The Mother Of All Top Tens

Last week while in Mexico, I treated myself to a water shiatsu massage.  It appealed to me as it was something I hadn't done before and I was shopping for an interesting experience...I can get a back rub anywhere.  The guy who did the massage had a handful of unusual questions before we got started, the first was if I had ever experienced any sort of accident or trauma in the water.  Nope.  The second was "What do you know or remember about your birthing experience?  About when you came from your mother?"  Okay, so much for small talk, dude.  My answer was that I had absolutely no information about that at all.  But it got me to thinking about mamas and related dramas.
 
I will start by saying that my mother is a kind, wonderful, generous person who has survived seemingly unsurmountable obstacles and remained stylish all the while.  She drives me bananas sometimes, but this is true of most mothers, from what I gather.  She, above all others, is responsible for how I turned out, and I think I turned out pretty well.  Here are the things she taught me without saying a word....the top of the list are charactistics I cherish and adore, the bottom of the list I have written off as pure horse shit.
 
1) Your intellect is very important and you should always be cultivating your brain power.
2) Helping people is a key source of self worth.
3) A winning personality can open a lot of doors.
4) Arts, culture, music, literature, movies bring great joy and empowerment.
5) You should always present the best image you can to others, even if it's all a facade.
6) Growing older is terrible and should be avoided.
7) Money and material possessions should be your utmost priority.
8) Other women are potentially your competition, not your allies, so act accordingly.
9) Men cannot be counted on for anything.
10) You should never be without a man...... making #9 very, very confusing.
 
The lessons you learn from your parents teachings, both through words and actions, make up who you are.  I've grown a great deal by accepting and  rejecting these lessons.....what you choose not to be is as important as what you choose as your identity.   Our mothers teach us how to be women, which is something we should strive to do well.  Not sure how it is for guys, but I've learned the hard way that guys who don't love and respect their mothers are bad news.  
 
Thanks to all who take the time to read this blog...it's proven to be a great outlet for ideas that are bigger than Facebook, which most ideas are, but not enough for other projects.  The days I don't write are in black and white, the days I do are in color.  I used to feel that way about booze, so this is a big lifestyle improvement for me.  Thanks for being part of the colorization of my world.