This past weekend, I went to visit my family for an early Christmas.  My sister and her family will be visiting her in-laws for Christmas day, so we got together on Saturday to exchange gifts and hang out with my nieces.  They were both really cute and fun – had a really nice time playing on the iPad and with some playdough with the older one.  I got some nice presents and I think everyone had fun.

On Sunday, I hung around my parents house until they got home from church.  We had lunch, and then we all sat down in the family room.  I knew something was up when Dad didn’t turn on the TV.

Mom started by asking if I believed in the doomsday prophecy (12/21/2012) and I said it was bunk and explained why.  She got more general about prophecy and I replied that there too many variables.  Then she started talking about prophecy in the bible and how so many of the prophecies in the bible had already come true – according to the bible.  I did mention “single source”, but that didn’t carry much weight.

Dad brought up the conflict in the middle east and the Super storm Sandy as indicators of end times – and I responded that people said that Katrina and the Tsunamis were indicators and then nothing happened.  And that the conflict in the middle east has been going for hundreds of years and would continue due to some basic factors related to resources.

There were a few more comments and I had answers for them as well – then Dad got angry(?) or at least heated and raised his voice – upset that I wasn’t keeping an open mind.  I could have responded that they weren’t keeping an open mind either – but I knew better than to engage.  I was mostly quiet for the rest of the discussion and tried to show them that these were not the end times and that while I respected their religion (though, admittedly, less now than before the discussion), I didn’t share their beliefs – and neither did the catholics, jews, buddists, hindu, etc.  And that it should be okay.

They finished up by telling me that they would be fine when the rapture came, but they were worried (and upset because I’m close-minded) that I would go to hell because I’m not a believer.

Then we hugged and Dad asked how the rest of my week was going to be and if I had a lot of meetings.

[crickets chirping]

Like a light switch, the barrage was over.  I know they meant well, but it really was a barrage.  Dad almost yelling at me, Mom with a gigantic bible in her lap quoting at me.    I really don’t know what prompted it – though they did quote their minister a few times.  And I don’t know what they were hoping to accomplish.  Well, I guess they hoped I would go along with them – though Dad did say he didn’t expect me suddenly ‘get it’ and Mom said she was proud of my hardheadedness and my questioning nature.

(insert head shaking here)

I got a bite to eat and we watched an episode of Bones on DVD before I left.  I fought a terrible headache all the way back and had to stop a couple of times just to get out of the car and rest my brain.

When I got back to Akron, I stopped over at a friend’s to see how his weekend was.  As I was leaving, I looking out the side view mirror and saw a familiar cat next to his house.  It was his cat Max, who had slipped out while I was leaving. I shut off my car, got out quickly, and scooped up the cat.   He was freaked out and clawed me a bit, but I hung on.  My friend was by this point in his back-yard with the dogs, so I walked around and shouted to get his attention and told him I had his cat.  He met me at the door and we let the freaked out indoor cat back where he belonged.

So, a fun weekend, a disturbing weekend, and a heroic weekend.  Almost glad to be back to work.