To curb my parent's chat under their roof?

[Masterofkarateandfriendship]

Feeling like a total bitch for being annoyed by this right now, but it's getting to the point where visits to my childhood home with my partner (who is not local to my hometown) are really tough. My parents are lovely, generous, caring people in their 70's and live in the small community in which I was brought up. They are both originally from big cities but have lived here for most of their married life. The dinner table chat almost always reverts to chat about locals and what they're up to - not usually funny tales, but generally a monologue about the who's who of the area, gossip and is generally completely unrelatable to my partner who has never met any of the people they're talking about. I try so hard to divert the conversation and find something of interest that doesn't involve talking about local people. My sister (whose husband is also not local) and I have been fighting this losing battle for years. I love my parents but I could cry at the lack of chat and rather than appreciating the time I have left with them, I feel that the only thing I am learning from this is what I don't want to be like when I'm older. Question is....should I say something to try to instigate different.conversation or should we all just carry on as we are

I do get it, I just miss it, I don't care about the conversation, just the contact.

I think if elderly people are a bit dull and repetitive that’s not so bad and goes with the territory. Unfortunately my mother can make very hurtful, spiteful comments when you least expect it. You’re having a nice conversation and suddenly she’ll throw in a remark that just cuts me to the quick. My grandmother was like that too. I hope to God I’m not like that when I’m older. There’s an awful lot of unresolved stuff under the surface in my family.

I do get it, I just miss it
Well you are a better woman than me Susan. Nothing makes me feel so bad as trying to have a conversation with my mother or father.