: one that is old-fashioned, unimaginative, or conservative
I am a fuddy–duddy.
In high school, cool teenagers place all mothers in a stereotypical mold. To a teenager, a mother has too many strict rules; crosses her brow too often; never lets you have any fun; and drives a minivan.
As a college student, our perception of mom changes. The child becomes grateful for the mother’s sacrifices; better understands why her brow was crossed often; yet she still drives a minivan. In college, you also swear you’ll never be THAT mom (you know: ‘the minivan one…’).
Yesterday, I became THAT mom. Kicking and screaming, I entered into the world of AMVOOA (Anonymous Mini-Van Owners of America.) Yet, somehow, I don’t think I’ll be able to anonymously drive something down the road that (in my mind) is about as honkin’ as a semi.
It’s funny how our perception and reality adjusts as we get older. ***Spoiler Alert: This is my “I-acknowledge-that-I’m-a-terrible-person admission of the day.***Prior to having Pierson, I saw dirty kids in the grocery store and swore I’d never be THAT mom. My kids would ALWAYS be clean and well groomed. HA! It doesn’t matter how often I change Pierson’s clothes (sometimes several times a day), he still looks like I dragged him through the dirt cycle of a washing machine, if there was such a cycle. My new standard: He’s clean if there’s about a dime-size spotless area on his outfit.
After all, Newton’s First Law aptly applies to my child. I think it goes something like this: Every (messy) object in a state of uniform motion stays in motion until it lands on Pierson’s shirt.
I’ve given up caring.
Our reality definitely shifts–I know mine has. I’ve become more understanding of mom’s with scraggly-lookin’ kids, and have given up my judgemental ways. So, the next time you see a messy kid in Kroger, smile. I promise the kid has been bathed recently. And the next time you see a lady driving a minivan, don’t judge. If she’s anything like me, she’s probably imagining she’s driving a Mini Cooper and is still cool. So, you should too.
