Is there a story your family loves to tell about something you did as a kid — one that gets retold at every gathering?

B Natural answer

I have one story that comes up constantly. When I was maybe seven, I decided I was going to catch the sunrise, because I’d heard adults talk about it like it was this magical event. So at 4:30 in the morning, I got up, put on mismatched clothes, and went around the house trying to wake everyone else. My dad thought the house was on fire. My mom found me in the hallway with a flashlight, a blanket, and a very serious face. I had even decided the kitchen floor would be the best place to wait, so I ended up trying to sleep on the floor next to the back door. In my mind, I was being responsible and patriotic, or something like that. In reality, I was just a half-awake child causing chaos. My brother says I was drag everyone out of bed like I was the boss of the family. It still gets retold because it’s such a vivid example of how I used to miss the joke and take everything way too seriously.

Key phrases in this answer

• sleep on the floor — lie down and rest directly on the floor“I was so tired that I tried to sleep on the floor by the door.”
• drag everyone out of bed — wake people up and make them get up, usually forcefully or annoyingly“I dragged everyone out of bed because I wanted them to see the sunrise.”
• miss the joke — fail to understand what is funny or implied“I missed the joke and took the whole thing seriously.”
• take things literally — understand words in the most exact, non-figurative way“As a kid, I used to take things literally and miss the joke.”
• put myself in charge — act like the leader or decision-maker“I was only five, but I tried to put myself in charge of the cake.”
• packed a suitcase — put clothes or belongings into a suitcase for travel“I packed a suitcase and announced I was running away.”