Afton emailed this week trying to remember the details of a story I told her about growing up. I love that she remembers this stuff! Since it's almost Darren's birthday, I thought I share it in honor of him. I don't know that I ever won an arguement with him as a kid because he always made up some new rule that applied. (I'm sure the rest of you with big brothers understand.) We did have fun though, and it all makes for some great (no pun intended D) memories. Here's the example.
I was watching TV and he'd come in and change the channel to something he wanted to watch. When I objected, he told me I hadn't "called it", meaning when you turned on the TV you had to say, "I turned it on I get to watch what I want". So the next time I made sure to call it. Then he just turned the TV off then on again. This became known as a doey (doo ee), and we started calling "no doies" when we turned on the TV. The next time, he turned the TV off, unplugged it, plugged it back in, then turned it on, which he told me was not covered in calling "no doies".
Eventually, what you had to say when you turned on the TV is "I turned it on, I get to watch what I want, no doies, no anythings, no nothings, no matter what." We did this for years. I would even say it when nobody was around just to be safe. In which case, when someone walked into the room when I was watching TV I could merely state, "I called it" and they knew what I meant. I completely believed my siblings when they stated they had "called it" that they had said the whole thing too, but maybe everyone except me didn't bother to say it when they were alone. I was nerdy that way. I probably still am. :)
The other TV thing you had to call was when you left to go to the bathroom or get a drink or something, you had to say, "Place back, everything back". Which held your spot, pillow, blanket, etc. If you didn't, we would, of course, take your spot, pillow, or whatever just to teach you a lesson on following house protocol. :)
It's all so funny now, but was taken very seriously back then. Afton asked about this because she and a friend were discussing what they had to say to hold their spot when watching TV. Anyone care to share their story?
9 comments:
Thank heavens Holly and I liked the same programs!
We were a bit more civil and being 6 of 7, I am grateful, because I would've lost out every time. If you left for fun then your spot was toast, but ANY other reason was respected. Maybe we really were the Leave it to Beaver family. A rare and kind reasoning by mom or dad could settle any matter.
"Place back, everything back"-- I forgot about that!!
I wish my kids would say that already, that is about 1/2 as annoying as the freak outs they do when the other one takes their TV spot.
That is an awesome story of him unplugging the tube, I bet he would still do that. Love you Darren!! :) (& Bets)
That really did make me laugh out loud. That was such a kid thing to do..but it was a way of resolving your conflicts without parents. We just called "place backs". What we really fought about was the curling iron and blow dryer. Can you believe my parents had 6 girls and only one blow dryer and curling iron? Our rule was that who ever plugged it in first got to use it and we could only use it while they were inbetween curls or completly done. In the 90's it took a long time to be completely done with the curling iron! I seriously almost had panic attacks at night in high school over it...that is until I learned to sneak into Amys room to see when her alarm was set and then set mine 5 mins faster so I could plug them both in first! Oh...good times. We have since asked our parents what the heck they were thinking and I really dont think they even knew about the horrors that went on downstairs. Why didnt we just ask for more?
Haha! GREAT post Betsy. I really have to find that home movie of Darren saying to the camera, "All of you people watching this in twenty years from now, if I'm saying these same dumb jokes (dad's) you know where they came from." That was on his 21st birthday, almost exactly 20 years ago. And is Darren so "dad" or what :)
I'm glad I could inspire you. Although you do have the best family stories. I was asking Robert if his family ever did anything like that and they were so polite to each other, I don't think there was ever a need to have this kind of TV routine. Of course his family has nothing funny to talk about around the dinner table now, so that'll show 'em.
I remember my sister and I had a very elaborate point system for borrowing clothes. You know, these are really the things I should have been writing down in my journal!
You guys are so funny! I was laughing so hard through that post. Since I was the fourth child and a pushover I never had much say in anything on T.V.
Ah the pedigree of the Doey. That was hilarious.
Thanks for the walk down memory lane!
That's hilarious.
I can't remember how we did it, but I lived in the country and we didn't get many stations. In fact, to watch certain channels, someone had to bend the antenae just right and stand still (usually in an awkward position) to get good reception. We probably fought about who's turn it was to be the antenae extension.
Thanks for the good time at the ward activity, that game was so much fun!
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