking about politics and the economy, which is what we ended up talking about the last time I was there as well. I think we need to get it out of our system before Thanksgiving... because Thanksgiving brings with it, as usual, the potential for the perfect storm. This year's cast includes the extremely conservative in all things religious and political with a short fuse Uncle, and the extremely liberal in all things religious and political with an even shorter fuse (and louder voice) Friend of the Family. As the catalyst, we have the three members of Holly's family who are used to not having to worry about what they say around the dinner table.

My dad is particularly good about zeroing in on exactly those topics one generally avoids at dinner parties; it's not a good conversation if we don't talk about religion and/or politics. (Which, to cut him some slack, are I admit the things I find most interesting to talk about, too... but we sometimes disagree on when one should and shouldn't bring them up.) However, he's trying now. Serious snaps for effort. When I was a kid, he'd set'd off rounds of familial fireworks practically for kicks and giggles, and I remember more than one summer at the grandparents' where I was told to pack up, we're going home early.

But the last few times someone's blown up or stalked off, it's generally been triggered by something small and only vaguely related to the economy (or insurance, or the environment, or affirmative action) which someone (usually not my dad) has accidentally said without thinking. People's fuses are getting shorter and shorter these days, including mine, to be fair. I'm so very very glad I'm not dating Ex-Boyfriend-of-the-Crazy-Politcs anymore. I still tend to project all of my political frustrations onto him a year later, and I think I'd have murdered him or had a coronary by now if we were still dating. (Or, y'know, be engaged to someone I have little respect for, but that's a completely different blog post.) At any rate, think peaceful thoughts for the Holly Household on Thanksgiving if you think of it.