The Mom is always greener on the other side of the fence.

I had a really wild conversation w/ my Mom I wanted to share. Our conversations (or my story of them) usually went this way:

Alex: “Hello?”
Vilma: “Hello sweetheart, I’m reading this fascinating article on the discovery of pulsars in astronomy & their relation to narrowing down the age of the universe, while watching the military channel w/ one eye & Masterpiece Theater’s stunning rendition of all 23 hours of Wagner’s Gotterdammerung w/ the other. How about You?”
Alex: “Um, That’s nice. Turn on Channel 24. The Girls Next Door is on about Hugh Heffner & his 2 girlfriends & his main squeeze, Holly. Today they’re going to Aspen to ski.”
Vilma: “That sounds odious! How can you waste your time w/ such drivel!”
Alex: “Gee Mom, you’re so judgmental. I wish you could be open to new things. You’re a stinky person. I gotta go, bye.”

But the other day, the conversation went more like this:

Vilma: “Oh, I’m so upset, I have been looking everywhere for the song that Jordin girl sang on American Idol. I think she’s magnificent! And only 17!! Do you know where I can find it? Can you download her performance for me on the Internet? And did you hear about Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt separating b/c she won’t stay home w/ the children. I am aghast!”
Alex: “Ma, what happened to you? Who are you? When was the last time you read Proust or Tolstoy? What happened to the equation of a slope you were working on? How have you sunk so low?”

My reaction was so wild b/c it revealed some funny things to me about myself:

a) be careful what you wish for…
b) Truth is, my Mom is darned if she doesn’t and still darned if she does. When I am being a brat, nothing she can do will please me b/c at that moment I am "un-please-able." How does she put up w/ me when I am being bratty?
c) I can sometimes, once in a while, only on days ending in a “y”, be judgmental... Yup, you heard it here first!

This time, when I saw the brattiness & the judgments, instead of cowering in shame, beating myself up & doing nothing to further our relationship, I started laughing at myself & fessed up to my Mom. We had a good time, relaxed and had fun with each other. Wait till I tell her Brangelina put little Maddox at my old school...