Even before Covid, we couldn't do anything. Can't go out to the movies because most are PG13 and R. Can't go out for Sunday brunch. No dancing, clubbing, watching sports...everything was evil in some way. So what was left is work 9-5, yardwork, house chores, and church. Not exaggerating, there's nothing else. It's so depressing.

Movies from the last 10 years are a blip and not worth a re-watch. You haven't missed anything.

Camping
Hiking
Outdoors stuff
Exercise
Writing, creating videos, learning to write, create, play music, program, coding, drawing, digital art.
Jogging, running, swimming, ..
Woodworking, artisan stuff.
100s of things.

Better to play sports than watch it. But I get it.

Meditate on that.

Well I have a lot of chronic pain so a lot of these things aren't happening. My point was that I wish I could do more fun things with my family but they refuse because the idea of downtime or deviating from church stuff is unthinkable.

That is just saying my hobbies are better than your hobbies.

Competitive scripture study?

"THX-1138" (1971) Ending And Escape

https://youtu.be/atMdf0rhbpI



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/06/2022 07:48AM by anybody.

I've noticed this joylessness at family parties, they're rather dull, scripted, politics is an out of bounds discussion. Discussing money can get people worked up so it's fine line there as well. which only leaves discussions of potty training and church assignments, temples, and blessed we are, etc....

I wish we could introduce a little liquor or something?

I know exactly what you mean. Joyless family is mine, and yet . . . wait for it . . . my mother always brags about what a fun family we have!

We don't. We have a family that does duty visits and makes duty conversation and laughs dutifully when appropriate.

Mormonism is really the "Church of Imitation of Life". I feel for you, Let 'Volir. I tried and tried to inject some life into our family get togethers and it just fell flat.

What it reminds me of are these people, yea even non-Mormons, who are constantly talking about "making memories". Puke.

"We are doing such and such to make memories." "We are going to do this to make memories." Puke. Pre-thought out, planned memories are the worst. So Mormon.

The best memories I have came out of no where and none of them had anything to do with stifled Mormon family life.

We took the British movie, “Death at A Funeral” to our friends’ house. Ended up turning it off bc of swear words.

My favorite aunt used to swear, but at the same time, she could have been a stand-up comedian. Hence, to this day, when I hear swearing, I laugh.

Anyway, I was howling with laughter during the movie while they looked constipated, and the movie went off.

I love that one.

My parents were watching Crocodile Dundee with my pompous older brother and his mousy TBM wife having a great time and all of a sudden my SIL grabbed the remote and as each new scene came up she would say out loud, "Is this it?" "Is it here" Sometimes pausing. This went on apparently for quite a while until she was able to fast forward the one bad word in the movie. I think it was the "F" word.

My mother said later, "You know. I'm an old woman and once in a while you are going to hear word you didn't want to. What she did just wasn't worth ruining the movie."

Shortly after my brother started having their movies "scrubbed".

"Scrubbed"? Is that the machine that my son's in-laws were bragging about that takes those bad words out of movies?

Takes the bad words out and probably with today's technologies add in sleeves on the women and lengthen hemlines.

Wow! Trying to fast forward / skip a swear.

Did SIL pause the scene with the hot red g-string one piece the actress wore near the river?

So the men could all think gee, has my wife ever worn such a skimpy thing in her life.....and why not for me?

I'm so sorry for you and your family. :-(

I would say 1/2 or so of my family are "active" in the church, but none of us have lost our sense of humor. We have fun and laughter when we gather for family parties...one of which will be at my house, on Mother's day, and everyone will bring food and "goodies" for all of us to enjoy.

For Instance, my son-in-law is not a member of the church--but so what? His young son once complained to his father, while the three of us were standing in their kitchen--with his father being stuck with the dinner cleanup afterwards, when the thoughtless young boy said, "Yha--but--your not a member on the church".

My response to this nonsense was, "You aught to be very grateful for your father, as if it weren't for his kindness and love for you, he could kick you out of his house--and let you try and find someone else to feed and cloth you, or let you live with them".

One of my Son-In-Laws kindness' is fixing anything that someone in the family needs being fixed--which I greatly appreciate! (You should be so lucky.)

Anyway, Let the fun begin! :-)

I remember I used to like it when our Ward was at the 9:00 rotation time. I hated getting up early on Sunday, but I hated the 1:00 sacrament even more, since all the 1:00 football games would be over when I got home. I used to go to the 9:00 Ward when my team was playing at 1:00, so I could watch it.
I gave up tea, but couldn't give up football Sunday.
Of course,you all know what night family home evening was( Young adults). I still got home to see the 4th quarter of Monday night football.
I remember when I was studying with the missionaries, watching BYU play in the Bishop's office with them and others in the Ward.

my sister calls heretics. They were fairly active mormon, but many of them drank, especially at family parties. We had family parties for every holiday including memorial day and labor day. We had a party for peach days in Brigham City.

My dad was one tough man and he could be mean, but he could be hysterically funny. He played tricks on his coworkers. They were teachers at a high school. They played them on him, too. My mother was really funny, too. We all have a sense of humor and our kids all have even better senses of humor. My daughter as her TBM self, hasn't lost her sense of humor. She does and says things that shock us heathens.

It recently occurred to me that in some cases it’s not just that Mormons lead boring lives, it’s also about wanting to appear holier-than-thou and controlling the narrative. I was surprised a couple of times to discover we actually have some interests in common; as minor as they were I jumped on these things with enthusiasm in the expectation we could finally connect.

Alas, no. They did not want to get into it. They are not motivated by normal,healthy, equal connection with others, unless it for the purpose of manipulation (aka ‘missionary work’). It’s all about who looks more righteous and who knows more….being in control. It’s an empty existence when this is what is at play.

"... wanting to appear holier-than-thou and controlling the narrative."

You hit it on the head with that. Since facts and evidence are not their friends and reason hasn't been seen with them for eons, a Mormon's only hope is to control the narrative, which, is their only weapon in their pathetic arsenal.

Takes a lot of nerve to make no sense at all and still claim victory. You have to hand them that. Surprised that more of them don't become politicians, actually.