Interpretation by Jacki Mitchell
My mom had this week’s poem framed and perched on table in her bedroom. It made her laugh, but I think she also liked the idea of drawing a line and being true to yourself, two things she learned how to do more fully for herself later in life.
As a parent her lines were pretty solid. No, you can’t stay out past midnight. Yes, you’ll make your bed and do other mundane but necessary daily chores. No, you can’t see your boyfriend more than once a weekend and he definitely is not allowed in your room. Yes, you’ll eat the disgusting hamburger helper on your plate like it or not. No, you’d better not go to any parties and get caught drinking. Yes, you’ll be grounded for life if you do go to parties and get caught drinking.
Seriously. (Insert dreaded shake-of-the-finger here)
Her parental lines inspired me to draw my own lines. Mine went something like, turn off the lights if you’re not using them! Don’t leave the water on when you brush your teeth! Do you really need to use that much toilet paper?
FYI: That last question has become a poignant one during this pandemic.
My absolutes have always tended toward planet and climate-awareness. It seems natural to think about and care about how I treat the place that gives me, and literally everything else, life. I have no space for any other argument so don’t even try. It’s kind of a “my way or the highway” outlook on planetary justice. It’s my own firm line and, yes, it gets run over like roadkill about every zillisecond. Obviously I can’t shake a finger and ground anyone for life, but here’s the thing…
Your mother can. 🌍 XO Michelle
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