Don’t go. Cousins are ignorable without penalty.
The anti-social choice is the clear winner.
Cousins? No way. You don’t have to do anything for cousins, unless you grew up together or something. I mean you should be civil and maybe talk to them when you see them at family gatherings. But go to a christening? Stricly optional. I wouldn’t go.
No, don’t go. Bahimiron, what the hell are you thinking, you don’t have to go that stupid ass wedding.
I have to ask why seeing a cousin 3 times a year isn’t close enough to go to this. That seems pretty frequent for a cousin.
Also, how far away is it?
Go if convenient, dole out the usual pleasantries, excuse yourself early citing “prior commitments.”
- Alan
Certainly go. Family ties like this one may prove useful in the future. You don’t want to be remembered as the “bad cousin that didn’t even go to the Christening.”
It’s just a few hours of your time, and it’ll make the baby’s parents happy to see a ton of people there. If your mom is going, you don’t even have to drive.
The girls were cousins. No one was a cousin to the guy. Also, if any member of this ensemble were Tina Fey, I’d be ditching my girl for her. :(
It’s a million dollar wedding being held in Newport, RI at one of the mansions. I’m going to go if only to see how the other half lives. Maybe I’ll assure people that I know Tom Chick and Thierry Nguyen, so everyone will think I’m a celebrity.
Boston. Which is hardly a small town (I come from Kansas) but I’m constantly surprised by how often I’m walking down the street and either myself or my girlfriend will run into someone we know.
The head and the hair
My girlfriend’s response:
So there you go. No need for a poll for me!
Yeah, but you’re not a supertaster.
Dude, rich people in Rhode Island don’t play games. Are you crazy? Don’t tell them that! They will kick you out!!
Besides making some statement about yourself to your family (Yes! Yes! In the face!), why would you not go? It seems to me that an event like this is mildly more important to family members than, say, a summer picnic.
We need more information (or at least I do.) Did your cousin really want you to come or did she politely invite you because your mother asked if you were invited? Or did your cousin feel she needed to invite you because she was inviting your mother? Do you and your cousin share an embarrasing secret regarding “teenage experimentation”? Is your cousin hot in a “oh yeah, even after a baby” kind of way?
If this was a legitimate invitation I’d probably go. If it’s a “oh yeah, of course he can come too (gag!)” thing then don’t go.
I’d normally go for the reasons fire gave. Also, I like going to pointless family gatherings, especially if there’s booze (which I know you don’t like, extar), because I’m really, really good at getting liquored up and making awesome impressions at these sorts of events for some reason, and I usually have fun in the process.
But if it’s one of those “of course he can come too!” deals with your mom and you don’t think there’s any way you can do any of the above (having any sort of fun and/or talking up your relatives), then there’s little harm in citing some made-up prior engagement (but make it good!) and not going.
Go, there is a good chance that you and one of your cousins will outlive your siblings and parents. Your cousins will be your only blood relatives at that point.
Bolded for ownage.
Bumping to note that I am currently, as I type, in Newport at the reception for the aforementioned wedding. As such, I hope that extarbgs went to the confirmation or first communion or whatever ‘fucking thing’ it was this thread was originally about.
I’m grudgingly heading out to go to some fucking thing that my wife is making me go to right now.
But, I take heart in the knowledge that I’ll be able to go buy Rock Band 2 at walmart at midnight.
Gah, as I typed that, I realized that means I’m excited about going to walmart. I am diminished.
I’m going out on a date. It is definitely a fucking thing that I am about to do.