MetaChat - update to this (continuing saga of Grandbun and family)

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26 December 2007

update to this (continuing saga of Grandbun and family) Well, everybody went to my mom and dad's house for Christmas dinner. Yes, including Carlton.→[More:]

As far as I know Carlton is the first person of color to eat at my parents' table. All went well, Grandbun charmed the socks off everyone in the vicinity, and Carlton and my dad spent a considerable amount of time in Dad's workshop looking at and discussing the construction and flying of assorted remote control model airplanes. (My dad is a pretty major hobbyist of that sort and has been for years. Makes them from scratch.)

My parents may never accept the concept of interracial marriage in the abstract, but they have accepted Carlton, and really, that's enough for me. I know a miracle when I see one, and boy howdy, this is a miracle. Pretty major answer to prayer.

(Actually two miracles; Carlton was never ever bitter about any of this.)

God bless us every one!

post by: bunnyfire at: 09:50 | 9 comments

w00t! Yay!

posted by By the Grace of God 26 December | 09:59

Wonderful!

posted by mightshould 26 December | 10:00

Curious: Is Carlton his real name, or his online nickname? Because the only "Carlton" I can imagine is the character from "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air". And how anyone could hate that fellow is beyond me.

posted by ThePinkSuperhero 26 December | 10:39

The only Carlton I can think of is Carlton Your Doorman from 'Rhoda'. And he was harmless.

posted by essexjan 26 December | 13:08

What about Carlton Fisk, and Carl Carlton?

posted by box 26 December | 13:20

Good news, bunnyfire! Glad everything went so well.

posted by Pips 26 December | 13:25

Congratulations, bunnyfire, and be hopeful about the future. In my experience, this is how prejudice is broken down, one person at a time.

Back in the day, I was the only gay bartender in one of the few straight bars in a predominantly gay town. My regulars were old time townies, working class guys, who saw their bar as one of the last safe havens in town, and didn't relish having a lesbian serve them their drinks. I didn't treat them in any special way -- just learned what they drank, had their drinks waiting when they walked in, and knew their names.

As time went on, they learned at first to accept me, and then to like me, and then a time came when they'd willingly knock the block off of anyone who made derogatory comments about lesbians in front of me. Understand, these guys would never march in gay pride parades, and I'm sure they tolerated and probably participated in homophobia at other times, but I watched their attitudes change over the years from simply coming into contact every evening with a member of the 'other' group.

So, I say to you, take hope in the future, that contact with your son-in-law will cause your parents to reexamine their prejudices.

posted by Lassie 26 December | 14:48

love. it's the ultimate slippery slope.

posted by quonsar 26 December | 15:49

Carlton's his real name. My poor mom keeps calling him Clayton and we've been making fun of her about it. His nickname is Carlie (As in Carlie C's, which is the name of a local IGA grocery chain) so we finally told her to call him that.

He, my daughter, and grandbun left for Virginia earlier today and my mom happened to be over when they stopped by first. That went well too. I tried to get them to just leave Grandbun here, but they wouldn't, I can't imagine why. Heh.

posted by bunnyfire 26 December | 16:20

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