Family Tree

Sometimes people tell me the strangest things. One said, your Family and The Family, they are inextricably intertwined. I laughed. It is quite clear that since the Old One left South China eight generations ago, my Family has established itself far more deeply than people think. The clan is a large one, and while it is not as large as The Family, it is diverse and wonderful in its ways.

Classic pronouncements:

• "While I am not a member of The Family, I would say that some people who make statements in public are certainly a lot more indiscreet than you ever were."
• "As a member of The Family, I would say that it is amusing to watch people mess themselves up while you idle around outside."
• "As someone who does not particularly like The Family, but who has put one son through its mill, I think what has happened is perfectly normal."
• "As someone who does not have a high opinion of The Family, let me tell you that you got what you deserved by not listening to me and leaving that branch of The Family's business four years ago."
• "As one of The Family's leaders, I think you should have just stayed outside that business, like many of The Family's junior members."

I am amazed by the diversity indeed.

My Family I was born into. It sometimes seems that I was also born into The Family. But I am intrigued by the differences, and humbled by the facts. In the end, I concede that I cannot really leave either. When I go to the annual gatherings of The Family, I will still be on first-name basis with all but the most senior (who I must call 'Uncle' and 'Aunty'). They will not let me go, despite all that has happened so far.

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Update: Logging the IP addresses of people reading this shows an unusual fact. Why do so many people from that branch of The Family's business keep accessing these pages? Surely they have better things to do. I do this in my spare time, not during working hours. Heh.