Genetics--You Can Run, But You Can't Hide!

My husband is a wonderful, talented man. He is my example in so many different areas. That being said, some of the things about him really make me chuckle. For instance, my friend just emailed me the pics she took from Easter since our camera didn't make the trip (I'm not going to issue any blame here--see how charitable I am?). As I was looking through the photos, the first thing I noticed were Derek's feet. Have a look for yourself.

You are probably thinking, Derek was a premier danseur (male ballerina)? I kid you not, that's the name of a male ballerina. No, Derek was never a professional dancer of any kind, he has been a sports fan all his life. He did dabble with piano for a few, short years...oh yeah, he was also in a children's singing group, but nothing in the dancing catergory. His feet stand like that ALL THE TIME.

I don't think he needs corrective surgery, although I don't know if that's ever been investigated. I suppose he prefers to think of it as an advantageous mutation. Think about it, you're at the bathroom sink, brushing your teeth and you lean over to spit--Derek's a good 2-3 inches closer than most. Or, his first love soccer. (I mean his first sports love, not his first REAL love, that's me of course). Can you imagine a soccer player that wouldn't die to be born with feet ready to kick a ball?

You know the weirdest thing? If he puts his feet together, his knees turn out a weird way. So, obviously, he was born with this situation going on. I've heard of pigeon-toed, but I don't know what you call this...

For as athletic as Derek is, you would think he would have some level of flexibility, but sadly, there is none. We stretched out together once. Okay, I stretched out and he did something that looked like he was bending half way over at the waist. I told him to really try and stretch and he said that was as far as he could go. Try this. Stand up, bend over at the waist to where your fingertips touch your knees, that's about where his flexibility stops. Now, I would say this was poor training by coaches over the years, but then I saw Derek stretching with his brothers. Now there's a whole group of men who can barely stretch. I don't know how it happened, but it did. I did hear rumor that his brother Trevor built up his stretching ability over the years and can now safely bend over and touch his ankles. I'd have to see that with my own eyes.

I have to confess that my body too has its quirks. My fingers are all messed up. Seriously, if I point, my finger bends like a weird double-jointed way. Why you may ask? I have no idea. My pinky has a weird side bend going on as well. I think my aunt is to blame for that one. Your aunt you say? Hey, I can assign blame wherever I choose. She gets it for this one.

As for my toes, the second toe and the middle toe used to cross. No joke, for several years when I was born they crossed each other. Freak! Don't talk about my grandpa that way he'll kick your bum and that's where I got that weirdness.

You want to know something else weird? I laugh a lot on my homevideos. You can hear my cackle in the background if you listen. You know who laughs just like me? My mom. That's right, she's copying me. She loves me that much. I first noticed it a couple of years ago. We laugh exactly the same. Genetic laughing? What chromosome is that one?

I know I make some people nervous because I'm a big-time detail person. Typos, incorrect word usage, the stray hair lying on your back. I'm taking it all in. Don't worry, I rarely say anything, but I'm watching. Know who else is just like that? My dad. Big deal you say? Well, I only lived with him the first year of my life, so how in the heck did that get passed on?

Wouldn't it be amazing to know all of the traits that have passed down through the various branches of our trees that make us who we are? To be able to provide credit and assign blame to ancestors for all of the many characteristics that make us individuals. How fun to see them all in one room and recognize a tiny bit of ourselves in each person we meet.