The Nature of Her

[Gita]

 My grandmother had the soul of a look-out wasp,  the sentry that first notices anything or anyone who comes too close to the nest. It releases pheremones or gestures to  announce "danger" to the rest of the wasps, causing them to swarm to the source of the alarm -- human, dog, cat -- and commence to sting unquestioningly.

In our family, it took but one soft whisper from Grandmother and all the cousins, nephews and sisters would sniff danger and turn on some offending family member. It was a neat trick. 

Not once in the 30 years I knew her did Grandmother raise her voice or fight her own fights. Passive aggression is strong venom.

 

[Mike Handley]

Great analogy, G. I almost feel sorry for those who haven't witnessed these gems of humanity.

[Judy Thompson]

oh, gita.  This is so my mother it's scary, and her mother before her.  And you got the structure exactly right. 

My mother would let the fight reach a certain level and then say, "well I don't know why you're all getting so upset, all I did was ask a question..."  and we realized we'd been handled.  Again.  Its all about control, isnt it.  Your grandmother managed the whole family that way,  run them with a nudge on the right buttons. ..

 

 

[Angela]

Amazing.  I wonder when you figured her out?  I also wonder how her behavior changed your behavior.  This should be an additional six.

You wrote this in a voice that was free of emotion until the very end.  It is almost as if Grandmother is still listening to make sure you don't say anything about how it hurts.  I'm just saying.

[Teresa]

This has my father-in-law written all over it.  But he's so stealth that it took me many years to understand what was happening.  I thought I was going nuts.  Passive aggression is actually a talent, like holding a man's fresh-cut beating heart in front of his face.  Well done.

[Bill Floyd]

There's one of these in most every family, I think.  The wasp comparison is surprising and vivid. 

[Ron. Lavalette]

I enjoyed both of these very much, esp the grandmother. That kind of manipulation runs strong in many families.

[J. K. Langham]

Two good 6's!