I am an Exclaimer!

While at work this week, I found myself doing something I never thought I’d do, without any conscious knowledge of it. This week, I became, an Exclaimer. What’s an exclaimer, you ask? Well, an exclaimer is one who feels the need to yell out an exclamation or reaction to something, in my opinion, without really realizing what they are doing. For example, while really focusing on what I was doing at work, I all of a sudden yelled out, “You have GOT to be kidding me!” to which my co-worker quickly replied, “I’m sorry? Did you say something?” Upon my realization that I must have just said something out loud, I, um, denied ... “No, no, I didn’t.”  Moments later, I found myself saying, “Well, whatcha gonna do?” to which my co-worker said, “Are you talking to me?” (see, she caught on this time!) to which I replied, “No, I’m sorry. I’m just talking to myself.”

Shortly thereafter I caught myself giving off a HUGE sigh ….. to which my co-worker replied, “Is everything ok?” “Oh, yes. I’m fine. Thanks,” I answered. Because, everything was just fine. I was just … exclaiming. Silently.

It was at that moment that I realized that I am just like my father.

My dad was a big “Exclaimer.” He always had something to yell out, whether he was wide awake or in a deep sleep. Last week while having a friendly visit, my oldest and dearest friend, Kathleen,  reminded me. She said that she was recently thinking about her many visits to my parent’s home when we were growing up, and how funny my dad was. My Dad was the BEST kind of funny – the kind that has no clue how funny they really are. Anyway, Dad started work VERY EARLY in the morning, so it was "lights out" in our house (for him, anyway) usually between 7pm and 8pm. My friends were well aware of our house rules, and the phone would NEVER ring after that time (if it did – it was usually a bad sign and was a true emergency.) However, every once in a while I would have a friend over in the evening – hanging out, watching a movie, playing cards, doing whatever.

Side note: You know how when someone does something regularly as just part of their routine, they don’t realize how odd it might be? Until someone who doesn’t see it very often might come by and look at them like they have two heads? Like, my brother-in-law … he likes to pour coffee into his cereal in the morning. To me, that’s a little odd. To him, that’s pretty normal.

Anyway, I digress . . . back to my friends hanging out at my parents home in the evening. So, usually my Dad would already be asleep, and my friends would come over. We would be in the middle of watching a movie, when all of a sudden Dad (from 2 floors above us) would yell out, “Jesus, Mary and Joseph!” and my friend would jump and say, “What was that?”

“Huh?” I’d reply.

“That yelling? What was that?” they’d say.

“Oh, I didn’t hear anything.” I’d answer.

“You didn’t hear that? You didn’t hear your Dad yell out? Is he ok?” they’d always say.

“Oh, was it ‘Jesus, Mary and Joseph’?” I’d ask.

“YES!” they’d answer.

”Oh, yes, that’s just my Dad. He’s fine. Don’t worry,” I’d say, and back I would go to the movie.

Yes, Dad was always exclaiming. He was also very fond of yelling at Cubs players during the game, news anchors during the news, and flies or spiders he couldn’t catch. He’d yell at washing machines and dishwashers that might be misbehaving, furnaces and plugged up sinks. He’d even “exclaim” to Alex Trebek on Jeopardy (every day at 3pm), if the feeling hit him. Yes, Dad had a lot to say. Whatever it was, I loved hearing it. Because, as I said, Dad was the best kind of funny. . . and he made me laugh quite often.

How about you? Any exclamation habit in your day to day routines? I’d love to know. . .