Reply to The term orphan

Forum Index » Relationship Discussion (non-explicit)

Reply to "The term orphan"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Recently some adult friends of mine called themselves orphans, and I suppose they are, as they’ve lost both of their parents. But …. They are in their 50s and 60s. And  lost their mum only in the last 5 years (father in last 10-20 years).

I was taken aback at the term. Do adults call themselves orphans? I have no experience, I have both of my parents still. But I always thought of orphans as children.[/quote]

This is a deeply offensive term, OP.

Do better.[/quote]

What is offensive here? [/quote]

Exactly. PPs are being dramatic. Offended? Because ppl want to try and express their feelings and emotions? There are several books on the topic and it's not a new trendy term and I don't think ppl who've lost their parents younger than anticipated are trying to get adopted or get attention - their simply trying to sort their emotions and grief. Yikes ppl are really losing their empathy and compassion.[/quote]

And some seem oddly inflexible in their use of language. It’s possible to be “an orphan” without “growing up as an orphan” or being “orphaned as a child”.  And it isn’t in any way a contest. The truly odd part of this is that most of the people who claim to be “offended” by the term don’t seem to have the experience themselves of having lost their parents.

While it’s not a word I’d typically use, [b]it does have the advantage of being easily understood.  [/b]Both of my parents, my brother, and my extended family have died.  It really sucks having conversations with acquaintances who ask about family matters as potential icebreakers.  As in: “ So you were an only child?”  and “Well, what about cousins?”  Saying something like: “ At this point in life, I’m an orphan” is often the only way I’ve found to shut down this type of intrusively well-meant questioning.

[/quote]

The term orphan doesn't mean that you are alone in this world, with no parents, siblings or cousins.  It simply means that your parents passed away when you were a minor.

But, it does indeed have the advantage of being easily understood, but not in the way you hope.  If said you were an orphan because your parents passed away when you were an adult, I would understand two things:  that your parents have passed away, and second, in the (fantastic) words of a PP, that you are a narcissistic nutter.  [/quote]

So well said[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics