DEAR MY DAUGHTER'S MIDDLE SCHOOL

How can a school and its teachers fail so miserably at engaging children who come through the doors enthused and filled with wonder on the first day of school? I drove them there. I know they were open and vulnerable and joyous. But you closed that door by treating them like they are three grades younger than they are; by assuming the worst of their capabilities, their motives, and their behavoir; by asking for information from them that can be used against them later; by reciting rules and promising punishment; by aiming to control instead of to TEACH; by assigning drone-like assignments and busy work ALREADY to tie up their activity time outside of school; by destroying their spirts and stomping on their passions. How did you achieve ALL OF THAT in one day? ANY teacher who did any one of these things today (I have the names of 2 of you), please retire or find another job. Jobs are hard to come by and parents are tired of paying for you to squelch what is beautiful in our children. So change your attitudes TONIGHT. Or it's on. Got it?

To The Man I Said I Did and Still Do - 25 years

25 years ago, thousands of days ago, blue jeans with heels and t-shirts ago, streets ago, bars ago, a volvo and a pacer ago, books ago and records ago, beers and bottles ago, layers and layers ago, keys and strings ago, cigarettes and wings ago, snow and rain ago, sun and sea ago, mothers and fathers ago, so many friends ago, rings ago, locs ago, pounds ago, and prayers ago, trips and hips ago, malls and halls ago, jobs ago, miles ago, our baby ago and toddler ago, strollers and boppies ago, a girl now a young woman ago, hellos and goodbyes ago, homes ago, cities ago, dogs and cats ago, hamsters ago and fish ago, snow and sweat ago, billboards ago, so much music ago, stages ago, pages ago, blogs ago and bands ago, here ago, there ago, pains ago and joy ago, the truth ago and healing ago, love and smiles ago, thousands of days ago, just 25 years ago.



I love you, George.
Thank you for a lifetime of love,
a lovetime of laughter,
and a forever of remembering.
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, BABY!

August 9, 1986 - 20011

Buy Low?

I'm just sayin'.

HA!

I'm back in! I was locked out of this blog for a while by I don't know what google-blogger phenomenon. I could write, but the "publish" button was just dead. I said yes to something or other and here we are!

Seven years ago on these hallowed pages when I quit smoking I kept accountable to my dear blog friends by posting regularly. You'll be glad to know I'm still smoke free. So when someone asks me how I quit, I always mention blogging.

Who else is around doing this stuff these days? And how do I get rid of years worth of comment spam? Or don't I?

germinting memories - social media marketing done right in hindsight

I have an interesting view of mommy blogging because I started blogging in 2001 as a mommy before there were 'mommy bloggers.' While early blogging was therapeutic, the best thing I got from the experience were a gaggle of great friends I still have today. And what I will always have from the experience are great memories.

REMEMBERING THE CAR-VAN

Back in 2007, Dodge ran a campaign to get mom bloggers into their new 2008 Dodge Grand Caravans, and I was lucky enough to be one of the few moms to plop my then-9-year-old and her friends into the coolest van on the planet for a week (she remembers it as a month) for free courtesy of Dodge and Matchstick Marketing, which named me one of Atlanta's 50 most influential women bloggers. [shut up and stop giggling; I clean up nice.]

No I am not kidding, someone actually brought me a luxury vehicle and put it in my driveway free of charge AND the next day the car started by itself (back in the day when I didn't know anyone who had a car that started by itself or who had satellite radio).

We LOVED having that van. I blogged the experience not because they told me to or required it, but because it was so much fun taking preteen girls around town as they sat at the table in the back and squeeled with delight that I had to write about it.

I am laughing out loud just now remembering how Jenna kept pronouncing it as "car-van" instead of Carivan.

SO WHAT DID DODGE GET OUT OF IT?

In using our experience for their early social media marketing efforts, Dodge didn't convert a sale; they didn't gain a spokesperson. Nor did they make me famous or give me money.

They did something way smarter - they gave my family a memory.

They gave an ordinary mom a cape and made her a super hero and she didn't forget.

They gave an ordinary kid a ride through time she never forgot.

And they made that 9-year-old a fan before she even knew enough about cars to care.

CUT TO 2011...

Even though the video is still on YouTube, it was four years ago. Next year she-who-loved-the-car-van-most-of-all will be driving.

This passage of time is most interesting of all because:

1) I am still driving my same old car I was then. It's turning 10 years old.

2) I am looking to buy a car next week.

3) After scouring car lot after car lot, sitting in Infinities and Flexes and Sequoias and Explorers and Elements and more, I still hadn't found "the" car as of yesterday.

4) Jenna came car shopping with me yesterday, saw the Grand Caravan from a distance among hundreds of other cars, and ran to it like an old lost favorite blankie -- she peered in the tinted windows and yelled: THIS IS IT! THIS IS THE 2008 DODGE CARAVAN WE DROVE FOR A MONTH!

5) I said, no, a week, not a month. She said, YES it was a MONTH, and according to her imaginary wish clock it was. And she was sure it might even be the same van, even though I'm pretty sure it wasn't.

7) I am going to test-drive it (re-test-drive-it?). I half expect to see old McDonalds fries she left under the seat.

8) I am really considering buying it.

DECONSTRUCTING SOCIAL MEDIA PROMOTION

I have learned several things:

It felt great to be valued.

It felt even better to be shown value.

Mommy bloggers, they never really wanted you - they came for your babies.

If you want a customer later, make a memory with them now.

We really did win.

Dear Spaminators, I think not.

No I didn't stop blogging.

I'm just on a sabbatical.

So don't think you're going to get my login by clicking 'forgot my password.'

you wrong for that.

ON TO OTHER THINGS:

We lost a good friend this week: Danny, I can hear your laugh now - the one that came from your gut, you leaning back slightly. And I'm so sorry for all the pain this world dished out to you. I am grateful - so grateful - you came into our lives, and that you saw the glimmer of hope before you left.

.

So, Yeah...

Happy 9th Birthday to my blog and to the Class of 2001. You know who you are. ;-)

In other news, I passed two people on my mall walk today. That's a record!!!

Jenna said: "Mom, I think I see a muscle in one of your legs!"

Run and tell THAT.