The Cool Mom

I have started re-watching “The Cosby Show” – introducing my daughter to the classics- and I am realizing how different it is to watch this show, that I loved so much as a kid, now as an adult. I felt the same way watching “thirtysomething” after I got married and became a thirtysomething. When I watched them before, they were enjoyable, but all the relationships were sort of theory. I didn’t really have anything to compare them to. Now I am seeing where I got some of my habits, my sayings and some of my values. My daughter laughed out loud when Claire Huxtable was sternly warning Vanessa about something or other. She said, “Mom that is soooo you.” I took that as a compliment since I think she was the most realistic mom on TV, in the way that she dealt with her children. She lost her temper sometimes and grumbled under her breath about them, but she also managed to be there for them in gentle ways too. She was not their best friend; she was their mother.
It is hard because sometimes I want to be the “cool mom”, but I always remember that my mom was never afraid to be the bad guy and I loved her for it later. Sometimes it even worked to my advantage. I was what some would call a bit of a goody-two-shoes in high school. I had fun, but never did the hard partying or anything. I was invited to a few parties that I knew would be a little wilder than I was comfortable with but didn’t want to look like the stick in the mud. She would always tell me to, “Blame me. Just say I wouldn’t let you go.” So I did. She didn’t care if she was the “Cool Mom” to my friends or not- and that is what made her cool in the long run. True rebels define themselves.

Memories- mmmm mmmm good

The former glory of what is now known as "The Warehouse District" - first scene at 4th and Colorado, 24th street by campus as showcased in "Slacker". Austin still has some weird, but this was definitely the end of an era. Go rent the whole thing!

11/5/08

I woke up this morning and had to remind myself it was real. And when Lily woke up this morning, her first words were, “Did he win?” It meant so much to hear her say that, not because she likes Barack Obama, because she is just following her parents on that, but that she is interested. She was fascinated with all the results flashing across the screen last night and was full of questions.

I don’t really know how to describe my feelings today. I have already held back tears more times than I will admit. I would have been happy to have this man elected if his skin was any color of the rainbow cause I think he is the best man for the job at hand. We have to admit, though, that it is especially significant that he is a man who, just about 150 years ago, could have been considered property by some people. Last night, seeing Jesse Jackson, a man who was with Martin Luther King, Jr. the day he died, nearly breaking down watching Obama’s victory speech (I am sure with a mixture of pride and some sadness too that he was born just a little too soon) was more than I could handle. This morning watching an impromptu recitation of “I Rise” by a burstingly proud Maya Angelou was something I will always remember, and finally, seeing Donna Brazile note that President-elect Obama will take the Oath of Office on steps that were built by slaves who could have never imagined this event - all of these things reminded me that we are now a part of history- for real.

Now comes the hard part, but we can do it. (Come on, you know the rest.)

To quote Ice Cube

Today was a good day.