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Relatively Annoying

Album: 39: Friends, Family, and Countrymen

Episode: 476

Lesson/Theme: Getting Along With People

Bible Verse: 2 Peter 2:17; Leviticus 19:32

Characters: Alex

Writer: Marshal Younger

Sound Designer: Jonathan Crowe

Original Air Date: November 24, 2001

Last Air Date: November 9, 2009

Description:
There are many kinds of torture. Some are painful physically. Some are painful mentally. Some are awful and some are bearable. But for Alex Jefferson, there can't be a worse torture than staying a week at his grandparents' house. Not only does his Grandpa take away his videogame, fix a crack in the TV with duct tape, and call him by the wrong name, both of his grandparents talk about nothing but death and disgusting things (like toenails in food and sick friends). One day in the midst of his total boredom, a man shows up at the door offering to buy the land the house sits on. Grandma tries to ignore the man, but Alex finds out that he wants to buy the land for 350 thousand dollars! Alex is stunned. He tells his grandma that she could live in a nicer house and even go to Alaska like she's always dreamed. Grandma says it's a closed issue and insists that he mustn't tell his grandfather. Later that day, Grandma gets a call from a friend. Grandpa's friend George has died. Grandpa is bewildered for a moment, but then says he needs to go on a walk. Alex follows him as he goes through the woods and digs up a box. After scolding Alex for following him, Grandpa shows him the contents of the box. It's a bunch of items that Grandpa and his friends put together. Now Grandpa is the only one still alive. Grandpa wonders what he should do with his life and Alex accidentally spills that Grandma got an offer to sell the house. Grandpa can't believe she wouldn't tell him and storms back to the house. Grandpa slams open the front door and demands an explanation. He gets one. Grandma tells him that he can't leave. This is his home! He's lived here for decades and it would kill him to leave. Then Grandpa has a revelation of his own (even though he didn't mean to say it). They're going to Alaska, just like Grandma wanted! That evening at dinner, Alex decides that he's going to live through the week after all. And maybe he understands his grandparents just a little better.

Questions:
Have you ever had to stay somewhere that you didn't feel comfortable? How should Alex have acted differently toward his grandparents at the beginning of the show? Alex said that he understood his grandparents a little better. Why do you think he understood them more? How can knowing someone more help us lead to a better friendship with them?