Ahhh, the holidays. A time for connecting with friends, family, and loved ones; a time for over-eating all of your holiday favorites and a time for figuring out how you are going to avoid having to answer all of those annoying questions you get asked every year by the same people. And depending on how much eggnog they’ve had, they get pushier by the minute. Well you’re not alone. Here is a list of typical questions people get asked whenever the family comes into town. Okay, now go find yourself on this list!
1. The Brand New College Graduate: “I thought you wanted to be a (fill in the blank of what you said you wanted to be when you were five years old)? So why are you (waiting tables/working at Starbuck’s/bagging groceries/parking cars)—(insert “filler job” here)—if you have your degree in—(insert college major/childhood dream here)? So are you just going to keep—(traveling/going back to school)—(insert whatever you are doing to “avoid” getting a “real” job in your field here) forever?”
2. The Newly Unemployed Person: “Did you find a job yet?” “Well, did you look at—(insert the most obvious place in the world you’d look to get another job in your field here)?
3. The Single Person: “So do you actually want to be in a relationship or do you just like being alone?” “Have you tried looking at—(insert online dating service here)? The people in their commercials look really happy.”
4. The Couple Who Has Been Dating for About Two months: “Do you think you guys will get married?”
5. The Couple Who Just Got Engaged (today): “Did you pick a wedding date yet?”
6. The Newlyweds on Their Honeymoon: “So, when are you going to have kids?”
7. The Couple Who Has Been Married (with no kids) for One Year: “So, when are you going to have kids?”
8. The Couple Who Has Been Married (with no kids) for Five Years: “So, when are you going to have kids?”
9. The Couple Who Has Been Married for More Than Five Years (with no kids . . . yes STILL!): “So you can’t have kids or you just don’t like them or what?”
10. The Brand New Parents Holding Their One-Day-Old Baby: “So when do you think you’ll have more kids?”
. . . and a bonus . . .
11. The Five-Year-Old Child: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Which is a totally loaded question and depending on who’s asking, they will never forget your answer . . . ever! (See #1)
So what dreaded question will you be trying to avoid while you’re sitting around the holiday table this year?
