Getting Along

Can't we all just get along?" Rodney King

Rodney King's appeal to bring calm during the Watts' riots sounds simple. And his words are often quoted today.

I thought of what he said when I heard of a large family that wasn't getting along. In fact, the couple I spoke with left town to be away from the family during the holidays. Their alternative was to stay home and have to deal with the dysfunction.

Often drama like this occurs when some family members are alcoholics or addicts. And that's the case with this family. The non-addicts in the group are the ones who get away because they're tired of the drama.

The alcoholics in the family do their best to manipulate the sober ones. They use the children, the grandchildren, money and business. Anything they can to instill guilt.

But because the couple is tired of the drama, backstabbing, and infighting, they no longer care. They just want to get along - which they know won't happen.

At least until the drinking stops.

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