My mother was histrionic and became much worse as she got older. She was always accident prone, too, which I think was a way of getting attention, and after her accidents she became the long-suffering drama queen. How many people do you know that break their ankle by tripping on a dog bone? She had accidents like that constantly.
She would tease people that she perceived as weaker unmercifully in a really mean way and she would have this almost manic gleam in her eye. After I left for college, she started saying FU*K or Fu*king constantly at the top of her lungs. Iit was embarrassing to go anywhere with her because she talked loudly and gestured dramatically....
complete with multiple swear words. We could be in the store buying apples and the apples became the "F apples" in the "F store" that we had to drive four "F miles to get to, F it." One time she used the F word six times in one sentence.
When meeting new people she would stiffen into almost a military posture and talk to them very authoritatively..very primly and properly, dropping the bad language. She also smoked and didn't care if a place had No Smoking rules...they didn't apply to her, so whereever she went, she left a trail of ashes and fumes. She also overdressed, wore way too much makeup and dripped jewelry .She had money but absolutely excrable taste. She ran around the house in a short transparent nightgown...not a pretty sight. She also did the farting, noseblowing thing and would use the bathroom and not shut the door. For years my biggest fear was becoming like my mother.
Well, it hasn't happened, thank God.
My father was withdrawn. As a self-hating Jew, he did not want to be seen as pushy or bombastic and hated any show of effusion. His mother was the same way. I was constantly told not to be "pushy" because people might take it the wrong way. My dad was very shut down and depressed unless he had been drinking and then he was abusive. However, my dad liked to hang around the house in his underwear and was a class A farter, belcher and noseblower, as well as a chomper at the table. I am sure my dad married my mom because he saw her as warm and expressive....little did he know what forms her expression would take.
My mom probably married my dad because his family was wealthy and elegant...and little did she know Mr Elegant would be hanging around the house in his skivvies.
Anyway, I had very few friends over and when I was home I spent most of my time in my room with the door closed.
I have a good friend who is very histrionic and I love him dearly. He is gay and he admits he is a "flaming drama queen." He loves drag, but doesn't cross-dress now that he is older and, as he says, "Too heavy. Muu muus make me look stupid. I wanna be stylin', not dressed like some frump." I make jewelry and when he comes over he loves to try it on and flounce around in it, saying,"Oh, I feel so pretty." It's hysterically funny because he is tall and weighs over 300 lbs! My daughter and my husband also adore him. I can spend hours with him and his drama doesn't bother me at all.
