This week, between our wedding yesterday and our reception this Sunday, my parents are staying with me and Laura. Our house was specifically chosen to host people (usually Fangamer visitors), so we're definitely set up to have people staying here fore extended periods.
That said, having my parents over feels different than the friends and colleagues who usually stay with us.
One notable difference is that we actually watch TV when my parents are around.
At my parents' place, sitting around and watching TV is most of the experience. My mom
likes to show me her recent favorite episodes of The Big Bang Theory,
and otherwise we watch a bunch of game shows like Jeopardy, The Beast,
and Family Feud.
I don't watch TV at all on my own, preferring online on-demand services so that my shows can cater to my whims. I understand that DVRs offer a similar experience, but I'm not interested in setting that up or paying for basic cable. It would mostly go to waste.
Luckily, though, Laura has an antenna set up that catches major networks and some local stations, so when my parents are here they can watch whatever they find. Last time they were here we didn't have the antenna set up, so instead they just watched Netflix on our smart TV. I got them to watch the pilot of Breaking Bad, which was pretty cool, but mostly they just watched movies that I'd have never chosen on my own.
Mostly, though, while my parents are here I just feel like I should be hosting them in some way, showing them around or something. I know I can't stay with them all day and that they don't want me to, but that pressure is there. I mean, they came all this way to visit; it seems like a shame if they don't see me very much, and I'd certainly like to enjoy their company while I can.
It's strange, since I don't really talk to my parents that much. We don't have many common interests, so most of our conversations are just about each other, getting updates on what we've been doing, what we've seen, and so on. Which is fine, because our primary common interest is each other.
I'm not terribly talkative, though. My conversation runs dry pretty quick, which means that, for the most part, all I can offer is my company. My silent, attentive company. Which I guess is enough usually, but I'm always concerned it's insufficient.
It's what I've got, though, and it seems to be enough. I appreciate my parents, and they seem to appreciate me. I'm just never going to spend as much time with them as I'd like, even when we're in the same town, living in the same house.
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