Poem and musings on parents

This Be The Verse

They fuck you up, your mum and dad.
   They may not mean to, but they do.
They fill you with the faults they had
   And add some extra, just for you.

But they were fucked up in their turn
   By fools in old-style hats and coats,
Who half the time were soppy-stern
   And half at one another's throats.

Man hands on misery to man.
   It deepens like a coastal shelf.
Get out as early as you can,
   And don't have any kids yourself.

--Philip Larkin (1974)

Disclaimer: This poem is not at all how I feel about my own parents, who are wonderful people and whom I love very much.

I was actually doing a lot of thinking about my parents the other day. Driving up to school, "Loves Me Like a Rock" came on my iPod, and I started to think about how incredibly amazing and lifechanging it is to have parents who really love and support you. It lets me know I can do anything I set my mind to, and there will always be someone who thinks I'm worthwhile.

Of course, if you have the wrong mindset, this could also be a Bad Thing™

If I was President
And the Congress call my name
I'd say "who do ...
Who do you think you're fooling?"
I've got the Presidential Seal
I'm up on the Presidential Podium
My mama loves me

This actually may explain a great deal about US foreign and domestic policy these days.

Later that day, I ran into an old friend from the high school days, P. Last time I saw P, we were in the throes of a rather ungraceful (at least on my part) transition into young adulthood. A decade later, I recognize him coming down the sidewalk and it turns out he's a history teacher now. Hey, cool, history teacher! We chatted a bit and as I headed on, I realized - he and I both work for the same people our parents do, now. So much for adolescent rebellion.

It must have been some kind of an all-parent day, because after running into P, with Paul Simon still in my head, I hopped into my car and headed into Berkeley to meet my folks for dinner. It's a wonderful thing, being friends with your parents. I mean, we still have a bit of the parent/child dynamic going on and always will - but I can talk to them, and they're often the first people I call in emotional crisis. My Mom rolls her eyes a bit at some of my enthusiasms, and my Dad worries about me a little, but mostly it's just damn good to see them, every time. I'm a lucky girl.

Lucky, lucky, lucky.