Growing up, I wondered why adult conversations between my relatives seemed awkward and not easy to get into. I am real; and in every siruation where I had to try to put on an act to fit in (with my own goddamed extended family!) , it was like wearing one of those old fashioned corsets. The rigid ones that used to be framed with iron or even whale bones. And as I became older, it felt like that corset was getting pulled even tighter as I became much less happy go lucky and much more self conscious and in fear of judgement. By the time I was in my late teens, I absolutely dreaded family get togethers. It was all a goddamn act, but of course I was never told this outright. But I picked up somewhat on the nature of the situation over the years, and still blew my "acting career" big time. And eventually I became withdrawn.

I had a bunch of blowups with my immediate family so I stopped talking to them a decade ago (long story but imagine a family with an actual Trump mindset, and I'm not talking about MAGAs), and I don't bother with extended either despite having no problems with them. The extended was never 'real' to begin with, so why bother? I soft cut those people out of my life without saying a word, and none of them AFAIK made any attenpts to contact me over the past couple decades.

This was many years and decades ago and I hate to think how it is now with families.

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anonymous 8 hours ago