Shut up or I’ll pop you in the mouth.

My brother shares his stories from his visit with my parents.

After a couple of drinks, my mom often starts making statements over and over like, “I’ve never been here before,” referring to the club she has attended three nights a week for two decades. Before I know it, I’ve responded, “No mom, you come here all the time.” She immediately responds with “prove it!” in a condescending and mistrusting tone.

After the fifth rendition, I decide to turn the tables and say to my mom, “This is my first time, so I cannot know if this is your first visit either.” She then responds, “That is not true, you come here all the time with us.” I say “Prove it.” She then says, “You better shut up or I’ll pop you in the mouth!”

I respond strongly telling her, if she doesn’t calm down I will take her outside and put her in the car (just like when we were children and were unruly in public). I find that treating her like a child helps to break her mean and unruly streak. Calculated.