Mom Was Right

It's taken forty years for me to say that. Really.

(The photo to the right is of my gorgeous baby sister Amy and my mom back in November at my middle sister Cat's wedding. My mom looks GREAT for 66, dontcha think??)

Anyway, back in 1984, when I was a junior in high school, mom knew I loved art and design. I remember the harrowing experience of course selection. Which courses? Which electives? I took education very seriously then (still do). And of course, I thought I knew best. In art class, my teacher Ms. Chiampa wheeled out a neat contraption called a Mac. Wow. We sure had fun , each of us students taking turn during class time and playing with the computer's graphic features. Of course I went home and told my mom.

Senior year was fast approaching, and the usual questions came. What will be your major? (I'd already picked a college)

"ComPEWter graphiCSSSS," Mom would say. "You need to study comPEWter graphicCSSSS." (My sisters and brothers-in-law will understand the intended enunciation.)

"Sure, mom."

A few years later, I was still an art major and had transferred to a college back home because of finances. One of the professors was known for her computer design courses.

"I still think you should study grrraphicccsss."

"Right, mom." I took every other art course except computer graphics.

When I think about the fledgling computer industry over 20 years ago, I realize it was still very new. I didn't have the foresight to know that the future has become all about computers.

Where would I be if I'd listened to Mom? Kind of like that movie where the kid goes back in time and tells his old friend. "Yahoo. When you decide to buy stock one day, buy Yahoo." And so in the future, his pal is a multimillionaire for listening to his friend.

And somehow mom knew that computers would one day revolutionize every area of her lives. Or at least knew how to point her kids in the right direction. No, she didn't know everything. She wasn't right about everything (which far too often I smugly tried not to remind her). But in this case, mom was right.

I love my life and feel that I've been blessed in spite of myself. And mom has cheered me on, every step of the way. Thanks, mom!!