“Oh, your friend’s pretty okay, for a black feller.”

“You can have your husband do that for you when you’re older.”

“People are gay because they have shoulder demons.”

Yes, these are things people said, and not just any people—my own family members.

Thanksgiving is coming up, and it’s going to be a rude awakening for everyone who’s been hiding out in the safe, politically correct bubble that is college.

Not only is college politically correct but people on campus are that way because they care to educate themselves. Students genuinely feel the way they come across. They typically aren’t hiding a whole host of horrible prejudices.

I’m sure family members are true to their word as well, but it would be better, most of the time, if they’d keep their opinions to themselves.

College keeps students in a friendly environment that fosters acceptance and tolerance. I like it here much better than the pit of racism and sexist comments that is my grandparents’ house. Thanksgiving is like being ripped from my peaceful, friendly everyday life, and being thrown into a blender of judgemental remarks and conspiracy theories.

Not only do I have to memorize my future plans for the next ten years in order to peacefully pass through every single damned conversation, but I also have to practically bite my tongue off not to interject every time someone comments about “those tricky Arabs.”

It’s painfully obvious that they aren’t like the nice people who attend my university. Trying to reason with them will only make things worse. Why should that be a problem, though. The whole family only gets together a couple times a year.

Even with all that it mind, it’s still exciting to see all of them. Spending time with relatives can be a chore, but it can also be fun. The most important thing, is to be prepared for whatever they’ve got in store.