HAGD. Lunboks.

If you were to ask a random person on the street if they thought their family was normal, they'd most likely scoff at you for asking such a silly question. Then they'd probably wonder why you were being creepy and asking about their family, by which point you should probably be running away.

The point is, nobody has a normal family. This is good, however, because normal is also boring. Having an interesting – which is really just a code word for weird – family is much, much more entertaining.

One of the best things about family, especially siblings, is that over time you develop little idiosyncrasies amongst yourselves that would probably make you look insane to the outside world if the outside world wasn’t too busy being insane with their own families to notice.

Example: Our family is a big Calvin and Hobbes family. We’ve been reading it for years, and one cartoon in particular has permeated our communication methodology. In it, an alien lands in front of Calvin in a small spaceship, and Calvin promptly introduces himself by saying, “Greetings, my name is Calvin.” The alien then uses his powers/technology to take on Calvin’s appearance and says, “Gritings. Ma Nam is Kahlfin.” Calvin, seeing an opportunity in the mimicry, gives the alien his lunchbox and tells him to have a good day at school, then runs off to enjoy his newfound freedom. The alien says, “Lunboks,” and when Susie later appears on the scene, tells her to, “Hoffa Gud Tay Askool.”

My siblings and I found this cartoon hilarious, and at some point we began to put addendums onto our notes and emails to each other that were basically some variation of: “Hoffa Gud Tay. Lunboks.”

If this isn’t weird enough, “Hoffa Gud Tay” has since been shortened to HAGD. So now when I read an email from a sibling and see “HAGD. Lunboks,” I barely even notice it, where to anybody else it would seem that the sender is either a terrible speller, having a seizure, or perhaps both.

The best part is, I don’t see this weirdness ever going away, no matter how mature and responsible we all become. It’s just too fun to give up, and I sincerely believe that when we’re all in old age homes, we’ll be telling each other to hoff gud tays via whatever communication standard has since become prevalent.

How awesome is that?

Also, Bill Watterson is a genius.

Lunboks.