So, you just got word that your conservative relative is coming to Thanksgiving. Y’know, the one who keeps posting those outrageous stories on Facebook and refuses to listen to the facts? They don’t want to hear that Trump’s lies have been debunked time and time again, or that his trade wars are hurting our farmers. You’ve tried to talk some sense into them and explain that Trump’s health care plan would spell disaster for Minnesotans, but it’s been no use.
Uff-da! That could be a recipe for an awkward family dinner. Luckily, you can keep the peace and have a happy holiday with some classic Minnesota Nice strategies.
“Ope, I’m just gonna sneak past ya and _____.”
Need to gracefully exit a frustrating conversation? This is where the “ope” is essential. You can say, “Ope, just gonna sneak past ya and see if aunt Lena needs some help in the kitchen,” or “Ope, I think I left my headlights on. Just gonna sneak past ya and turn ’em off.” You can “ope” your way out of practically any uncomfortable situation.
“That’s interesting.”
If you can’t leave the conversation, there’s “that’s interesting:” Minnesota’s original “OK Boomer.” It’s for when you have a counterargument, but it’s just not worth getting into, because the person you’re talking to won’t want to hear it anyway. If your relative is trying to bait you with a wild far-right opinion, all you have to do is nod and say, “that’s interesting,” and then move on. Simple. Efficient. Minnesota Nice.
Talk about the weather
How about this windchill, huh? Are the roads bad with the snow? It’s not too cloudy; you think we’ll be able to see some stars tonight? The weather is one subject that Minnesotans can talk about forever. Your relative won’t even be thinking about politics because they’ll be too busy telling the story of where they were during the Halloween Blizzard of 1991 (again).
Put on some Prince
And crank it up! It’s hard to have an argument when everybody is singing along to “Purple Rain.”
Round up the kids for a game of Duck, Duck, Grey Duck
Ditch the adults altogether. Your little nephews, nieces, and cousins are probably bored of watching reruns of holiday movies, anyway. Sit them all down in a circle and show them how to play the ONLY CORRECT VERSION of this classic game. Oh, fer fun!
When all else fails, just eat.
Sorry, can’t talk! This wild rice hot dish is just so DELICIOUS!
Happy holidays!
