I had
the meanest mother in the whole world. While other kids ate
candy for breakfast, I had to have cereal, eggs or toast. When others had cokes and candy
for lunch, I had to eat a sandwich. As you can guess, my supper was different than the
other kids' also.
But at least, I wasn't alone in my sufferings. My sister and two
brothers had the same mean mother as I did.
My mother insisted upon knowing where we were at all times. You'd think
we were on a chain gang. She had to know who our friends were and where we were going. She
insisted if we said we'd be gone an hour, that we be gone one hour or less--not one hour
and one minute. I am nearly ashamed to admit it, but she actually struck us. Not once, but
each time we had a mind of our own and did as we pleased. That poor belt was used more on
our seats than it was to hold up Daddy's pants. Can you imagine someone actually hitting a
child just because he disobeyed? Now you can begin to see how mean she really was.
We had to wear clean clothes and take a bath. The other kids always wore
their clothes for days. We reached the height of insults because she made our clothes
herself, just to save money. Why, oh why, did we have to have a mother who made us feel
different from our friends?
The worst is yet to come. We had to be in bed by nine each night
and up at eight the next morning. We couldn't sleep till noon like our friends. So while
they slept-my mother actually had the nerve to break the child-labor law. She made us
work. We had to wash dishes, make beds, learn to cook and all sorts of cruel things. I
believe she laid awake at night thinking up mean things to do to us.
She always insisted upon us telling the truth, the whole truth and
nothing but the truth, even if it killed us- and it nearly did.
By the time we were teen-agers, she was much wiser, and our life became
even more unbearable. None of this tooting the horn of a car for us to come running. She
embarrassed us to no end by making our dates and friends come to the door to get us. If I
spent the night with a girlfriend, can you imagine she checked on me to see if I were
really there. I never had the chance to elope to Mexico. That is if I'd had a boyfriend to
elope with. I forgot to mention, while my friends were dating at the mature age of 12 and
13, my old fashioned mother refused to let me date until the age of 15 and 16. Fifteen,
that is, if you dated only to go to a school function. And that was maybe twice a year.
Through the years, things didn't improve a bit. We could not lie
in bed, "sick" like our friends did, and miss school. If our friends
had a toe ache, a hang nail or serious ailment, they could stay home from school. Our
marks in school had to be up to par. Our friends' report cards had beautiful colors on
them, black for passing, red for failing. My mother being as different as she was, would
settle for nothing less than ugly black marks.
As the years rolled by, first one and then the other of us was put
to shame. We were graduated from high school. With our mother behind us, talking, hitting
and demanding respect, none of us was allowed the pleasure of being a drop-out.
My mother was a complete failure as a mother. Out of four
children, a couple of us attained some higher education. None of us have ever been
arrested, divorced or beaten his mate. Each of my brothers served his time in the service
of this country. And whom do we have to blame for the terrible way we turned out? You're
right, our mean mother. Look at the things we missed. We never got to march in a protest
parade, nor to take part in a riot, burn draft cards, and a million and one other things
that our friends did.
She forced us to grow up into God-fearing, educated, honest adults.
Using this as a background, I am trying to raise my three
children. I stand a little taller and I am filled with pride when my
children call me mean.
Because, you see, I thank God,
He gave me the meanest mother in the whole world.
