<---- that is my interpretation of my own family tree ~ no leaves, just pods, and the ones that have broken off are the happiest...see their contented little smiles at the bottom? More about them later.
Why pods? Well, for one thing, when you do have a large Italian family, those with similar interests tend to break off into little cliques that remind me of Pod People.
Whether it's gambling, traveling, the witches' cauldron of gossip (every family has at least one of them) they gather on a regular basis and those who do not 'fit in' are routinely ignored and/or tolerated if they happen to be among them on the rare occasion.
As the little Podettes grow up and marry, they'd better marry someone who passes the entire family's scrutiny and judgment or that poor person is smacked in the face with what my ex-cousin-in-law calls "The Invisible Shield." They circle the wagons and leave the Disliked Ones out for the coyotes and vultures of the night.
When these Pod People begin to have families, they transform into what I like to call The Inbreds ~ those who socialize with just their own families which automatically excludes you and yours, because whatever blood connection you may share, you are NOT an Own Family member (as one 'aunt' told me) so don't expect any invitations or otherwise.
Okay, so the Pod People beget The Inbreds, but what about those happy little fallen pods on the ground? Well, those are the infamous black sheep of every family (several cousins and I take that title with pride) up to and including people who married into (and later divorced out of) "the family." NEVER could the fault lie with the family member, not that anyone's marriage should be the business of anyone but the husband and wife (reference witches' cauldron of gossip.)
To be continued.....
