Had To Be Honest Tonight With Mother....

[rsmith6621]

As some of you already know I commute 4200 miles each week to and from my job to spend time at home with my wife and kitty cat and to stay in touch with my mom who is in her mid 80's the best I can.

Tonight while on a call to my mom she I was telling her that on Monday I flew past the bridge that collapsed in Minneapolis and was telling her that it is a horribly awesome sight to see...her sister crossed the bridge just hours before. She was angry that the Feds did not take better care of the maintenance on the bridge then I piped in and said MOM!..the reason they didn't is because **** is spending 12 billion buckaroos a month in Iraq and then I said much of the nations infrastructure is suffering as a result and we are borrowing money from China to fight em there so we don't have to fight em here.

In my conversation I mentioned to her that much of the money the **** administration pledged to NOLA hasn't been sent to help rebuild and perhaps help her first cousins family who lost two in Katrina could have begin the healing process. We talked about other things and then she asked what my plans looked like for the next month and I told her I was planing on going to DC on the 15th to participate in the march and her reply was why don't you just leave it alone and let it work itself out besides she said I should be resting on my weekend and that I stood a chance of getting arrested......I said Mom!!! I'm going to protect my freedom see when you don't speak up against WRONG you begin to live your life much like you are living yours at the present....SECURE....BUT!!!...Not FREE.

I hate to say it but I hope those words toss and turn in her head before she can rest and get a good night sleep.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. I truly hope she is capable of hearing you...

I have my doubts.

But I don't know her, so perhaps she will be able to absorb what you said...

K&R

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. Mine has said similar things

but out of true worry

She is your mother after all

[saracat]

3. Good for you.But I have gotta say, I get the same reaction from my elderly relatives.

I think they feel that they have seen it all and it isn't going to make a difference.As one ages family and home take precedence. They seem to want a little domestic peace above all.But maybe this will make her think and revive her spirit!

[EFerrari]

4. It's difficult to stay honest with elderly parents because we want

to not upset them.

Good for you for reaching out to your mom. Whether she gets it or not, she will most likely get your effort to stay close to her. :toast:

[Gabi Hayes]

5. this brings back SO many memories of my grandmother, with whom

I lived until 2004

she was completely a character of her earlier life, during which she never thought for herself, but finally in her last three or four years, she started to realize JUST how corrupt and dangerous the likes of Limbaugh (to whom she listened every day), and the criminals for whom he and his ilk shilled, are

she was a news consumer, wrote letters to various reporters, media personalities (Brian Lamb was her favorite, and he responded to a letter she wrote him--a result of my talking to him on WashJournal and telling him about her...she was over 100 at the time)

your final sentence is painful to read, because I harangued her quite often, to the point of heated argument, and feel somewhat guilty about it today, so please take it easy on your mom. dunno if it's worth it, although enlightenment is the ultimate goal, yes, and age shouldn't matter

btw, my grandmother was about 105 when she finally started seeing the light, and made it a day beyond her 109th birthday....so don't give up, but be gentle with her

[twenty4blackbirds]

6. "...getting arrested..."

Without being there, but having been in similar talks with my parental unit, I think she's showing her concern for you. So if it helps to handle future discussion, I suggest that you can acknowledge her caring and love for you and also let her know that you love her and respectfully disagree on how a citizen should participate in securing freedom.

icbw in which case I am sorry that I have jumped to the wrong conclusions.