"Family is very important to me." One hears that a lot, eh? One hears it said by people who apparently believe it sets them apart in some laudable way. But for whom is that not true? A quite slender segment of the populace, yes? (I happen to be in that segment, but let's leave that for another time.) I'd estimate that a full 95% of Americans, if presented with "Is family very important to you?", would respond in the reflexively affirmative. So why, why, why must if be said so often, and more importantly why must it be said with such smug sanctimony? An attachment to one's mother is not cause for unctuous preening!