MOVIE NIGHT

I need your help on this one. I am sitting here trying to ponder what just happened. I consider myself fairly strong willed and able to give my opinion when I think it is necessary, but I am stumped on this one. I would love your comment as to what exactly I did wrong.

Monday Night 5:30 p.m.

"Hello, did you have a good day at work and at school, my dear family?" "Why don't we spend some time together tonight and all of us go to a movie."

" I have been wanting to see 'The Blind Side' for a few weeks." " I heard it was great and would be a good family movie, something we could watch together." You know, create a memorable evening, maybe even give us something to discuss, something to "bond us".

Man and child, both agree, they would like to go to a movie.

However, Man would like to see "Alice" as in "Alice in Wonderland". I am 55, he is 60 child is 14, who the hell wants to see Alice in Wonderland, I didn't like it when I was little and I am pretty sure I won't like it now. Although I do have a certain fondness for Johnnie Depp in a Pirate Outfit.

I spoke up, I said, I don't want to see "Alice" is there something else? No, it doesn't appear so. therefore, they just left for "Alice" and even invited son age 26 to go, who went. Although I am sure he mostly went because he was hungry for pop corn and he knew that dad would pay.

I am sitting here trying to figure out what just happened. Did I cave in, did I forget that I was the one with the suggestion, or...even better... I realized that I could be home alone for two hours... There is something great in solitude.

I could have pushed my point, I could have thrown a fit and insisted that we go to what I wanted to go to. I have done that before, and it can be hell. In a family of all boys, and yes they are all boys age 60 on down, I have learned to pick my battles. It may have appeared as though I lost, but for the next hour and a half, I think I have won.