Do your parents have any weird habits or other oddities? My mum has two lovely British Shorthair cats. The lass is Fiona and the lad is Henry. Unfortunately, Fiona has always been a bit on the extra fluffy side if you know what I mean, so my mum slims her down with Photoshop before sharing the cat's pic on Instagram. I accused Mum of fat shaming poor Fiona, but she swears that Fiona approves of these changes lest the neighborhood cats start judging her.

My dad is diving down into a near fanatic pit of Christianity and believes it's God's will for him to single handedly open an orphanage in Kenya. Right now he's trying to raise 10,000 dollars so he can get on a plane and go over there to marry some women and build this place.

 

So that's odd.

 

My mom doesn't have any weird habits or oddities I know of, but she is an excellent piano/organ player and plays for her church and runs a small piano teaching business.

 

I come from a religious family, though I'm the exception to it. The rest of my family is pretty devout, although my dad and his half brother are on the more extreme side currently.

I think all parents do this (especially moms) but mine really like to tell the same stories over and over again. Not just to new people who have never heard the story, but even to me they will tell the same story that I've already heard many times. At this point I just listen and nod.

My dad is diving down into a near fanatic pit of Christianity and believes it's God's will for him to single handedly open an orphanage in Kenya. Right now he's trying to raise 10,000 dollars so he can get on a plane and go over there to marry some women and build this place.

Now that's something else. Has he heard of Kiva? That might be a way to show his support for orphaned children without moving to another country. I'm sure orphanages already exist there as they do everywhere. It sounds like a bit of a white saviour complex. His oddity could bankrupt him were he to start sending all his funds overseas. Are you all worried? I guess I should be thankful that my mum's ridiculousness is more mild. I mean your father no harm, Jack T. It's nice that he wants to help orphans even if that's a strange way to do it.

My late father had odd eating habits. He liked eating plain butter. No toast with it, nothing. He would sometimes eat raw egg for breakfast and again, with nothing else.

We're all very worried, and I agree it's a white savior complex. I think he's wanting to do something he can feel proud of and help people, and that's all well and good. But he's doing it in a very reckless manner :\ other people are going to talk to him, I can't get through to him because I'm not a Christian and therefore I "just don't understand"

@Poppy your mum sounds like a riot. I've never heard of anyone photoshopping their pet like that. Does she do the same thing to the people in her photos? Why doesn't Henry get the same treatment?

 

@Boomer I hear you on that one as my dad likes to eat spoonfuls of maple syrup when he can sneak it past Mum. I think butter is delicious, but I wouldn't want to eat it alone.

 

I think he's wanting to do something he can feel proud of and help people, and that's all well and good.

The whole orphanage thing may not be much to fret about. What are the odds that he'll be able to raise all that money, get the appropriate passport, visa, and vaccinations. It will be difficult to navigate an entirely different governmental system, even with help. This orphanage is probably a non-starter. What does worry me is the "marry some woman" bit. I've seen too many episodes of Dr. Phil where a kindhearted, lonely person lost everything they had to a sweetheart scam. I'm sure you've already thought of that and it's not like you can control him anyway.

Does she do the same thing to the people in her photos? Why doesn't Henry get the same treatment?

No, she doesn't photoshop any family members. The entire clan isn't all svelte either, she just loves the cat more. Henry doesn't need her skills to slim him down. He weighs about as much as Fiona, but my mum thinks his grey fur hides it better. Seriously. We've had that conversation.

Fiona has always been a bit on the extra fluffy side if you know what I mean, so my mum slims her down with Photoshop before sharing the cat's pic on Instagram.

 

Photoshopping a cat to appear more trim? I think I've heard it all now. :laugh: My mum also has a huge fat cat that she absolutely adores. He gets special treatment. She's always brushing him, hand feeding him expensive treats, buying him gourmet cat food and the like.