Meet The Parents

There are a few events in my life that send my nerves into overdrive: performing on stage, being in a potentially dangerous situation, and meeting my significant other’s parents. I have only, thus far, had to do the latter four times in my life but it doesn’t get any easier. What do I have to be nervous about? Well, I don’t think its any secret that meeting the parents is not just a big step in your relationship with someone; it can also be an event that determines the future of your union. While it all depends on how important a role the parents play, I do not want to make a bad impression.

The first important set of parents I met was my first boyfriend’s parents. We were in high school, and to make matters worse I was two grades above my boyfriend (I was not a cradle robber; he was only a year younger in age). At any rate I met them when I spent the New Year’s Eve holiday with his family and we were only four days into our “boyfriend/girlfriend” status. I was a nervous wreck, not only because it was my first “meeting of parents,” but because it was my first relationship period! Needless to say, despite my best efforts, my relationship with his parents was good on the surface. His father and I got a long fine; the mother was a piece of work. She was so protective of her son that she would say and do a lot of underhanded things. Although I knew she didn’t want me with her son, my boyfriend was clueless. My first experience with parents and I was already feeling the negative effects.

Second important parent meeting was with Ex. This, unfortunately, did not go as I would have planned it. The way I met Ex’s parents was during the turn from fall to winter. It was getting cold outside, and like most dependent men, Ex relied on his parents to help him do stuff around his house like remove his air conditioners. It was an early morning and I had chosen that night to sleep over. It was way too early for me to have dropped by and despite my best efforts to appear casual; inside I was cursing my misfortune. And so the impromptu meeting was quick, and thankfully painless. My relationship with Ex’s parents, in fact his whole family, was great. I will readily admit that the reason I stayed with Ex so long was because of his family. Not only were they nice but accepting of me as a member of the family!

With these varying experiences I never know what to expect when I meet the parents, but I do know that meeting LL3’s parents is an especially important event. LL3 is very close to his family and I would want to be on their good side as they will be giving the final approval. I met LL3’s dad accidentally. I was going to LL3’s house after work and his dad was across the street. It was a quick meeting, but I felt totally unprepared. I vowed that I would not meet his mother under the same circumstances as I know she has influence over LL3. When LL3’s mom came by the house yesterday, I only wish I could have hid upstairs. No such luck and it was with an awkward quick introduction that we met. There were no more words exchanged between us than a “Hi, I’m so and so.”

I am still cursing my bad luck. My mind has been preoccupied with trying to analyze the meeting. What I have found out is that LL3’s dad was trying to find out more information about me last night. This could be a good sign because he is probably just the messenger for his mom. LL3 says he sang my praises and that is an even better sign! With that first awkward meeting out of the way, here’s hoping I am down one less nerve inducing event for a while.