re: #194 ObserverArt

I wonder too if people are spread out way more now than ever. Families used to be closer and they used to get together more for cookouts, picnics, birthdays, graduations, reunions and other shared family activities.

And they could catch up, share pictures, meet the new members of the family, etc. They even could let others know about the black sheep family members and how they were doing. That was social media. And in ways it kept down the rancor because if Uncle John said something that got Nephew Jimmy upset, grandpa would step in and read the family riot acts. All 25 parts.

A lot of that is gone.

I felt old typing the words picnic and reunion. Do people even do those anymore?

We still do family gatherings. Not as much as we used to but I think it’s because of what you say above about families being less closer though perhaps in our case, geography plays a role there too. But you know the cool thing about social media and the recent genealogy craze is it’s also brought people together too. I’ve met cousins of my mom’s I never would have known otherwise and I talked to a distant cousin on my Dad’s side the other night.