To Tell or Not To Tell... hmm (what do you think)

Well anyone that knows me for more than a bit knows that my family is very special and unique. No, not Sean... LOL he is just special to me. I am talking about my parents and their whole cousin thing.

I was talking the other day with a new fellow officer when our families came up. She is from the same area that my dad was raised in (Gooding and Jerome). So we were talking about our families. So of course the question comes up "where is your mom from?" Well my mom was born in Boise, ID but grew up mostly in New York and Illinois. So the logical questions is "how did your parents meet? College?"

Hmmm, do I dare say well family gatherings or reunions? I guess I could say that one of their cousins introduced them or even their aunts. How do people really look at me when I tell them that my parents are indeed first cousins? Not once removed or by adoption or step. But that my dad's dad and my mom's mom are brother and sister.

To be honest it does not bother me in the least. I mean I guess it is because every since I was born I have known and really did not know that some people were grossed out by it until I was older. It has always been a joke in our family. The quiet athlete country boy from Gooding hooking up with the loud ornery city cousin. All of my cousins (yes that includes my parents and aunts / uncles) just tease me and my sister but in a very proud way. Like that we are twice the relative that they are and so forth. Royalty or cattle breeding are the two most known forms of inbreeding to keep the bloodlines going. So which does that make me?

So any way I told her. I mean after all I plan on working there for a long time... (hopefully). The thing is that usually when I tell people it is either people that I know well or at least I feel well established in my position. Meaning that they know I am not a totally freak (well in a negative way) and can function as a human (meaning that they won't have to wipe me in the potty room).

So I guess that I am asking all of you what your reactions were when you heard it. My peer at work took it rather well (although I think she needed time alone to process it...LOL). But as a person who has never had the shock or the "what what" moment I guess I wonder what the different reactions are....

So if you don't mind either comment away or email me....

Lisa