Family Definition - Stubbornness

One characteristic that persists in my family, on both sides, is stubbornness. My husband can even attest to this, as he claims I am the most stubborn person he has ever met (we’ve been together for almost 20 years). This quality seems to be more evident with the females of the family, however, as the men tend to be more “laid back.”

One story that I’ve always enjoyed hearing, as told by my paternal grandmother, is regarding one of my aunts when she was in high school. Like with most schools, the students were subject to a dress code. For girls, the hem of their skirt must be long enough so that if they were to get down on their knees, the hem would touch the floor. One day my aunt was called to the office because her skirt was believed to be about an inch too short. The principal proceeded to tell her to kneel on the floor so that he may determine whether or not she was in violation of the dress code. She tried to assure him that she was in compliance and did not see the necessity of getting down on her knees. He was insistent, however, and quickly became agitated. My aunt continued to refuse, and the principal threatened to call her parents. She replied with “you’re welcome to call my parents, but I’ll tell you one thing: I only kneel before God and you sure don’t look like the Lord Jesus Christ to me!” When my grandparents arrived at the school, the principal informed them of what had transpired, and to this day it makes my grandmother laugh. Knowing my aunt, I can definitely feel sympathy for the principal (as well as for my father, who has two other sisters equally as obstinate).