Asthmatica History

My mother is trying to insist my asthma came from her father. She says he had it. I knew him pretty far into my adulthood, until I was almost 30. And I never once heard her, him or anyone else refer to his asthma. I knew he'd had emphysema, and had part of a lung removed from cancer, but not this.

On my dad's side though, it's chockablock filled with crazy asthmatics. I remember being a very impressionable 11 years old and arriving with my father and a friend to my aunt's house before we went to a movie. The movie idea was scratched, once they had to carry my other aunt Carolyn out of the house. She'd turned a weird blue around the lips. It was scary. All the adults rushed out, leaving my friend and I alone with my weird cousin Kevin.

But I didn't contradict my mother. I'm allowing her to believe it's inherited from her side of the family when it genuinely does not matter. It's a useful skill I picked up, allowing others around me to spout ridiculous things I could easily debunk if I cared enough.

Frankly, to quote Rhett Butler, sort of, I don't give a damn. Life is a lot more pleasant when you allow others to hold silly views, and you don't stress over it. You know where that thing likely came from, or the truth behind their facade.

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