Katie and Travis 6: Maturing Faster than Carlin

[CanadianMamam]

My parents were 17 and 18 when they started marrying and married at 22 and 24. My mom constantly told me that she didn't want me to settle down that young. I was 23 when I started dating my husband and 26 (almost 27 when we got married). 

I was definitlry not ready for marirage at 19. I wasn't even ready for a serious relationship. 

[lumpentheologie]

If a 20 year old in my life got married I would assume there was a pregnancy. And to be honest I’d still be surprised they’d get married because of that. 20 is a lot younger than average these days. 

[Tdoc72]

On 6/30/2023 at 6:48 AM, llucie said:

Seems like saying he doesnt consider flirting with other girls cheating and that he has considered divorcing Katie has sitted well with the fans...

He even had to put up an explanation/apology up. I do think people are over reacting but they clearly dont know their audience if they thought that was going to go well.

Did they edit the divorce part out?  I didn’t see it. I saw the flirting part—I took it as he doesn’t flirt and doesn’t do anything when someone flirts with him (he’s not interested or doesn’t pay attention) but Katie doesn’t like it all. I thought she was a little over the top about it, having to announce her married status and flash her ring. 

[JDuggs]

10 minutes ago, Tdoc72 said:

Did they edit the divorce part out?  I didn’t see it. 

I didn’t see it either. I thought I just spaced out for a few seconds.

The most interesting part to me is that Travis used to sell mattresses over the phone.

[Tangy Bee]

I really appreciate their honesty. Not easy admitting that maybe it's sometimes good to wait. I wish someone would ask what it was like kissing and touching for the first time. Not being creepy about it. I like a good romantic story every now and then.I'm still pissed that Katie couldn't get a huge hug from Travis when they got engaged.  I think it's Travis's church that recommends no touch dating. There are several couples that follow the Clarks, that I've noticed had the same identical relationship/engagement. They all attend the same church.

[JermajestyDuggar]

8 minutes ago, Tangy Bee said:

I really appreciate their honesty. Not easy admitting that maybe it's sometimes good to wait. I wish someone would ask what it was like kissing and touching for the first time. Not being creepy about it. I like a good romantic story every now and then.I'm still pissed that Katie couldn't get a huge hug from Travis when they got engaged.  I think it's Travis's church that recommends no touch dating. There are several couples that follow the Clarks, that I've noticed had the same identical relationship/engagement. They all attend the same church.

I think their church/school/college is a mini cult. 

[GuineaPigCourtship]

My husband and I got married when we were 26/28 and I still thought about divorce every time we got into a fight - "how could I have a family with this man?!" for the first couple of years.  We figured out how to argue productively and rarely do it now anyway because we also figured out how to communicate better before getting into a fight.  I think that's really normal for a lot of people.

[JermajestyDuggar]

I might be completely weird but I thought about divorce only a couple of times in my marriage. And it was just fleeting. It was never a serious thought. Now with my first boyfriend from the age of 18-21? God we broke up so much and got back together again a few days later. So immature. I know how different things were in my relationships once I grew up a bit. I think that’s Katie and Travis. They are still so young and immature. 

[front hugs > duggs]

Until I got my depression treated, my mind would head to divorce upon fighting or being disappointed by something. I also personally don’t believe in using untreated depression as an excuse for cheating (I know someone who did), but I can see how in a dark place your head can get there. Luckily, I was able to recognize that I needed help, and with years of therapy and eventually medication, I can rationally work through those difficult situations. 

[CaptainFunderpants]

I watched their latest two videos so you don't have to... Keep in mind, I actually usually like their content, but the 4th of July video was boring/annoying. There was wayyy too much Hailey content and them cooing at her. We get it. You have a baby and you strive to be good parents. She's very cute. Congrats. Less of you talking babytalk to her on camera, please.

The Travis Burnt his hands video... He apparently actually did burn his hands sliding down a rope. Everyone on Reddit was in firm agreement that he was holding a firework and something went wrong and typical boys being idiots shit.

It was still boys being idiots, but... Maybe the most WTF part of the video was Travis noting that he'd never climbed a rope before. He attended an actual school, and so this absolutely shocked me. At my elementary school the rope climb was optional, but most tried it.

Ellie is now one of the many fundie maidens doing the timeless tradition of using way too much self tanner.

Now the Clarks are off to Ohio to sing with Travis's family.

Oh and they're debating deck or concrete slab for their backyard, and asking for youtube comments on the subject. The most upvoted comment currently is neither; they should do a screened in porch, but everyone seems otherwise in agreement that deck over slab, which, yeah, definitely. Backyard slabs are drab.

[WatchingTheTireFireBurn]

There was no rope at any school I ever attended. I always kinda thought it was a "school on TV" thing not anything anybody actually did at a real school. Like having a whole food court in your high school and stuff.

 

[JermajestyDuggar]

I never care if a back yard has a concrete slab or deck. All I care about is SHADE. I refuse to be in a back yard without shade. If you don’t have a big shady tree, then make sure you at least have a large awning. I refuse to bake myself and squint when I’m outside. It’s not enjoyable. 

[backyard sylph]

We were forced to try the rope climb twice a year every year in elementary school. I never succeeded. 

[nvmbr02]

20 minutes ago, backyard sylph said:

We were forced to try the rope climb twice a year every year in elementary school. I never succeeded. 

Same. 

[clueliss]

For me it was junior high and also nope, never got up it at all despite folks telling me it’s not about pulling.  I’m not mentally coordinated for that activity 

[Hazelbunny]

We had to go up ropes and bars/poles (or whatever those things are called) in high school. I actually preferred the rope to the poles... took up climbing in 11th grade as extracurricular activity... everybody thought I had completely lost it.... but I really enjoyed it. 

[WatchingTheTireFireBurn]

huh. I had no idea people actually did that! Did you have a bunch of gym mats under? or harness so you didn't crash down?  I don't remember doing anything much in gym besides running around the field over and over and doing various team sports where I was always picked last. And I think once a year they did some presidential challenge type thing where you had to measure your flexibility with a ruler and trying to touch your toes....which I was always the most unflexible. We never did stretches or anything so I always thought it was weird that we then measured flexibility. We never worked on it! Years later I did bellydance and spent several years being able to easily touch my toes after believing for so long I was just not flexible and not sporty at all. Turns out I have that ability but it was untouched for 30 years!

[gobucks]

7 minutes ago, WatchingTheTireFireBurn said:

huh. I had no idea people actually did that! Did you have a bunch of gym mats under? or harness so you didn't crash down?  I don't remember doing anything much in gym besides running around the field over and over and doing various team sports where I was always picked last. And I think once a year they did some presidential challenge type thing where you had to measure your flexibility with a ruler and trying to touch your toes....which I was always the most unflexible. We never did stretches or anything so I always thought it was weird that we then measured flexibility. We never worked on it! Years later I did bellydance and spent several years being able to easily touch my toes after believing for so long I was just not flexible and not sporty at all. Turns out I have that ability but it was untouched for 30 years!

We had to learn square dancing and how to calculate bowling scoring!

Katie and Travis are in Cincinnati this weekend to sing at a Baptist church. 

[WatchingTheTireFireBurn]

1 minute ago, gobucks said:

We had to learn square dancing and how to calculate bowling scoring!

Katie and Travis are in Cincinnati this weekend to sing at a Baptist church. 

I've heard of tv shows making fun of learning square dancing. Wow. never thought that was real either. And what in the world was the utility of bowling scoring?? You surely didn't have a bowling court at your school???? although I'm starting to wonder did I just attend a school with terrible PE/Gym (large suburban middle class area)

I specifically took up playing cello, having had no interest in playing an instrument before, because you got out of PE twice a week in elementary school. 

[gobucks]

I guess in the 1980s, they thought bowling scoring was necessary. We took a field trip to a bowling alley! 

[JermajestyDuggar]

I remember learning square dancing in jr high gym class. It was so awkward. But it was kind of fun too. 

[Jana814]

23 minutes ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

I remember learning square dancing in jr high gym class. It was so awkward. But it was kind of fun too. 

I had to learn square dancing in 6th grade. It was taught by the gym teacher from the lower grade elementary school in my town. He hated me in Kindergarten & hated me even more in 6th grade. He was the reason I hated PE for my entire school career. 

[nvmbr02]

2 hours ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

I remember learning square dancing in jr high gym class. It was so awkward. But it was kind of fun too. 

We did this in Jr. High too. In high school we had options for PE so I chose girls Aerobics one year and weight training another. 

[fluffernutter]

4 hours ago, gobucks said:

I guess in the 1980s, they thought bowling scoring was necessary. We took a field trip to a bowling alley! 

My kids all had bowling in gym class 🤣, and this was from 2010-2020. 

[Zebedee]

4 hours ago, WatchingTheTireFireBurn said:

I specifically took up playing cello, having had no interest in playing an instrument before, because you got out of PE twice a week in elementary school. 

I wish we could do that here (well, UK, when I was still at school!). I hated PE with a passion. I probably did 1 year out of the 7 compulsory years between 11 and 18 (and one term, I did golf, in the 6th form...) I started secondary school with a broken wrist, thank fuck - first gym lesson involved lining everyone up and making them do the vaulting horse (with or without a cartwheel on the horse). Only I and one other girl had never done this before (all the others had been at private schools with actual gymnasitcs classes, and most of them knew each other too, or had taken after school classes). I was so glad I was off sick. The teacher didn't even demonstrate it - just a trampette, and a full size vaulting horse, and off you go... Also, the biggest waste of time ever - the class went through 1.5 times, then off to change back into normal clothes. But as the second lesson of our first day at the school ever - the mean sporty people got to find out who "their" people were, and the PE teachers got to find out who their targets would be for the next few years. Great teaching skills...

Luckily, after my plaster was off, and the PE teachers thought that I should immediately be able to climb ropes, play hockey (again, only me and one other had never played hockey before) despite not having used my wrist for two months, I immediately damaged a tendon in the just healed wrist, and was off games for years. Like, OT over the summer holidays for three years, ultrasound therapy weekly for 2 years, not able to write etc etc. Of course, I also couldn't play the piano or the flute (which were private lessons my mother actually paid for...) which sucked. I loved my flute teacher and my lessons. Every time I got some functionality back, they tried to force me to do PE. I had doctor's letters galore (and looking back, a lot of my aversion came from social anxiety because of the awful way the PE teachers "taught" and bullied the non-sporty people; that is irrelevant though) - 2 or 3  different doctors writing "no sport" letters trumps any PE teacher, whether it's my GP and the specialists I saw for treatment - or a psychiatrist writing it. I also then fucked up the tendon in my other wrist, after trying not to use my right too much. So that was another few years off.

I admit I stretched it out, should've only had 4 years off, not six, lol! And my music teachers scheduled all my piano/singing lessons for PE, which helped. I then had a lot of "headaches" and the nun in charge of sick bay loved me, so she'd just let me sleep over PE classes when I wasn't off. I also learned to fake my mum's signature for off games letters (and knew she'd back me up). Honestly, it wasn't good for me to get away with quite so much, but with the sadistic nature of most of our PE teachers, their petty little attempts to get the others to bully and exclude the less sporty people, and their utter inability to teach anything, I have no regrets. Except that it took me until my late 30s to even contemplate going to a swimming pool, where I find I actually enjoy it (no, as an 11 y.o. having to jump into a deep pool from a diving board or being relegated to the shallow end strangely didn't teach me to swim. Nor did having a woman in a tracksuit shout at me and blow a whistle - or the walks back with wet hair in winter, the resultant ear infections, and the being back too late to actually get to the music lessons that my mother paid for.

Oops, sorry about the massive rant, there. 25 years since I left school and the PE teachers still give me nightmares (other than that, I absolutely adored school from 4-18, and have nothing but respect and fond memories of almost every teacher!) Still wish we could have swapped sport for music, though. We did do a couple of terms of square dancing for some reason in 1989 in my village primary school - no idea why, in deepest darkest Cambridgeshire that square dancing was a thing - but it was, and was actually fun!