Preface

 

 

IT’S ALL GREEK TO ME

Blog by Goddess Anon

Chaos Reigns

 

Talk about chaos. First of all, I come from a big, noisy- and nosy- Greek family consisting of several annoying siblings, a meddling mother firmly committed to the idea that I should marry a nice Greek boy, a father who, although not fully Greek, has totally embraced the culture, and my grandparents Pappoús (or Pappou, as we say, and Yaya (actually it’s spelled Oiaoiá, but you’d have a hard time pronouncing that.).

Secondly, when I was young I prayed for a handsome white knight to come along to rescue me, and guess what? Nothing. Ever. Happened. I finally figured out I’d have to do it myself. So, at the ripe old age of twenty-four, I packed a suitcase, moved to the closest big city, got a studio apartment, a low-paying job at a big corporation and worked my way up until I reached a level of success that made me happier than I’d ever dreamed possible.

I also married a very successful, non-Greek businessman, which caused all kinds of uproar back home. So along with a wedding gift, my mother gave me three pieces of advice: the man you’re marrying will break your heart; you’ll never be able to support yourself alone in the city; and then you’ll come back home where you belong.

Oh, how I prayed that she would be wrong but, once again, my prayers went unanswered, because, much to my consternation, it turned out that she was right.

Ten years later, after unchaining myself from a bitter marriage from a husband who left me in debt up to my ears, with my corporate job eliminated and a young child to support, I had to pack up our belongings, along with my pride, and return back home into the welcoming arms of my family.

Now my child and I not only live in the big family house, but I also work for the family business, which at least enables me to earn my own money, so I can move into my own place one day. In the meantime, my child, who’d been so distraught by the divorce, does seem to be blossoming here in the midst of our eccentric but strong fam—