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When I was in grade school and high school I never felt any pressure to go for a particular house although Fraternity life was a common enough subject among family and friends of the family. I suppose it was taken for granted that I would follow suit since almost all the men in the family were DEKES since Noah got off the Arc. When I went to college it was suggested that I look over the whole system and see where I felt most comfortable. I did this and found that there were lots of good solid houses with guys I got along with real well, but right from the start I knew where I wanted to pledge. I suppose a lifetime of subliminal conditioning works like a charm. My only worry was that the guys might not think I was good material. I was lucky and the fit seemed to work both ways so when I got my bid I signed so fast you could hardly read my signature (not that I was anxious or anything!)
As a side thought, one thing that impressed me was that I was away from home, not clear across the country but far enough, and at initiation and a smoker/banquet later I couldn't believe how many of not only my family but my dad's friends and my grand dad's friends from (I think) six different chapters covering something like sixty five years showed up and participated. Here were my grand dad's group calling me brother and meaning it!)
Later I discovered that this is more the norm than the exception and that the network of brotherhood draws alums great distances for such events.
There is a somewhat more contentious situation among the women of the family. My mom and her sister are DZs, my sister is PiPhi, my dad's sister is PiPhi, his aunts are Thetas and Kappas, and his great aunts are PiPhis. Mom's aunts are Chi Os and her great aunt is Kappa. THis is getting confusing, but I think I got it right. Anyway its a real Greek alphabet soup and my sister felt that she was under pressure from all sides. (Actually she told me she liked the concentrated attention and damn near open warfare she caused just by going to college!)
It was a lot of fun for us, but our same age cousin ended up at a university with no Greek system so he felt a little left out and he would have been a great brother in any house.
Anyway, our parents always talked up fraternity and sorority life and wanted us to go for it, but any pressure we felt came off as positive and open to our making our own choices. Dad was happy with how things turned out but I have to believe that Mom was at least a little disappointed that her daughter didn't end up as her sister as well. But, she is happy with having a greek daughter. All in all we are very happy with the role our parents and family played in the whole process.
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