Grandma Texts Wrong Teen for Thanksgiving, Now They'll Eat Together
November 17, 2016 5:56 PM Subscribe
A teenager from Arizona will be breaking bread with strangers this Thanksgiving after someone's Grandma invited him via wrong text message... "I said, 'Hey, why not ask for a plate since the offer was still there,'" Jamal said.
The woman answered, "Of course you can. That's what grandmas do ... feed everyone."
This is greatest. I have been so sad reading messages from people who can't or won't go home this year because of political differences. I wish I could invite random people to my mom's little studio.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 6:17 PM on November 17, 2016 [9 favorites]
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 6:17 PM on November 17, 2016 [9 favorites]
Not sure I'd go to a random grandma's house, but kudos to him for his bravery.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 6:29 PM on November 17, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 6:29 PM on November 17, 2016 [5 favorites]
I wish I could invite random people to my mom's little studio.
This kinda reminds me of surfing, and hosting surfers, on CouchSurfing. You can specify 'no couch available, just want to hang out' as I recall.
posted by RolandOfEld at 6:37 PM on November 17, 2016
This kinda reminds me of surfing, and hosting surfers, on CouchSurfing. You can specify 'no couch available, just want to hang out' as I recall.
posted by RolandOfEld at 6:37 PM on November 17, 2016
Random acts of Grandma are the best
posted by the uncomplicated soups of my childhood at 6:38 PM on November 17, 2016 [42 favorites]
posted by the uncomplicated soups of my childhood at 6:38 PM on November 17, 2016 [42 favorites]
This is the best. I'm so happy these two bumped into each other and the story was shared, especially with all of the divisiveness lately.
posted by Fig at 6:53 PM on November 17, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Fig at 6:53 PM on November 17, 2016 [2 favorites]
That's what awesome is made of.
posted by Alexandra Kitty at 6:54 PM on November 17, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Alexandra Kitty at 6:54 PM on November 17, 2016 [1 favorite]
When you get old enough, being nice to others just sort of rises to the top. Perhaps something to look forward to...
posted by jim in austin at 7:12 PM on November 17, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by jim in austin at 7:12 PM on November 17, 2016 [4 favorites]
When I saw this I kind of wondered if either party suddenly felt a quiet sense of ".....what have I done...", whether or not they would ever admit to it. Maybe that's just me and my deep fear of strangers (thanks AskMe).
posted by bleep at 7:17 PM on November 17, 2016 [9 favorites]
posted by bleep at 7:17 PM on November 17, 2016 [9 favorites]
When you get old enough, being nice to others just sort of rises to the top.
This hilarious joke just made my day!
posted by snofoam at 7:19 PM on November 17, 2016 [29 favorites]
This hilarious joke just made my day!
posted by snofoam at 7:19 PM on November 17, 2016 [29 favorites]
I'm glad she didn't duck out on the offer, and I'm glad he was Ask enough to ask.
And... this wouldn't be a GMA story if she weren't white and he weren't black. There is no ducking around this and there shouldn't be. There are lots of interracial families in this country where grandparents look really different from their grandkids, but somehow it still helps make it newsworthy when they do. This makes me sad.
posted by rtha at 7:24 PM on November 17, 2016 [30 favorites]
And... this wouldn't be a GMA story if she weren't white and he weren't black. There is no ducking around this and there shouldn't be. There are lots of interracial families in this country where grandparents look really different from their grandkids, but somehow it still helps make it newsworthy when they do. This makes me sad.
posted by rtha at 7:24 PM on November 17, 2016 [30 favorites]
I like how quickly and automatically she responded: "of course you can", like there couldn't possibly be any other answer.
posted by easily confused at 7:46 PM on November 17, 2016 [6 favorites]
posted by easily confused at 7:46 PM on November 17, 2016 [6 favorites]
Also wrt the race stuff-- I think it's pretty cool that both families apparently decided to have a collective thanksgiving together after this went viral, rather than the clickworthy element rtha pointed out of young black kid being rescued by nice white family. IDK. It's good to bring open-hearted people together as much as we can right now. I hope the grandmas exchanged numbers.
posted by moonlight on vermont at 9:30 PM on November 17, 2016 [26 favorites]
posted by moonlight on vermont at 9:30 PM on November 17, 2016 [26 favorites]
I kind of wondered if either party suddenly felt a quiet sense of ".....what have I done...", whether or not they would ever admit to it. Maybe that's just me and my deep fear of strangers
Yeah, the actual text-exchange reads (or plays in my mind, anyhow) like they were playing chicken.
Which is kinda great. A couple friends of mine wound up proposing to each other this way, as part of an argument:
"Well, that's bullshit. It's not as if you're about to marry me." "I wouldn't marry you? What the hell? I would totally marry you!" "Well, I'd marry you, too, so there!" "Oh yeah? Alright then, I'm calling all your friends, and telling them we're getting married!" "Fine, I'm calling all your friends -"
Which they then proceeded to do in front of each other. (One of the calls went to me; it was my first contact with the new fiancé, and he sounded kinda belligerant.) After some months went by and neither of them backed off the ledge (despite their mutual friends' incredulity), they eloped to Vegas.
Obligatory true epilogue: Yes, that was ten years ago. Yes, of course, they are still hitched, with two cats and a mortgage.
posted by feral_goldfish at 9:46 PM on November 17, 2016 [66 favorites]
Yeah, the actual text-exchange reads (or plays in my mind, anyhow) like they were playing chicken.
Which is kinda great. A couple friends of mine wound up proposing to each other this way, as part of an argument:
"Well, that's bullshit. It's not as if you're about to marry me." "I wouldn't marry you? What the hell? I would totally marry you!" "Well, I'd marry you, too, so there!" "Oh yeah? Alright then, I'm calling all your friends, and telling them we're getting married!" "Fine, I'm calling all your friends -"
Which they then proceeded to do in front of each other. (One of the calls went to me; it was my first contact with the new fiancé, and he sounded kinda belligerant.) After some months went by and neither of them backed off the ledge (despite their mutual friends' incredulity), they eloped to Vegas.
Obligatory true epilogue: Yes, that was ten years ago. Yes, of course, they are still hitched, with two cats and a mortgage.
posted by feral_goldfish at 9:46 PM on November 17, 2016 [66 favorites]
Our house is a very, very fine house with two cats in the yard, life used to be so hard,
Now everything is easy 'cause of you and our
I'll light the fire, while you place the flowers in the vase that you bought today
posted by Splunge at 5:27 AM on November 18, 2016 [3 favorites]
Now everything is easy 'cause of you and our
I'll light the fire, while you place the flowers in the vase that you bought today
posted by Splunge at 5:27 AM on November 18, 2016 [3 favorites]
Not sure I'd go to a random grandma's house, but kudos to him for his bravery.
As long as he checks for the usual warning signs (big eyes, growly voice, lots of teeth), and doesn't wear his red hoodie, it should be fine. 🐺
posted by zamboni at 5:47 AM on November 18, 2016 [41 favorites]
As long as he checks for the usual warning signs (big eyes, growly voice, lots of teeth), and doesn't wear his red hoodie, it should be fine. 🐺
posted by zamboni at 5:47 AM on November 18, 2016 [41 favorites]
My mom used to bring random people home for holidays--elderly women from church, people she met at the grocery store, the guy who washed car windows at the intersection. Some of them ended up staying with us for a while.
posted by goatdog at 6:51 AM on November 18, 2016 [8 favorites]
posted by goatdog at 6:51 AM on November 18, 2016 [8 favorites]
I love these sorts of stories. It reminds me of another one from earlier this year:
Couple Accidentally Texts Strangers About Newborn, Strangers Show Up to Congratulate Them at Hospital
posted by magstheaxe at 7:27 AM on November 18, 2016 [12 favorites]
Couple Accidentally Texts Strangers About Newborn, Strangers Show Up to Congratulate Them at Hospital
posted by magstheaxe at 7:27 AM on November 18, 2016 [12 favorites]
I dig it. I remember as a kid when the Naval Training Base was still operating in Orlando, my mom would have trainees over for Thanksgiving every year. I think she always just wanted to give those poor terrified kids a shot of some normalcy in the midst of being away from home and rebuilding their life in a new and different mold.
posted by drewbage1847 at 8:48 AM on November 18, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by drewbage1847 at 8:48 AM on November 18, 2016 [2 favorites]
I love dining with "new" friends. Every year, I send out an email to the entire company that I work for, inviting anyone who is spending the holiday alone to my house for dinner. I have had some amazing guests over the years, and a few that were a little weird. Eh. We all need to have friends during the holidays.
posted by bradth27 at 1:04 PM on November 18, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by bradth27 at 1:04 PM on November 18, 2016 [4 favorites]
That news story magstheaxe's magstheaxe found (about the strangers visiting the newborn in hospital) sure obeys rtha's Rule of Newsworthy.
Rule of Newsworthy: When African American men are accidentally invited into white family space, and everyone obeys rules of hospitality -- presents are given! food is shared! invitations are accepted, and not rescinded! -- that's newsworthy! As the news anchors tell us, "It could have gone really -- the wrong way!"
The Rules of Newsworthy are probably a lot like the Rules of Cuteness, except, you know, more directly reflective of our living in a racist society.
posted by feral_goldfish at 2:52 PM on November 18, 2016 [1 favorite]
Rule of Newsworthy: When African American men are accidentally invited into white family space, and everyone obeys rules of hospitality -- presents are given! food is shared! invitations are accepted, and not rescinded! -- that's newsworthy! As the news anchors tell us, "It could have gone really -- the wrong way!"
The Rules of Newsworthy are probably a lot like the Rules of Cuteness, except, you know, more directly reflective of our living in a racist society.
posted by feral_goldfish at 2:52 PM on November 18, 2016 [1 favorite]
Still my favorite wrong number exchange: Hell yeah, paint that girl's room blue
posted by veery at 2:33 PM on November 20, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by veery at 2:33 PM on November 20, 2016 [3 favorites]
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