Mother's Day, A Curmudgeon's Perspective

I always thought Mothers Day was a time to honor Mom, make her breakfast and let her lounge around the house and enjoy the quiet. Not where I am. Currently there are two lawn mowers and one edger cranking out the decibels. Inside is a 9 year old practicing every annoying sound and squeal one can imagine while his Mom finds relief inside her headphones. In another room is the shrill of a relentless alarm clock trying to wake up a 24 year old slacker at 2pm in the afternoon. I was downstairs with the front door and a window open, smoking a cigar and trying to watch a movie. I gave up on that one and came up to my office where I now have my headphones on cranking out Live Bullet by Bob Seger. If I am going to have loud noise at least it will be my own.

As I waddle through time I have discovered that true riches are not found in a fat bank account or a stack of gold bars. True riches for this old curmudgeon are, privacy and quiet. I find it ironic that when I lived in a small two bedroom downstairs apartment I had more room and more quiet. Live in a house with empty rooms and people come knocking on your door looking for a place to live. My wife and I dream of the day when it is just us. That time is now sooner than later. An exit strategy is in the works.

My wife is at work so it is not much of a Mothers Day for her. I'm 2400 miles away from my Mom, but my good friend Arnold put flowers on her grave. Our parents are buried a few feet apart. So with that I guess I will stop bitching and moaning. If things get louder I just might jump in my truck, drive out to the airport and park next to a runway and enjoy the quiet. Happy Mothers Day.