OCO3

A couple of years ago, I was sitting talking with my cousin. She was complaining about her two younger sisters. According to them, anything and everything that went wrong in the world was her fault.

Now, when speaking to this particular cousin, I am usually doing a good impersonation of someone listening. In reality, I am screaming in my head for her to shut up. Complaining is her default postion and there is only so much I can take. But this time something clicked, and I heard myself say, "Yeah, I have the same thing with my two younger brothers."

We spent the rest of the night comparing stories and shocking each other with the similarities in our existence. I thought it had more to do with birth order and family dynamics. She stayed with the theory that her sisters are just plain nasty. Before that night ended we had formed OCO3: the society for the Oldest Child Of Three. A place where the abused and over-blamed, first born come together, commiserate and comfort each other. We have four members in our chapter: my mother, myself, my cousin and my eldest. The problem, of course, is there are at least are eight people in our family who work against the organization. And sometimes the attack is so baseless and so unhinged, all you can do is remember what OCO3 has taught you.

I had one of those moments yesterday. While speaking to one of my brothers--a person I speak to on the average of four times a day--he informed me that I never listen to him. Nor do I "treat him like a human being." Under normal circumstances, I would have lost my temper. But the core rule of OCO3 stopped me from going crazy.

That rule simply says: Mom and Dad were older, clearly their genetic material was starting to degrade.

If anyone is interested in starting an OCO3 chapter, please let me know.

Also, Mr. Moose is making a Thanksgiving prediction: an uncomfortable time will be had by all.