He's dead?

So, to make up for the few semi-serious thoughts that have been creeping onto my blog, I'll tell you a story about yesterday.

We were sitting at lunch (and by we I mean Morris, Liz, Kaitlin, Matt, Joel, Jess, Sharon, me and.... um.... I don't remember who else. A lot of people came and went.). And Morris was asking us questions about cultural expectations of gender roles within a romantic relationship. He was getting a large variety of responses. I don't know if he got what he was looking for (considering that most of us have never been in a romantic relationship), or if his survey and assignment will go well, but I hope it does, because I thought it was a very, very amusing conversation, and we have him to thank for beginning it. (On a side note, I'm sort of glad chivalry is dead. I don't think I like the idea of paying for meals or carrying books or whatever just for form's sake. I think there are a lot more meaningful things a guy could do to show his affection. Oops, sorry, a serious thought again. What is this world coming to? Serious and semi-serious thoughts left and right!) And somehow, in the midst of actually thinking about the subject at hand, we got on the topic of how to pronounce the word "aunt" and what each pronunciation connotes. And somehow from there we got to the topic of great-uncles. Someone said that it was a shame no one knew their great uncles anymore, and someone else said all theirs were dead or something, and Kaitlin bursts out with, "I have a great uncle! Oh no wait, he's dead!" and then starts laughing uncrontrollably.

She said the first part so excitedly and indignantly, and the second part so surprisedly, I just couldn't help laughing. I'm sorry if that was callous. It was, however, hilarious. Morris says to Kaitlin, "I don't know what was funnier, the way you said that, or the fact that you immediately start laughing."

Ah yes, the derangement of the lunch tables! I wish I had a copy of Morris' tape. He taped a good bit of that conversation, and it would be quite fascinating to hear it again. I wonder if he's found the message Liz left for him yet?