Her Life in Mine

My mother has always been the strongest personality in my life. She’s tough inside and out, but that doesn’t mean she lacks basic human emotion. She has been her own boss for as long as I remember, which makes her responsible for her 25 employees, requiring that “stern yet compassionate” personality type.

I’ve always known she was a child of the army, and that her life has been anything but easy; however when I went through his interview with her, key pieces of her personality began to make more sense. In my house growing up, I had a lot of say in what my life would be like. I was allowed to join any sport I wished to be apart of, and I had the most say in what we could have for dinner. As a kid, this had little to no meaning, however, as I’ve grown up, I realize that my life has been quite different from that of many of my peers. I’ve had privileges that most kids have never had access to, and going through this interview with my mom, I now know why.

She said it herself, “It was incredibly important to me to bring the kids up in a nice suburban town that afforded them the kinds of stability I never had.” My mom wanted my brother, sister, and I to have everything she missed in life that she wishes she had. This can be anything from a college education to a short career in figure skating. I am a friend with all of my neighbors, and if I need to borrow a cup of sugar, I am never short of help. However, my mom grew up within a life where you were required to be self-reliant. It was very eat-or-be-eaten.

Although I have always had people there to support me, my mother has made sure that I can also be very self-reliant.  She sent me off to school knowing that I could do things on my own, and still enjoy aspects of life back in Burlingame, California. One thing I recall my mom telling me about her childhood was that when she lived in South Lake Tahoe, she had to walk a mile to elementary school alone daily. Of course, times were different then. Parent’s weren’t always so paranoid about their children being taken, and there was much more leniency; however, I can’t imagine my mom allowing me as a 10 year old to walk more than 2 blocks by myself.

What stood out to me most during my mom’s interview was the piece about her being belted as a child. Again, times were different, but that doesn’t mean that things like that don’t stick with you. She allowed my siblings and I to question her methods, even though she knew she ultimately had the power of saying “because I said so”, and I believe that this is the reason I sometimes question the ways of others to this day. Most of all, my mother wanted to teach us respect, yet still have our own opinions. I see this in my life quite often, actually. If I feel that a teacher isn’t being fair, I will tell them in the nicest way possible. (But if that doesn’t work, you can forget about the smile!) Because of this, I have talked to myself into several higher grades as well as a say in the class agenda. Outside of school, I recall times I used the “speak my mind” card. During “all-star” softball, I was playing 3^rd base, and my friend was pitching. She wasn’t doing very well, and the other team composed of 15 ten-year old girls kept yelling “BALL, BALL, BALL! GOODEYE!” I could tell that Morgan, my teammate, was close to tears, so I began making snarky remarks back. Whenever Morgan would throw a strike, I’d let the other team know. My coach eventually had to talk to me, and I could see my mom doing her best to not laugh in the stands. While I probably took speaking my mind a little too far, I am still proud that I have the ability to let people know what I am thinking, and speak my mind when I think people aren’t doing the right thing. This is the most important thing my mom has ever taught me, and I will be able to continue to use it to my ability throughout my whole life.

My mom’s hard life has been the ultimate learning experience for me, because I have been able to surpass those life lessons and quickly adapt them to my own life. We have lived completely different lives yet somehow grown into very similar people. 

Grandfather, Bart Johnson, and his A4 Jet, Vietnam War