Mean mother
I HAD the meanest mother in the whole world.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
While other kids ate candy for breakfast, I had to have cereal, eggs or toast.
When others had coke 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, 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 labour 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 teenagers, 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 other such serious ailment, they could stay home from school.
Our marks in school had to be up to par. Our friends’ report cards had beautiful colours 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 another of us was put to shame.
We 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 who 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, 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, that he gave me the meanest mother in the whole world.
ANONYMOUS
Field officers wanted
THE Australian Bureau of Statistics is seeking up to 6900 people to work as field officers for the 2016 Census of Population and Housing on Tuesday, August 9.
Field officers need to be strong communicators who know their community well and are comfortable using technology.
Field officers are as important as ever in the 2016 Census, even though 65 per cent of Australians are expected to complete their Census online.
While most people will complete the Census online, Australia isn’t any smaller and we will still need field officers in every street, in every suburb and every town to both remind and help people complete their Census. Field officers will earn up to $21.61 per hour, receive motor vehicle allowances and enjoy flexible working hours for up to three months.
Applicants must be Australian citizens or have the legal right to work in Australia, and hold a valid driver’s licence.
To view the applicant information kits and to apply online, people can visit www.abs.gov.au/careers. Applications close May 29.
ANNETTE KELLY
Victoria Census Director