rebel
Sometimes I get the distinct impression that my mom is wondering when I decided to take a wrong turn at Albuquerque. Can’t say that I blame her. I grew up doing everything I was supposed to do. I got good grades, was heavily involved in extra-curricular activities, was on Youth Council for my youth group at church, went to the right college, got a degree, got married, got a job and even bought a house. Now, here I am, knocking at thirty’s door, still no babies and moving to a new town.
As a newlywed, I used to have baby fever. But something cured that. What was it? Oh yeah…babies. My friends started having them, and suddenly they weren’t quite so laid back. They were all stressed out and vomit-covered and going to bed at nine. Considering how un-laid back my life already was, throwing a baby into the mix didn’t seem like such a swell idea anymore. I used to worry about when I would jump on the baby train because a) I didn’t want to have nothing in common with my friends and b) I didn’t want my kids and I to be gumming our food and wearing diapers at the same time. But thanks to my friend Brandy’s immaculate conception, I’ve realized: if God wants me to have a baby, I will have one. In the meantime, I’m not going to sweat it.
Then there’s the whole moving thing. Now I know that, as a member of my family, I am expected to stay in this county until I am buried beneath it. After all, our family has been here since before the Civil War. But at least I’m staying in Texas. I mean, one of my great-grandfathers was one of Austin’s Old Three Hundred, so I gotta draw the line somewhere. But mom really shouldn’t be so surprised at my little detour from the plan. I come from a long line of slightly rebellious women.
Take her for instance. Not only did she go to college for a bachelor’s degree instead of an MRS degree (a rare thing at the time), she went to a traditionally all-male military college that had just started admitting women. Anyone in a skirt was a scandal. A few years later, she became one of the only female health inspectors in the county. And when I came along, she went back to work just three weeks later.
Then there’s my mom’s mom. Step one for Mee-Maw was to cut off all her hair and become a flapper. Then she left the family farm and moved to the city. She lived in a boarding house, got herself a job, and made her own way. This was in small town Texas in the 1930s and 40s, people; she was the original Mary Tyler-Moore. She met my grandfather during World War II as a single woman in her thirties. When he proposed to her, she asked that her engagement ring look like a dinner ring so that, while he was overseas, it wouldn’t hamper her dating life. She got married in her late thirties and had my mom at forty-two. She was so Hollywood.
So, as you can see, I come by it honest. In fact, I may be lame tame by comparison. However, both my mom and my grandmother got a lot milder with age, so I see a lot of normalcy in my future. I just cut off all my hair, so I guess I’m still in flapper mode.
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:46 am
I LOVE YOUR HAIR…makes me want to run right out and chop mine off TODAY!!
BTW, you are totally right about the baby thing. Number 1, when God wants you to have one you will. That’s the great thing about God. He gets things done…on His time, of course…
Number 2, having a baby definitely makes you grumpy and tired and vomit-covered and takes away life as you know it. (Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of good things about a baby, but you’re wise to notice the downside. I think I was in denial or fantasyland or something and was totally oblivious to the fact that my life might actually get worse, not better.)
Finally, I’d love to have known your Mee-Maw. She sounds like my kind of girl.
April 24th, 2008 at 7:27 am
You = awesomeness.
Also, I want to be your meemaw when I grow up. But like, now.
April 24th, 2008 at 8:45 am
Katy: Thank you! It’s rather liberating! Makes me want to shorten my skirt and do the Charleston! And I’m glad you have validated my baby theory. Of course, my friends haven’t been the most convincing advertisement for kids.
Jenny: I take after you.
Both: I would’ve loved to have met Mee-Maw before the whole marriage and kid thing settled her down
I think we would’ve had a good time 
April 24th, 2008 at 9:42 am
The hair is a good look for you.
I think my parents plan for me derailed at a much younger age.
Keep on flappin’
April 24th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
So now I feel kind of bad that I haven’t put the happy side of mommyhood out there more. True, I have to schedule free-time, true, my clothes are not as chic as once they were, but I wouldn’t trade that two-tooth smile and bounces of excitement when I so much as peek around the corner. However, I think it’s wise to do things in their season; otherwise known as “when it can be an exciting thing.”
April 24th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
Kellie: Don’t feel bad. You do more than your share of praising your boys. You are an amazing mom. You were totally born to do it. I, however, am not at the point in my life where I’d be the best mom I can be. And that would be a job I would take very seriously. I don’t want to take on that job for the wrong reasons. That isn’t fair for the baby.
April 25th, 2008 at 12:42 am
I totally want to hang out with your flapper granny! How cool was that?
Your hair=darling!
Kids? Can wait!
April 25th, 2008 at 9:06 am
I missed you last night!
April 25th, 2008 at 9:41 am
I would’ve loved to have gone! Tell Ryan to start getting me a seat, too, dang it!
April 27th, 2008 at 1:23 am
Two questions:
a) What is a dinner ring?
b) What is a flapper?
Did I ever get to meet your MeeMaw? I remember going to your grandparents’ once….
Oh-oh I think those were more than two.. hahaha
April 27th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
Melissa: Your english is so good that I sometimes forget you might not know these terms.
A dinner ring is an oversized ring with a precious or semi-precious stone in it. In this case, it was amethyst, and I wore it on my wedding day.
Here’s how Wikipedia describes a flapper, and I couldn’t have said it better: “The term flapper in the 1920s referred to a “new breed” of young women who wore short skirts, bobbed their hair, listened to the new Jazz music, and flaunted their disdain for what was then considered acceptable behavior.”
Come to think of it, I think you did meet MeeMaw! I had forgotten about that!
May 3rd, 2008 at 12:35 am
The hair looks great. The kids will be great when the time is right.