Turn Off The TV

“Turn off the TV, dinner is on the table and it is getting cold,” says Mrs. BB for the second time.

This is the familiar cry of parents in households around the world trying to get their children to the dinner table.

Unfortunately in Mrs. BB’s case, this is the familiar cry of children trying to get their parents to the dinner table.

We spend many weekends together as a family in Norway. At this time of year we are in the mountains. There is often a family crowd, but last weekend there was just the four of us.

Mrs. BB’s parents are coming to retirement age and have ‘put in their time’. As such, we undertake most of the domestic duties, providing them with a bit of relief. Cooking dinner is my job, getting them to the table is hers.

They arrive at the table. They are both fidgety and eat fast. Grand Prix, the Norwegian finals of the Eurovision Song Contest is on television in 15 minutes (if you are not from a small country in Europe, you’ll have no idea of the enormity of this event).

They ask to be excused from the table and run back to the television.

Mrs. BB and I sit at the dinner table finish our wine, musing at how they are getting older in front of our very eyes.

We are interrupted by shouts demanding we come and see the band on TV. It is a Norwegian heavy metal band.

My mother-in-law is standing in front of the TV jumping up and down, headbanging and playing air guitar. My father-in-law has a cheeky smile on his face and is shaking his head.

Mrs. BB and I retire back to the table to carry on our adult conversation. It is going to be a busy year with all of the activities we have planned for them.

Life has come almost full circle.

Beaverboosh