You Know Your Parents Are Getting Old when ...

A friend recently told me about the following conversation she had with her parents.

I promised not to use her name in my blog, but I nearly peed my pants when she told me.

She lives far away from her parents who are visiting this weekend, so she's been working on finding some fun things to do together on their visit.

She found a flamenco show that's at an art festival in her town, and was really excited about taking her parents there this weekend. She was so excited, that she called her parents tonight and the following conversation occurred.

Here is what she emailed me:

Me: Dad, do you want to go to a flamenco show on Friday night?

Dad: Well, I don't know, I mean, an entire show about birds?

Me: What?

Dad: How much can we watch about flamingos?

Me: No dad, Spanish dancing

Dad: I don't want to have to control your mother (an AVID, her-own-style, crazy dancer).

Me: Dad, I don't want to watch mom dance flamenco either. It's a show with professional dancers.

Dad: Oh. Well, whatever. If you want.

Can't you just feel the enthusiasm ooze out of him?

At this point, her dad passes the cell phone to her mom:

Me: Hey mom

Mom: Kelly? (made up name)

Me: Hey mom

Mom: Kelly?

Me: MOM!!!!!

Mom: Oh, hey Kelly. I don't think reception was very good there for a minute.

Me: That's ok. Anyway, what do you think about going to a flamenco show on Friday?

Mom: Well, whatever you want. But what is it going to be about?

Me; Well, it will be really entertaining, and they are so lovely. I have seen it before.

Mom: Do you really want to go? Because we will go if that's what you want to do.

Me: Yeah, I really want to go. I love watching flamenco!

Mom: Well, I guess they're pretty cool birds.

Me: What?

Mom: Flamingos!

Me: No mom, not flamingos, flamenco. It's a Spanish dance.

Mom: OH! I was wondering why you would want to see a show about flamingos.

Me: So, do you want to go? The tickets are $14 so it's not that expensive.

Mom: What time is it at?

Me: 8:45

Mom: OH MY GOSH! 8:45! I don't know.

Me: MOM!! It's on a Friday night!

Her conversations made me giggle because we've all been there. Trying to talk to someone about something and the communication lines just aren't there.