Mom's view:
The blog topic for today is Obama, but I have to back up a little and explain some things, because I really have no viewpoint. If you happen to be a political pundit (ie: know it all), let me advise you up front that I am not what you might call versed in political issues. In fact, I’m a cliché of an American, an ignorant slob wandering between action flicks and fast food joints, with virtually no idea what many of the issues are, much less whether one candidate’s plan for addressing them is better than another’s. Even worse, I’m purposely ignorant. You know why? Because a lot of political issues are BORING. There, I said it. I, like most Americans, don’t want to know all your petty little details about running the country. Just make my life better and don’t screw it up.
Does this make me an idiot? I don’t think so. I think it makes me human. I’m trying to live my life, not analyze it, so I tend to judge politicians based on the effect they’ve had on my life during their reign. For instance, to this day I have a soft spot in my heart for Bill Clinton. During the 8 years he was in office, my life was pretty good. Now, I realize that Clinton wasn’t responsible for my friendships during that time, or the fact that I was young and energetic, or that I really enjoyed the early stages of my career. But I was happy, and all was well. I was employed. I liked hearing about the fact that our deficit was taken care of, and that the budget was balanced, even though that didn’t make a lot of difference in my everyday life. Other than the garden variety crises that you tend to expect, things were okay.
Then, when George Bush was elected, life went downhill. I got divorced, my sister died, and Bush said a lot of stupid things. We were faced with 9/11, the war on terror, banks failing, the economy in ruins. My house is worth $75.00. My savings is stagnant because of the sputtering stock market. Sorry George, but you’re not my favorite guy.
Although I’m purposely ignorant, I’m not stupid. For instance, I’m aware that the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act occurred on Clinton’s watch, thereby setting the stage for subsequent events in the course of the financial meltdown. And yes, I had to Google that to remember the name of it. But sorry, George, the disaster happened on your shift. Where was everyone who was supposed to be watching out for the signs of disaster? And you didn’t exactly make it easy to like you. You reminded me of my parents, and they never understood me. That wasn’t such a big deal when I was twelve, but now I’m the majority of Americans and it’s a bit of a problem. You were out of touch. You thought you were funny but you weren’t. Let’s face it, you were a mess.
Because I know I don’t know a lot about the issues, I vote based on several global principles:
1. Never let a conservative or a liberal be in office too long. That way, things are so muddy that while it’s difficult to make progress, it’s also difficult to screw things up too badly. This is my way of protecting Americans from my ignorance.
2. Anyone who touts their conservative Christian views likes the 1950’s and doesn’t like change. Don’t vote for these people. They only like white guys in cardigans.
3. If someone seems like someone you’d like to hang out with and talk to about things, then they are a good person to vote for because other people will like them too and they might be good at playing political Red Rover (I'm amending this to add a proviso - this only works if the candidate is not more ignorant than me. Sorry George W. and Sarah P., can't win 'em all).
4. Whoever is president should reflect the middle aged majority of the day, because people who are middle aged still remember what it’s like to be young and are not yet afraid to try new things, but are mature enough to realize that not everything goes exactly the way you think it should.
As you may have guessed if you read the above, I voted for Obama. We had a conservative guy who yapped all day about what a Christian he was for 8 years. That was pretty much the end of my inquiry. The fact that Obama is in the right age range, is temperamentally sound, and has a gorgeous family is all icing on the cake. I like him. I like having someone who says things I agree with and who doesn’t get all crazy whenever he’s the target of criticism. I like seeing him with his family. I like that you can add stuff to the end of his name and create a word.
Has he done anything to help my life yet? No, but he certainly hasn’t done anything to hurt it. Do I pay attention to the specifics of what he’s doing? Nope. That’s why I hired a president. I have other things to worry about, like why ____________ keeps claiming he has no homework.
Son's view:
I think that Obama is doing a fine job as president. With all the war and stuff he is doing what he should be doing. I mean he is under all the pressure with the war and problems and people just yelling thoughts at him. He handles it very well. Also he has a family. All the pressures of the day and he still has time to be a father. A good one I might add. His kids seem to have a good smile. Not that cheap phony one. Overall, Obama is doing a great job.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
State of the State: No More T.V.
Mom's View:
Okay, it’s not like the television is really off. We still watch movies.
There isn’t the stress of having to watch shows at particular times though, which I guess there wouldn’t be anyway if we just had DVR, so I could watch shows when I wanted as opposed to when they were actually on. On the other hand, it’s not like I really lived my life around the television schedule. It was just a compelling need to have it on all the time, and when there were shows on that I liked, I felt the need to watch them. I was at the point, before we turned it off, of watching one thing and then watching another during the commercial. It was quite a chore to keep up.
The difference now is that we actually have to make an effort to turn the thing on and put in a movie – we actually have to make a choice to watch something in particular. When there’s something on 90 channels, it’s amazing how sucked in you are. I’ve seen _______________ watch a 30 minute infomercial on a cheese grater or something equally compelling. Just because it’s on. But now, unless we put it on, there’s nothing there. So the effect is that we really don’t spend nearly as much time zoning out in front of nonsense. And by we, I mean ____________.
Another difference I see is that we’re a lot more organized. __________ is less forgetful about the things he needs to get done but in this case, we really means me. For instance, I finally put away the piles of clean laundry that had inhabited our living room sofa for months. I mean many, many months. We’d gotten into the habit of stopping by the living room every morning before we’d get dressed to pick out an outfit and I find I get confused when I actually have to go to my closet now. I’m not sure what about the lack of television has caused this turnaround, because I still find a lot of ways to occupy myself. Really, though, it’s almost as though my thoughts are just better sorted now, although I’m not sure why that is.
Tonight, I watched the last half of a movie I’d had on last night and then I read for a bit. I wrote an old friend with whom I’ve recently reconnected a long email. I am writing this, and then I have some other projects I want to do. It doesn't sound like it's much different, I guess, but it is. Before, I would have done only one thing this evening. And I would have fit cleaning the kitchen into the commercial break.
___________________ came home and wrote his blog entry and then practiced some basketball skills. We had dinner, and he watched a movie. Then he practiced his saxophone (he actually started while the movie was still on) and we talked for a while, and now he’s reading.
He’s read almost 4 complete books during the month of October. This was almost entirely in the past two weeks or so, since we’ve turned off the television. That’s a record number for him in a month, much less a couple of weeks.
Also, I don’t know if it’s attributable to the television situation, but he’s gotten much, much better at math. He started out the year a little sloppily – understanding the concepts but making small mistakes that affected the outcome. Over the past couple of weeks or so, he’s started focusing more on the homework and his tests and his scores are dramatically improved. He used to speed things along so he could watch the Simpsons, so maybe it’s the fact that he no longer has to rush.
I miss the television. I am comforted by my old friends at Seattle Grace (yes I know how pathetic that sounds) and I miss it. I miss the familiarity of it. But I am glad it’s off. I feel like I’m expanding myself in an intangible way.
I don’t know what ______________ has said in his blog entry. He may not see what I’m seeing and think the whole thing is still very stupid. I’m sure the fact that the Yankees are going to the series is an issue for him since he won’t be able to see it. (Although I’ll take him to a sports bar. I’m not an ogre or anything. And I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but they have these incredible drinks at bars called dirty martinis.) I know he misses the Simpsons although I’m not sure what else. But I see a huge benefit to this whole thing. So I miss it, but I want to miss it.
Son's View:
So far not having T.V has been ok. I wish that I could say that. I’m probably going to go insane within the next week. The Yankees won the championship and I don’t know what happened. I think we should turn the T.V. back on because, trust me, I’m out of the habit of watching T.V. all the time. I pledge that I will only watch T.V. for a little while each day. I think I could do this mostly because I have a lot of homework to do each day. Mom, I’m sending out an S.O.S for T.V.
Okay, it’s not like the television is really off. We still watch movies.
There isn’t the stress of having to watch shows at particular times though, which I guess there wouldn’t be anyway if we just had DVR, so I could watch shows when I wanted as opposed to when they were actually on. On the other hand, it’s not like I really lived my life around the television schedule. It was just a compelling need to have it on all the time, and when there were shows on that I liked, I felt the need to watch them. I was at the point, before we turned it off, of watching one thing and then watching another during the commercial. It was quite a chore to keep up.
The difference now is that we actually have to make an effort to turn the thing on and put in a movie – we actually have to make a choice to watch something in particular. When there’s something on 90 channels, it’s amazing how sucked in you are. I’ve seen _______________ watch a 30 minute infomercial on a cheese grater or something equally compelling. Just because it’s on. But now, unless we put it on, there’s nothing there. So the effect is that we really don’t spend nearly as much time zoning out in front of nonsense. And by we, I mean ____________.
Another difference I see is that we’re a lot more organized. __________ is less forgetful about the things he needs to get done but in this case, we really means me. For instance, I finally put away the piles of clean laundry that had inhabited our living room sofa for months. I mean many, many months. We’d gotten into the habit of stopping by the living room every morning before we’d get dressed to pick out an outfit and I find I get confused when I actually have to go to my closet now. I’m not sure what about the lack of television has caused this turnaround, because I still find a lot of ways to occupy myself. Really, though, it’s almost as though my thoughts are just better sorted now, although I’m not sure why that is.
Tonight, I watched the last half of a movie I’d had on last night and then I read for a bit. I wrote an old friend with whom I’ve recently reconnected a long email. I am writing this, and then I have some other projects I want to do. It doesn't sound like it's much different, I guess, but it is. Before, I would have done only one thing this evening. And I would have fit cleaning the kitchen into the commercial break.
___________________ came home and wrote his blog entry and then practiced some basketball skills. We had dinner, and he watched a movie. Then he practiced his saxophone (he actually started while the movie was still on) and we talked for a while, and now he’s reading.
He’s read almost 4 complete books during the month of October. This was almost entirely in the past two weeks or so, since we’ve turned off the television. That’s a record number for him in a month, much less a couple of weeks.
Also, I don’t know if it’s attributable to the television situation, but he’s gotten much, much better at math. He started out the year a little sloppily – understanding the concepts but making small mistakes that affected the outcome. Over the past couple of weeks or so, he’s started focusing more on the homework and his tests and his scores are dramatically improved. He used to speed things along so he could watch the Simpsons, so maybe it’s the fact that he no longer has to rush.
I miss the television. I am comforted by my old friends at Seattle Grace (yes I know how pathetic that sounds) and I miss it. I miss the familiarity of it. But I am glad it’s off. I feel like I’m expanding myself in an intangible way.
I don’t know what ______________ has said in his blog entry. He may not see what I’m seeing and think the whole thing is still very stupid. I’m sure the fact that the Yankees are going to the series is an issue for him since he won’t be able to see it. (Although I’ll take him to a sports bar. I’m not an ogre or anything. And I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but they have these incredible drinks at bars called dirty martinis.) I know he misses the Simpsons although I’m not sure what else. But I see a huge benefit to this whole thing. So I miss it, but I want to miss it.
Son's View:
So far not having T.V has been ok. I wish that I could say that. I’m probably going to go insane within the next week. The Yankees won the championship and I don’t know what happened. I think we should turn the T.V. back on because, trust me, I’m out of the habit of watching T.V. all the time. I pledge that I will only watch T.V. for a little while each day. I think I could do this mostly because I have a lot of homework to do each day. Mom, I’m sending out an S.O.S for T.V.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
The Wimpy Kid Series.
Mom's View:
____________ LOVES the Wimpy Kid series, but I just read an article in the New York Times about how some parents are upset about a certain perceived moral bankruptcy in the books. I pretty much immediately wrote any such concerns off, because I basically assumed these were the children of the same parents who wanted to burn Judy Blume books when I was a kid, or maybe politicians who were so busy juggling their busy schedules of extramarital affairs and meetings with fundamentalist Christians that they only had time to skim the books. But then I thought, "Hey, maybe that’s not fair of me." ___________ complains about every book he reads except those, which he devours instantly. If they were completely morally bankrupt, that would make a lot of sense.
So I read one. Actually, I read about 60 pages of the most recent one: “Dog Days.” (p.s.: this takes 7 minutes) And I can definitively say that so far, there is not one moral lesson contained therein. If anything, this kid does every possible thing wrong and doesn’t seem to think twice about it. Which is pretty funny. And I’m okay with that, because I know that __________ would rather stab himself in the eye repeatedly with a plastic fork than listen to me proselytize, which is exactly what I’d do if he pulled any of that crap. So I’m pretty much covered in the moral lessons arena. Plus, I’m guessing that most kids are smart enough to know that the book is a joke and not a lesson plan.
After I’d resolved my own mind, I went to my favorite researching tool (Google) to get a better feel for the perspectives on the issues surrounding the series. I couldn’t find any mention of any such issues. Seriously. Not one article, other than the NYT one, that claims in any way that there is an uproar about these books. I went on Amazon, which is what the NYT article quoted for some of the negative reviews, and found a very few amidst all the insanely good reviews. Seriously: very, very few. Most people just talked about how funny the books are, and the negative reviews about the most recent seemed to focus on the fact that it was maybe less funny than the others. (I’m totally going to read the rest of them if that’s true because I was laughing out loud at "Dog Days").
So now I’m thinking, “NYT (a newspaper, I might add, that I really enjoy), why are you misleading me this way? Plus, why are you suggesting something that might put negative thoughts in fundamentalist Christian heads?” I’m concerned by this. Because while I’m not at all worried about America’s children, I’m deeply worried about America’s fundamentalist Christians. They don’t understand jokes. And now I’m worried about the NYT egging them on. What is this world coming to?
Son's view:
I think that diary of a wimpy kid was the best book in the world. I mean, I don’t like to read when I have to (only when I want to, which is never) and this is the only book that I like to read. I heard that parents don’t like the main character because he isn’t a good example. Well technically he is a good example if think about it this way, do the opposite of what he does. It’s as simple as that. This is the only book that gets me and my friend to read. so overall this is the best book in the world.
Mom's response:
FYI: He heard it from me. See what you started NYT?
____________ LOVES the Wimpy Kid series, but I just read an article in the New York Times about how some parents are upset about a certain perceived moral bankruptcy in the books. I pretty much immediately wrote any such concerns off, because I basically assumed these were the children of the same parents who wanted to burn Judy Blume books when I was a kid, or maybe politicians who were so busy juggling their busy schedules of extramarital affairs and meetings with fundamentalist Christians that they only had time to skim the books. But then I thought, "Hey, maybe that’s not fair of me." ___________ complains about every book he reads except those, which he devours instantly. If they were completely morally bankrupt, that would make a lot of sense.
So I read one. Actually, I read about 60 pages of the most recent one: “Dog Days.” (p.s.: this takes 7 minutes) And I can definitively say that so far, there is not one moral lesson contained therein. If anything, this kid does every possible thing wrong and doesn’t seem to think twice about it. Which is pretty funny. And I’m okay with that, because I know that __________ would rather stab himself in the eye repeatedly with a plastic fork than listen to me proselytize, which is exactly what I’d do if he pulled any of that crap. So I’m pretty much covered in the moral lessons arena. Plus, I’m guessing that most kids are smart enough to know that the book is a joke and not a lesson plan.
After I’d resolved my own mind, I went to my favorite researching tool (Google) to get a better feel for the perspectives on the issues surrounding the series. I couldn’t find any mention of any such issues. Seriously. Not one article, other than the NYT one, that claims in any way that there is an uproar about these books. I went on Amazon, which is what the NYT article quoted for some of the negative reviews, and found a very few amidst all the insanely good reviews. Seriously: very, very few. Most people just talked about how funny the books are, and the negative reviews about the most recent seemed to focus on the fact that it was maybe less funny than the others. (I’m totally going to read the rest of them if that’s true because I was laughing out loud at "Dog Days").
So now I’m thinking, “NYT (a newspaper, I might add, that I really enjoy), why are you misleading me this way? Plus, why are you suggesting something that might put negative thoughts in fundamentalist Christian heads?” I’m concerned by this. Because while I’m not at all worried about America’s children, I’m deeply worried about America’s fundamentalist Christians. They don’t understand jokes. And now I’m worried about the NYT egging them on. What is this world coming to?
Son's view:
I think that diary of a wimpy kid was the best book in the world. I mean, I don’t like to read when I have to (only when I want to, which is never) and this is the only book that I like to read. I heard that parents don’t like the main character because he isn’t a good example. Well technically he is a good example if think about it this way, do the opposite of what he does. It’s as simple as that. This is the only book that gets me and my friend to read. so overall this is the best book in the world.
Mom's response:
FYI: He heard it from me. See what you started NYT?
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Getting Older.
Mom's view:
When I proposed this topic to ___________, he was not enthused. I (obliviously) thought it might be interesting to get a perspective from someone that young on what it means to be getting older. Also, I tend to know _________’s opinion on many of the topics we’ve discussed so far, but I had absolutely no idea what he was going to say about this one. Until he started telling me that he hated the topic and didn’t know what to write, because it didn’t mean anything to him, in that whiny voice that drives me to distraction. Over and over. After the 70th time of hearing how stupid the topic was, I said “Fine! Write about how stupid it is then! Just write something!”
I didn’t hear a word after that, and he started writing intently. So now I can pretty much guess what he’s going to say even though I haven’t read it. And really, that makes sense. The kid is 11 and in his eyes, immortal. Getting older to him means anticipation of things he can’t do but would like to. First love, first achievements, driving, voting, and of course other things I don’t really want to think about.
For me, though, this is a pretty poignant topic. I just turned 40, and I have found myself inadvertently taking stock of my life, and making changes in the way that I live. I have been more self-reflective, and I have felt an internal shift in my point of view. It is not an unpleasant feeling, but it is unexpected.
Until recently, I had always assumed I would live to be at least 100. The women in my family are notoriously long lived (and bossy, but that’s another story) and I’ve always been healthy and all, so I don’t think that assumption is necessarily too far from the mark. But here’s the thing I now realize: you can die any time. I hate even saying that out loud, because it seems like tempting fate. I can just see my mom shaking her head and saying, “she had just written that she could die at any time, and then she got hit by that bus. It was the oddest thing.” Then she breaks down weeping, of course.
I know you can die at any time because right after I turned 40, I started to read the obituaries. I have no idea why, because 40 was not a difficult milestone for me. I get confused for a much younger person a lot. (I like to think it’s because I look so awesome and not because I’m immature for my age or because I once accidentally wore a half-shirt to yoga on the day the yoga teacher felt the need to correct my pose and knocked me over, thereby calling attention to the half-shirt) I exercise pretty much daily, am content with my life and generally feel pretty great overall.
And yet.
When I read an obituary, the first thing I do is look at the age of the person who died. Sometimes, they don’t print the age, which is such a cheat, at which point I try to figure it out by the year they graduated, the apparent age of the person in the picture, and other clues embedded in the narrative. My research has uncovered an alarming number of people who live only 10 -30 years after they turn 40. As you may have noticed, this is less years than it took to get to 40 which, I can tell you definitively, happens FAST. Supersonic fast.
There are stories of people who recently retired from their jobs and who barely had any time to enjoy not working before they “died suddenly,” or “died after a short illness.” What illness is that? There are a lot of people who are still working towards their retirement and die before they ever get that chance. On any given Sunday, which for me is obituary reading day, the percentage of deaths of people aged 50-69 is anywhere between 10 and 30%. I didn’t actually calculate that out, but it seems like an accurate estimate given my state of concern over the issue. Premature death is occupying 10 – 30% of my thoughts.
I think part of the problem with aging when you hit the 40 mark is that no one really talks up the stuff we have to look forward to. __________ hears daily about how great it is to drink rum and drive cool cars, but there is a distinct lack of well thought out media about retirement and senior citizen’s discounts. Nor, in my opinion, is there any effort to focus on what the aging population really cares about. I still have my youth inside of me, and I hold it close. By the time I turn 65, it will be the new 12, the way we’re going. But from the media I see, the only things people of a certain age care about are their estate planning, the fit of their Depends undergarments, and their grandchildren. I’m sure you think about these things, but they aren’t exactly goals.
In fact, the more I think about it the surer I become that life itself is my goal. I want to make sure that I continue to live it, and that I don't retreat into some sort of a half life just because I'm getting older. When I look back at this ripe old age of 40, I realize that my life has never been the one I expected to have. It’s been different in every conceivable way from the life I had planned for myself. The twists and turns were always unexpected and never usual. Half the fun has been figuring out how to make the best of whatever I ended up with, because there are only so many things that are within your control. I’m lucky: I’ve had a lot of trials, but I like where I ended up after all of them. I can firmly say that I’m proud of how I crafted subpar situations into a life that ultimately makes me very happy. I’d like to be around a lot longer to see what happens next, and I’d like to know there will be a lot more curves on the road.
So for me, my incessant stock taking has led to this: I am making changes designed to ensure that my life will continue to be an exciting ride. I will embrace aging, and I will fight stasis. And I might even seek a second career in the advertising biz. I’m pretty sure I could make retirement look pretty freaking amazing. Especially on a discount.
Son's view:
The getting older topic is a very stupid topic, so I refuse to write about getting older. But what I will write is reasons about why I hate this topic.
1. I think that all you can write about is birthdays.
2. Getting older is a topic I would not like to think about right now because I’m only eleven.
3. I don’t like to wish away life.
4. I would not like to think about my future because I’m scared what might happen.
5. The only reason I like getting older is because I like getting presents, and seeing peoples faces when they open a good present.
that is what I think of this topic.
Mom's view of Son's view:
Unexpected. This is a good post. I think number 3 says it all, and if you can hold onto that you'll have a great time. Number 4 makes me sad. Why are you scared? I hope you weren't looking at me when you wrote that one. Should I be feeling insulted?
When I proposed this topic to ___________, he was not enthused. I (obliviously) thought it might be interesting to get a perspective from someone that young on what it means to be getting older. Also, I tend to know _________’s opinion on many of the topics we’ve discussed so far, but I had absolutely no idea what he was going to say about this one. Until he started telling me that he hated the topic and didn’t know what to write, because it didn’t mean anything to him, in that whiny voice that drives me to distraction. Over and over. After the 70th time of hearing how stupid the topic was, I said “Fine! Write about how stupid it is then! Just write something!”
I didn’t hear a word after that, and he started writing intently. So now I can pretty much guess what he’s going to say even though I haven’t read it. And really, that makes sense. The kid is 11 and in his eyes, immortal. Getting older to him means anticipation of things he can’t do but would like to. First love, first achievements, driving, voting, and of course other things I don’t really want to think about.
For me, though, this is a pretty poignant topic. I just turned 40, and I have found myself inadvertently taking stock of my life, and making changes in the way that I live. I have been more self-reflective, and I have felt an internal shift in my point of view. It is not an unpleasant feeling, but it is unexpected.
Until recently, I had always assumed I would live to be at least 100. The women in my family are notoriously long lived (and bossy, but that’s another story) and I’ve always been healthy and all, so I don’t think that assumption is necessarily too far from the mark. But here’s the thing I now realize: you can die any time. I hate even saying that out loud, because it seems like tempting fate. I can just see my mom shaking her head and saying, “she had just written that she could die at any time, and then she got hit by that bus. It was the oddest thing.” Then she breaks down weeping, of course.
I know you can die at any time because right after I turned 40, I started to read the obituaries. I have no idea why, because 40 was not a difficult milestone for me. I get confused for a much younger person a lot. (I like to think it’s because I look so awesome and not because I’m immature for my age or because I once accidentally wore a half-shirt to yoga on the day the yoga teacher felt the need to correct my pose and knocked me over, thereby calling attention to the half-shirt) I exercise pretty much daily, am content with my life and generally feel pretty great overall.
And yet.
When I read an obituary, the first thing I do is look at the age of the person who died. Sometimes, they don’t print the age, which is such a cheat, at which point I try to figure it out by the year they graduated, the apparent age of the person in the picture, and other clues embedded in the narrative. My research has uncovered an alarming number of people who live only 10 -30 years after they turn 40. As you may have noticed, this is less years than it took to get to 40 which, I can tell you definitively, happens FAST. Supersonic fast.
There are stories of people who recently retired from their jobs and who barely had any time to enjoy not working before they “died suddenly,” or “died after a short illness.” What illness is that? There are a lot of people who are still working towards their retirement and die before they ever get that chance. On any given Sunday, which for me is obituary reading day, the percentage of deaths of people aged 50-69 is anywhere between 10 and 30%. I didn’t actually calculate that out, but it seems like an accurate estimate given my state of concern over the issue. Premature death is occupying 10 – 30% of my thoughts.
I think part of the problem with aging when you hit the 40 mark is that no one really talks up the stuff we have to look forward to. __________ hears daily about how great it is to drink rum and drive cool cars, but there is a distinct lack of well thought out media about retirement and senior citizen’s discounts. Nor, in my opinion, is there any effort to focus on what the aging population really cares about. I still have my youth inside of me, and I hold it close. By the time I turn 65, it will be the new 12, the way we’re going. But from the media I see, the only things people of a certain age care about are their estate planning, the fit of their Depends undergarments, and their grandchildren. I’m sure you think about these things, but they aren’t exactly goals.
In fact, the more I think about it the surer I become that life itself is my goal. I want to make sure that I continue to live it, and that I don't retreat into some sort of a half life just because I'm getting older. When I look back at this ripe old age of 40, I realize that my life has never been the one I expected to have. It’s been different in every conceivable way from the life I had planned for myself. The twists and turns were always unexpected and never usual. Half the fun has been figuring out how to make the best of whatever I ended up with, because there are only so many things that are within your control. I’m lucky: I’ve had a lot of trials, but I like where I ended up after all of them. I can firmly say that I’m proud of how I crafted subpar situations into a life that ultimately makes me very happy. I’d like to be around a lot longer to see what happens next, and I’d like to know there will be a lot more curves on the road.
So for me, my incessant stock taking has led to this: I am making changes designed to ensure that my life will continue to be an exciting ride. I will embrace aging, and I will fight stasis. And I might even seek a second career in the advertising biz. I’m pretty sure I could make retirement look pretty freaking amazing. Especially on a discount.
Son's view:
The getting older topic is a very stupid topic, so I refuse to write about getting older. But what I will write is reasons about why I hate this topic.
1. I think that all you can write about is birthdays.
2. Getting older is a topic I would not like to think about right now because I’m only eleven.
3. I don’t like to wish away life.
4. I would not like to think about my future because I’m scared what might happen.
5. The only reason I like getting older is because I like getting presents, and seeing peoples faces when they open a good present.
that is what I think of this topic.
Mom's view of Son's view:
Unexpected. This is a good post. I think number 3 says it all, and if you can hold onto that you'll have a great time. Number 4 makes me sad. Why are you scared? I hope you weren't looking at me when you wrote that one. Should I be feeling insulted?
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
The Best Way to Spend Money.
Mom's view:
Did I mention that __________ is the ultimate consumer? I picked this blog topic just to spur him into a (probably really short) diatribe about things. When I was a kid, all I could think about were all the things I didn’t have but wanted. Those stupid little duck shoes from L.L. Bean were all the rage when I was young, and I coveted those things like crazy. The ones that were popular, of course, were the ones that didn’t protect your feet at all because they were basically a really ugly pair of shoes. Sure, they were rubber. And fully waterproof, as long as it wasn’t actively raining and there were no puddles, or as long as snow accumulation was no more than ½ inch (taking into consideration the kick up factor).
Ralph Lauren Polo was the ultimate clothing line - madras shirts and those extra fuzzy sweaters. Also, more L.L. Bean: Norwegian fishing sweaters. Those navy blue ones with the white check marks all over them? Because a bunch of 7th grade girls like to spend their free time fishing in impractical boots. As if the silliness of the outfits wasn’t enough, it was all horribly expensive and you were supposed to have a lot of it.
My mother was ridiculously clueless, of course. Although we lived in country club land and had a nice house, she was still firmly bound by her Iowan roots and hated spending a fortune on stupid items.
“Look, I got you one of those sweaters you wanted.”
“This isn’t the kind I want.”
“But it has a horse on it.”
“This isn’t the right horse. This horse has an extra full mane and is rearing back. And there’s no polo stick or a rider. This horse is horrible.”
“It’s the exact same thing. And it was half the price.”
Oh, but it wasn’t. We all know that. The difference between that horse and a polo horse was the difference between a Holly Hobby lunch box and a brown paper bag. You might as well stuff yourself in a locker with that stupid, insanely coiffed, hyperactive horse. Just cut your hair with a Flo-bee and call it a day. With a horse like that, you might as well join the Future Cheese Makers of America and pick your nose freely. I think I am being perfectly temperate when I say that the horse on the sweater my mother picked out for me was the end of the world. The bitter, bitter end.
And here I am today, thinking she wasn’t so far off. The problem was that she tried to match the horse. You can’t match the horse. The horse is a LOGO. You have to have the right logo. But if you get a regular sweater that’s similar to the fuzzy polo sweaters with NO horse, that’s okay, right? Maybe not. But I have to say, spending a fortune on clothes is beyond stupid. I realize that now. I need an Abercrombie and Fitch belt so I can beat this concept into my child.
Or maybe a blog. So _____________, please. Listen to me. The best way to spend money is as follows:
1. On trips you can take with someone you love, like your son. Every cent I’ve spent on a trip with you has turned into a vivid memory. I will carry those with me forever.
2. On charities that mean something to you. I remember every cent I’ve given away, and the joy it has given me to be able to help out in a time of need.
3. On healthy, whole foods. Good nutrition is an investment in your future. When you grow old you will want to be able to live as if you were young. The link between good nutrition and good aging is clear. Give yourself that gift.
4. On giving your child a stable life. Shelter, warmth, food, and comfort.
5. On a pet. Animals give far more than they take.
6. On your retirement. No one wants to be old and poor. Make sure you save enough for your future.
I understand you. I understand your desire for clothes, cell phones, PSP 75.0 with the built in food processor, televisions, fur carpets and disco balls. I understand it all. But I promise you that childhood is a fleeting thing you will never want to revisit except on occasion and for a very short time. I promise you that one day, when you look at a picture of yourself in your baggy shorts, you will laugh as hard as I did when I saw that picture of myself with my acid wash jeans tucked into my socks and my Flock of Seagulls haircut (although I think acid wash is coming back any minute now). I promise you that you will remember those things you coveted as a distant joke with a punch line you forgot.
No? Not buying it? Yeah, neither did I.
Son's view:
I think that you should be able to spend money on whatever you want. For example, I want some new clothes from Abercrombie (I have a gift card) and my mom says that she won’t let me get it until I grow out of old clothes. Now, most of my old clothes, I don’t like, and Abercrombie is the most popular brand of clothes in the school. Now some of my clothes people bought me and I only wore once or twice (most of the time I didn’t like them). so I just want the stuff and we just cleaned out the closet and some of the time I don’t have clothes for school.
Did I mention that __________ is the ultimate consumer? I picked this blog topic just to spur him into a (probably really short) diatribe about things. When I was a kid, all I could think about were all the things I didn’t have but wanted. Those stupid little duck shoes from L.L. Bean were all the rage when I was young, and I coveted those things like crazy. The ones that were popular, of course, were the ones that didn’t protect your feet at all because they were basically a really ugly pair of shoes. Sure, they were rubber. And fully waterproof, as long as it wasn’t actively raining and there were no puddles, or as long as snow accumulation was no more than ½ inch (taking into consideration the kick up factor).
Ralph Lauren Polo was the ultimate clothing line - madras shirts and those extra fuzzy sweaters. Also, more L.L. Bean: Norwegian fishing sweaters. Those navy blue ones with the white check marks all over them? Because a bunch of 7th grade girls like to spend their free time fishing in impractical boots. As if the silliness of the outfits wasn’t enough, it was all horribly expensive and you were supposed to have a lot of it.
My mother was ridiculously clueless, of course. Although we lived in country club land and had a nice house, she was still firmly bound by her Iowan roots and hated spending a fortune on stupid items.
“Look, I got you one of those sweaters you wanted.”
“This isn’t the kind I want.”
“But it has a horse on it.”
“This isn’t the right horse. This horse has an extra full mane and is rearing back. And there’s no polo stick or a rider. This horse is horrible.”
“It’s the exact same thing. And it was half the price.”
Oh, but it wasn’t. We all know that. The difference between that horse and a polo horse was the difference between a Holly Hobby lunch box and a brown paper bag. You might as well stuff yourself in a locker with that stupid, insanely coiffed, hyperactive horse. Just cut your hair with a Flo-bee and call it a day. With a horse like that, you might as well join the Future Cheese Makers of America and pick your nose freely. I think I am being perfectly temperate when I say that the horse on the sweater my mother picked out for me was the end of the world. The bitter, bitter end.
And here I am today, thinking she wasn’t so far off. The problem was that she tried to match the horse. You can’t match the horse. The horse is a LOGO. You have to have the right logo. But if you get a regular sweater that’s similar to the fuzzy polo sweaters with NO horse, that’s okay, right? Maybe not. But I have to say, spending a fortune on clothes is beyond stupid. I realize that now. I need an Abercrombie and Fitch belt so I can beat this concept into my child.
Or maybe a blog. So _____________, please. Listen to me. The best way to spend money is as follows:
1. On trips you can take with someone you love, like your son. Every cent I’ve spent on a trip with you has turned into a vivid memory. I will carry those with me forever.
2. On charities that mean something to you. I remember every cent I’ve given away, and the joy it has given me to be able to help out in a time of need.
3. On healthy, whole foods. Good nutrition is an investment in your future. When you grow old you will want to be able to live as if you were young. The link between good nutrition and good aging is clear. Give yourself that gift.
4. On giving your child a stable life. Shelter, warmth, food, and comfort.
5. On a pet. Animals give far more than they take.
6. On your retirement. No one wants to be old and poor. Make sure you save enough for your future.
I understand you. I understand your desire for clothes, cell phones, PSP 75.0 with the built in food processor, televisions, fur carpets and disco balls. I understand it all. But I promise you that childhood is a fleeting thing you will never want to revisit except on occasion and for a very short time. I promise you that one day, when you look at a picture of yourself in your baggy shorts, you will laugh as hard as I did when I saw that picture of myself with my acid wash jeans tucked into my socks and my Flock of Seagulls haircut (although I think acid wash is coming back any minute now). I promise you that you will remember those things you coveted as a distant joke with a punch line you forgot.
No? Not buying it? Yeah, neither did I.
Son's view:
I think that you should be able to spend money on whatever you want. For example, I want some new clothes from Abercrombie (I have a gift card) and my mom says that she won’t let me get it until I grow out of old clothes. Now, most of my old clothes, I don’t like, and Abercrombie is the most popular brand of clothes in the school. Now some of my clothes people bought me and I only wore once or twice (most of the time I didn’t like them). so I just want the stuff and we just cleaned out the closet and some of the time I don’t have clothes for school.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Pigpen. The Saga of ______'s Room.
Mom's view:
_________ picked the topic, which he initially just said was about his “room.” Given this broad topic choice and the fact that __________ is the ultimate consumer, I naturally assumed his post would be a long list of items he’d like to purchase in an effort to create a swinging middle school bachelor pad. He later revealed that the topic is, more specifically, the cleanliness of his room. I’m pretty sure I made a face, since that’s like saying the topic is the peaceful sound of a fire alarm.
In addition to being the ultimate consumer, __________ is a hoarder. Every available drawer, cabinet, closet and basket is filled with stuff that is hard to classify but appears to be something we might need one day, because for some reason everything ___________ owns ends up broken down into unidentifiable components.
Whenever we clean, I end up holding up plastic caps, or wires, or something that seems like it might be necessary to make something else work and asking, “Hey, what is this?” “Should I keep this?” The answer is usually unsatisfactory.
“That’s the wire to the remote control for the Spider Man game I had when I was four.”
“Where’s the game?”
“We threw it out because the remote control didn’t work.”
Sometimes, I’ll find things that have been created out of other things using pieces of a science kit and scotch tape.
“What’s this?”
“Oh, that’s a burglar alarm I made out of the buzzer from the Operation game and my cd player. It didn’t really work.”
“Where’s the rest of the Operation game?”
“We threw it out because the buzzer was gone.”
And so on. These are not actual conversations we’ve had, since I can’t remember the real ones exactly, but they’re close.
It’s a little frustrating, from a parent’s point of view. It’s hard to comprehend how a child who generally appears to be sitting still, enjoying a show about obnoxious kids, can nonetheless end up half buried in a pile of detritus by the time the sitcom is over.
Then again, he comes by it honestly. When I think back to my own room, I seem to recall that I had a room packed full of random stuff myself. There was something comforting about the sheer volume I’d collected, and I balked at the thought of throwing it all out. Every once in a while I’d be banished to clean it, at which point I’d begin to randomly open drawers, revisiting the junk of years past. Nothing would get thrown out, and eventually when it was close to dinner time I’d just shove everything back into the available space and mash the new junk on top of it.
Oh alright. Just shut your door and we’ll call it a wash.
Son's view:
I think my pigsty of a room is great. It makes me feel relaxed and safe when I go to bed. All the junk and old stuffed animals are comforting. I mean if I changed my room I wouldn’t be happy with any of the results. When I changed my sheets it took me a while to get adjusted to the new sheets we bought last year. Also [I think I speak for all of kid-kind here] I think we shouldn’t clean our rooms to perfection. I mean the occasional dusting and picking up the clothes on the floor is necessary, but not the changing of the sheets all the time [but you have to wash them regularly, and when the, how can I put this in neater terms, the acid comes up from your stomach]. So parents, DON’T MAKE CHILDREN CLEAN THEIR ROOMS! Please.
_________ picked the topic, which he initially just said was about his “room.” Given this broad topic choice and the fact that __________ is the ultimate consumer, I naturally assumed his post would be a long list of items he’d like to purchase in an effort to create a swinging middle school bachelor pad. He later revealed that the topic is, more specifically, the cleanliness of his room. I’m pretty sure I made a face, since that’s like saying the topic is the peaceful sound of a fire alarm.
In addition to being the ultimate consumer, __________ is a hoarder. Every available drawer, cabinet, closet and basket is filled with stuff that is hard to classify but appears to be something we might need one day, because for some reason everything ___________ owns ends up broken down into unidentifiable components.
Whenever we clean, I end up holding up plastic caps, or wires, or something that seems like it might be necessary to make something else work and asking, “Hey, what is this?” “Should I keep this?” The answer is usually unsatisfactory.
“That’s the wire to the remote control for the Spider Man game I had when I was four.”
“Where’s the game?”
“We threw it out because the remote control didn’t work.”
Sometimes, I’ll find things that have been created out of other things using pieces of a science kit and scotch tape.
“What’s this?”
“Oh, that’s a burglar alarm I made out of the buzzer from the Operation game and my cd player. It didn’t really work.”
“Where’s the rest of the Operation game?”
“We threw it out because the buzzer was gone.”
And so on. These are not actual conversations we’ve had, since I can’t remember the real ones exactly, but they’re close.
It’s a little frustrating, from a parent’s point of view. It’s hard to comprehend how a child who generally appears to be sitting still, enjoying a show about obnoxious kids, can nonetheless end up half buried in a pile of detritus by the time the sitcom is over.
Then again, he comes by it honestly. When I think back to my own room, I seem to recall that I had a room packed full of random stuff myself. There was something comforting about the sheer volume I’d collected, and I balked at the thought of throwing it all out. Every once in a while I’d be banished to clean it, at which point I’d begin to randomly open drawers, revisiting the junk of years past. Nothing would get thrown out, and eventually when it was close to dinner time I’d just shove everything back into the available space and mash the new junk on top of it.
Oh alright. Just shut your door and we’ll call it a wash.
Son's view:
I think my pigsty of a room is great. It makes me feel relaxed and safe when I go to bed. All the junk and old stuffed animals are comforting. I mean if I changed my room I wouldn’t be happy with any of the results. When I changed my sheets it took me a while to get adjusted to the new sheets we bought last year. Also [I think I speak for all of kid-kind here] I think we shouldn’t clean our rooms to perfection. I mean the occasional dusting and picking up the clothes on the floor is necessary, but not the changing of the sheets all the time [but you have to wash them regularly, and when the, how can I put this in neater terms, the acid comes up from your stomach]. So parents, DON’T MAKE CHILDREN CLEAN THEIR ROOMS! Please.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Regarding Certain Recent Events Involving the Television.
Mom's view:
First of all, let me just say that I have loved television for as long as I can remember. I learned to read from Sesame Street, ran home for the Happy Days/Laverne and Shirley dynamic duo in the afternoon, and grew up with the Cosby kids. In times of crisis, like 9/11, I have turned to television as a comfort and a guide. I become inexplicably happy during the 5th or 6th hour of a reality T.V. marathon, wallowing unshowered and clad in my pajamas, holding my seventh bowl of cereal in my hands. I can’t imagine my life without it.
That being said, I have discontinued my cable service, including even the local channels.
My customer service representative clearly thought I was insane. “You want to downgrade to the basic package?”
“What’s the basic package?”
“Local channels and a few others.”
“Will I be able to watch television with that package?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t want the basic package.”
It seemed inordinately hard to convince her that the full disconnect was the best option for me. When I told ____ the night after I called the cable company, he wasn’t happy with me either.
“But I’m staying organized.”
“I know. It’s not about that.”
“Then why?”
“Because we need to change the habit.”
He was strangely quiet after that.
The simple truth is that I disconnected service to all the televisions because of what happened one recent evening. It is actually embarrassing, as a parent, to write. But if I don’t confess to these transgressions, who will?
On this fateful evening, the television was on when I got home, but the homework wasn’t done. I asked _______if he had homework and he said, “just a little, and it’s really easy.” I asked him to turn off the television and do his homework when he finished his dinner. Dinner, for both of us, was in front of separate televisions (unfortunately, a really common occurrence). I was caught up in the double Grey’s Anatomy rerun on Lifetime, despite the fact that I’ve seen them all before. When the second one finished, I noticed the television was still on in the other room.
“I thought you were going to turn off the T.V. and do your homework?”
“I finished it.”
“In front of the T.V.?”
“Mom, it was really easy.”
An hour later I was deeply enmeshed in another show. One so compelling that I don’t remember what it was as I write this. ________ walked in.
“Remember how I was having trouble counting to forty in French before? I’m really good at it now. Un, deux, trois…”
“Honey, can we do this in a little bit? This is right at the good part.”
I actually said that! Out loud!
The next morning, I reviewed the really easy homework done in front of the television. It was a paragraph about a book he’d written. True to form, it was really well written and interesting. BUT HE SPELLED THE NAME GEORGE WRONG. And that was even part of the book’s title. He kept talking about "Gorge" all the way through the whole thing. Tell me that doesn’t have something to do with the television blaring in the background while he was writing it. Actually, if you did I wouldn’t believe you. And what parent would rather sit in front of Grey’s Anatomy reruns rather than eat dinner with her child? Or tells them to bug off with their fancy French speaking until the commercial? Something needed to be done.
I’m educated, keep my house relatively clean, know what my son is doing at almost every given moment, care deeply about him and his studies, monitor his assignments and ensure he’s done his homework, talk to him about his day every day, and basically otherwise perform as a normal mother. I read extensively, and I truly don’t spend every single waking moment in front of the television. But after nights like the one described above, where I fall in and don’t emerge from the haze until bedtime, I really feel like I'm one wifebeater away from a pretty lowbrow existence. And I’m starting to see the same pattern in my son.
So I have disconnected the cable. As I write this, it hasn’t happened yet, and I spend approximately 7 seconds every hour trying to convince myself that having the basic channels would be okay. Which is just, in my opinion, more proof that it needs to be done. We are stuck in a rut, and we both need enough time to develop a new pattern. Hopefully, it will be one in which the television is an afterthought, rather than the first thought.
We’ll see. This may be an appropriate topic for some “State of the State” addresses in the future, as our days loom long without mindless entertainment.
Son's view:
I think that not having the T.V. is the stupidest idea in the world. I can’t watch my sports shows. My mom can’t watch her shows. I think my mom made a mistake. I mean I will not have T.V. and she won’t have T.V. either so it’s like she’s grounding herself. Honestly I think that’s she’s going to want the T.V. on more than I want it on.
Mom's view of son's view:
He may be right.
First of all, let me just say that I have loved television for as long as I can remember. I learned to read from Sesame Street, ran home for the Happy Days/Laverne and Shirley dynamic duo in the afternoon, and grew up with the Cosby kids. In times of crisis, like 9/11, I have turned to television as a comfort and a guide. I become inexplicably happy during the 5th or 6th hour of a reality T.V. marathon, wallowing unshowered and clad in my pajamas, holding my seventh bowl of cereal in my hands. I can’t imagine my life without it.
That being said, I have discontinued my cable service, including even the local channels.
My customer service representative clearly thought I was insane. “You want to downgrade to the basic package?”
“What’s the basic package?”
“Local channels and a few others.”
“Will I be able to watch television with that package?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t want the basic package.”
It seemed inordinately hard to convince her that the full disconnect was the best option for me. When I told ____ the night after I called the cable company, he wasn’t happy with me either.
“But I’m staying organized.”
“I know. It’s not about that.”
“Then why?”
“Because we need to change the habit.”
He was strangely quiet after that.
The simple truth is that I disconnected service to all the televisions because of what happened one recent evening. It is actually embarrassing, as a parent, to write. But if I don’t confess to these transgressions, who will?
On this fateful evening, the television was on when I got home, but the homework wasn’t done. I asked _______if he had homework and he said, “just a little, and it’s really easy.” I asked him to turn off the television and do his homework when he finished his dinner. Dinner, for both of us, was in front of separate televisions (unfortunately, a really common occurrence). I was caught up in the double Grey’s Anatomy rerun on Lifetime, despite the fact that I’ve seen them all before. When the second one finished, I noticed the television was still on in the other room.
“I thought you were going to turn off the T.V. and do your homework?”
“I finished it.”
“In front of the T.V.?”
“Mom, it was really easy.”
An hour later I was deeply enmeshed in another show. One so compelling that I don’t remember what it was as I write this. ________ walked in.
“Remember how I was having trouble counting to forty in French before? I’m really good at it now. Un, deux, trois…”
“Honey, can we do this in a little bit? This is right at the good part.”
I actually said that! Out loud!
The next morning, I reviewed the really easy homework done in front of the television. It was a paragraph about a book he’d written. True to form, it was really well written and interesting. BUT HE SPELLED THE NAME GEORGE WRONG. And that was even part of the book’s title. He kept talking about "Gorge" all the way through the whole thing. Tell me that doesn’t have something to do with the television blaring in the background while he was writing it. Actually, if you did I wouldn’t believe you. And what parent would rather sit in front of Grey’s Anatomy reruns rather than eat dinner with her child? Or tells them to bug off with their fancy French speaking until the commercial? Something needed to be done.
I’m educated, keep my house relatively clean, know what my son is doing at almost every given moment, care deeply about him and his studies, monitor his assignments and ensure he’s done his homework, talk to him about his day every day, and basically otherwise perform as a normal mother. I read extensively, and I truly don’t spend every single waking moment in front of the television. But after nights like the one described above, where I fall in and don’t emerge from the haze until bedtime, I really feel like I'm one wifebeater away from a pretty lowbrow existence. And I’m starting to see the same pattern in my son.
So I have disconnected the cable. As I write this, it hasn’t happened yet, and I spend approximately 7 seconds every hour trying to convince myself that having the basic channels would be okay. Which is just, in my opinion, more proof that it needs to be done. We are stuck in a rut, and we both need enough time to develop a new pattern. Hopefully, it will be one in which the television is an afterthought, rather than the first thought.
We’ll see. This may be an appropriate topic for some “State of the State” addresses in the future, as our days loom long without mindless entertainment.
Son's view:
I think that not having the T.V. is the stupidest idea in the world. I can’t watch my sports shows. My mom can’t watch her shows. I think my mom made a mistake. I mean I will not have T.V. and she won’t have T.V. either so it’s like she’s grounding herself. Honestly I think that’s she’s going to want the T.V. on more than I want it on.
Mom's view of son's view:
He may be right.
Movie Review: Whip It
We saw this movie last Saturday.
Mom's Review:
First of all, I love a good girl power movie. I also love a good Drew Barrymore movie because generally, I really enjoy the way her movies are styled. Even though I thought the story was pretty standard – one of those “be yourself coming of age moms and daughters and strangely understanding dad who steps in as the empathetic figure ala Bend it Like Beckham,” I liked it. I liked the visuals, I liked the fast pace, and I liked the way it felt. It reminded me of being young and trying to be subversive and different and unique.
I saw this with ________ (this is how my son will be identified because he chose “Eric” as his fake name, and then some weird name like “Milky,” and neither one of those works for me), obviously, and I have to say it was a little uncomfortable because there weren’t any overtly sexual scenes or anything, it was certainly implied when (SPOILER ALERT!!!) Ellen Page and that skinny guy were swimming and taking each other’s clothes off. And when she later emphasized the fact that she’d given him “everything,” it led to uncomfortable questions and a lecture and ________ ultimately looking like he wanted to throw himself out of the car rather than listen to me talk anymore.
That aside, I like exposing him to stories of lives that are different than those in our own little suburbia. Where we live, it all seems very uniform to me. I’m sure that’s only facially true, that if you get to know people a little more they all have a story, but it seems like there’s this big suburbia party line and if you aren’t on it, you aren’t living. And if that isn’t true, then why do they make so many movies about finding yourself and being comfortable with your originality?
Of course, it’s not really a stretch to make roller derby cool. Chicks in makeup skating around and flinging each other into walls is pretty alright in almost everyone’s book. But what if Ellen Page had been into stamp collecting or entomology, or Entenman’s cookies, for that matter? What about then? I want to see someone really throw off the shackles of normality and make it seem great. That would be excellent.
Another thing that seriously bugged me was when Ellen Page first talked to someone on the roller derby team about tryouts and said that the last time she wore a pair of skates they had Barbie on them. Then, when she decides to try out, she pulls out that very pair of skates. And somehow they still fit? Who is wearing Barbie on their skates when their feet have stopped growing? Are we supposed to believe that Ellen Page’s feet were abnormally huge when she was a Barbie-loving child? The inclusion of the Barbie skates was insane, in my opinion. It seems like there would have been a million other contrivances that could have been used to get a pair of okay fitting skates into her hands before the big tryouts that would have made a semblance of sense. I think someone thought the Barbie skates image would be funny and got WAY too invested. Just my opinion.
Overall, though, it was a good flick. Definitely watchable, and maybe even more than once.
Son's Review:
My review of whip-it is that I thought that the movie was extremely funny. I mean, girls roller-skating and pretty much “murdering” each other. Also I like how the mom is a postal service lady and she’s taking her daughters to beauty pageants. Turns out that she was a beauty pageant winner. I also liked how her best friend was an under aged drinker. But a kid - that’s not like you can do that. So don’t. I also liked birdman because he was like a waiter in a nobody town that thinks getting promoted at the worst fast-food restraunt is, well a big deal. I think it’s a big deal if you get a raise.
Mom's Review:
First of all, I love a good girl power movie. I also love a good Drew Barrymore movie because generally, I really enjoy the way her movies are styled. Even though I thought the story was pretty standard – one of those “be yourself coming of age moms and daughters and strangely understanding dad who steps in as the empathetic figure ala Bend it Like Beckham,” I liked it. I liked the visuals, I liked the fast pace, and I liked the way it felt. It reminded me of being young and trying to be subversive and different and unique.
I saw this with ________ (this is how my son will be identified because he chose “Eric” as his fake name, and then some weird name like “Milky,” and neither one of those works for me), obviously, and I have to say it was a little uncomfortable because there weren’t any overtly sexual scenes or anything, it was certainly implied when (SPOILER ALERT!!!) Ellen Page and that skinny guy were swimming and taking each other’s clothes off. And when she later emphasized the fact that she’d given him “everything,” it led to uncomfortable questions and a lecture and ________ ultimately looking like he wanted to throw himself out of the car rather than listen to me talk anymore.
That aside, I like exposing him to stories of lives that are different than those in our own little suburbia. Where we live, it all seems very uniform to me. I’m sure that’s only facially true, that if you get to know people a little more they all have a story, but it seems like there’s this big suburbia party line and if you aren’t on it, you aren’t living. And if that isn’t true, then why do they make so many movies about finding yourself and being comfortable with your originality?
Of course, it’s not really a stretch to make roller derby cool. Chicks in makeup skating around and flinging each other into walls is pretty alright in almost everyone’s book. But what if Ellen Page had been into stamp collecting or entomology, or Entenman’s cookies, for that matter? What about then? I want to see someone really throw off the shackles of normality and make it seem great. That would be excellent.
Another thing that seriously bugged me was when Ellen Page first talked to someone on the roller derby team about tryouts and said that the last time she wore a pair of skates they had Barbie on them. Then, when she decides to try out, she pulls out that very pair of skates. And somehow they still fit? Who is wearing Barbie on their skates when their feet have stopped growing? Are we supposed to believe that Ellen Page’s feet were abnormally huge when she was a Barbie-loving child? The inclusion of the Barbie skates was insane, in my opinion. It seems like there would have been a million other contrivances that could have been used to get a pair of okay fitting skates into her hands before the big tryouts that would have made a semblance of sense. I think someone thought the Barbie skates image would be funny and got WAY too invested. Just my opinion.
Overall, though, it was a good flick. Definitely watchable, and maybe even more than once.
Son's Review:
My review of whip-it is that I thought that the movie was extremely funny. I mean, girls roller-skating and pretty much “murdering” each other. Also I like how the mom is a postal service lady and she’s taking her daughters to beauty pageants. Turns out that she was a beauty pageant winner. I also liked how her best friend was an under aged drinker. But a kid - that’s not like you can do that. So don’t. I also liked birdman because he was like a waiter in a nobody town that thinks getting promoted at the worst fast-food restraunt is, well a big deal. I think it’s a big deal if you get a raise.
The Rules.
The rules are as follows:
1. For each post, a topic will be chosen. The topics will be varied, and may involve a political issue, movie, social event, or virtually anything else that might strike up a conversation.
2. Posts will be anonymous, since one of us might want to run for office one day.
3. We won't talk about the issue on which we are posting nor see each other's posts until we are both done. That way, the opinions will be solely those of the writer.
5. Posts will be clearly identified as "Mom's view" and "Son's view".
6. We can respond to the other person's post after it's been written as much as we want, via a responsive post.
Mom's predictions for the blog are this: First, I think my son's posts will become better and more thoughtful over time. I'm not sure how long he'll last, though, so it may very well be that this project is shortlived. I hope not, because I think that if we stick with it, we'll learn quite a lot about each other.
1. For each post, a topic will be chosen. The topics will be varied, and may involve a political issue, movie, social event, or virtually anything else that might strike up a conversation.
2. Posts will be anonymous, since one of us might want to run for office one day.
3. We won't talk about the issue on which we are posting nor see each other's posts until we are both done. That way, the opinions will be solely those of the writer.
5. Posts will be clearly identified as "Mom's view" and "Son's view".
6. We can respond to the other person's post after it's been written as much as we want, via a responsive post.
Mom's predictions for the blog are this: First, I think my son's posts will become better and more thoughtful over time. I'm not sure how long he'll last, though, so it may very well be that this project is shortlived. I hope not, because I think that if we stick with it, we'll learn quite a lot about each other.
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