Mercedes Mom

She is the Mercedes Mom. That is what I call her. I guess she could call me the Honda Mom. How sad that I am identifying her by the car she drives. You see, I don’t know her name.

She and I spend an hour together each week. We both walk into the gymnasium. We glance at each other and say hi as we find our separate seats on the metal bleachers.

She pulls out her Kindle. I pull out my magazine or my blackberry.

My young son asks her young son to play.

She and I exchange smiles.

We continue reading in our own worlds.

My older son and her older son follow the instructions for their p.e.-type class.

The little girls who think they “own the place” cause a bit of trouble in the bleacher area. Mercedes Mom and I glance at each other. We each shake our heads and roll our eyes.

Our boys get a little loud. We both tell them to make sure to quiet down. They start running on the bleachers. “Stop and find a place to sit,” we both caution.

Mercedes Mom and I seem to be very similar except for the one comment she made a few weeks ago.

“I detest this hour,” she said in her frazzled voice.

I cringed. I know frazzled. I often feel frazzled, but I actually enjoy this hour. I enjoy watching my son thrive in his class. I enjoy watching for his thumbs up signal. I enjoy watching my younger son as he meets new friends and makes sure he brings enough “good guys and bad guys” action figures for his friends waiting on the bleachers. I enjoy sitting with a magazine or my phone and just being in the moment.

Detest is not the word I would have chosen. Maybe we aren’t that similar. Maybe she has a much deeper story behind her word choice.

Maybe this week I will ask her name.

I’m attempting to take part in the “The Fifth Annual Slice of Life Story Challenge” through the month of March. The challenge is run by Two Writing Teachers.

Posted

March 5, 2012

Slice of Life, writing

jessica

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Comments

10 responses to “Mercedes Mom”

Mary Helen

March 5, 2012

Looking for the thumbs up signal- yes, that is such a special moment. I hope you will be able to connect with the other mom and that you positiveness will be a model for her. Enjoy the moments! I enjoyed your creative thoughts here.

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Maria

March 5, 2012

Love this slice! I am with you. While I hate to leave the house (and maybe something within that caused her comment), I do enjoy the time to quietly read while I wait during a lesson or a sporting event. That way there is no laundry to do or dishes to clean up. At least none that I can see.

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Carol

March 5, 2012

I love this piece in several different ways. First, it reminds me of the zillion hours I have spent sitting in gyms, waiting for my sons, now almost out of high school, to finish their basketball practices. Second, I love the short paragraphs, the parallel structure of what Mercedes mom is doing and you are doing, then how you kind of share the experience. Your ending totally surprised me. Like you, I was sometimes tired, sometimes wished I could go home, but I never detested any hour I spent with my kids. Hope you really do end up talking to her, and finding out her name, and maybe even posting about your conversation, so the rest of us can know more…

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pamelafernuikhodges

March 5, 2012

Love the short sentences.
“I detest this hour,” she said in her frazzled voice. This sentence says so much about her. Her choice of words, and how she said it.
I want more!! What is her name? What is her story?

Reply
Jill

March 5, 2012

Please be sure to update us on her name!!! 🙂

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Katie

March 5, 2012

Very interesting. I wonder why? Perhaps she is lonely? Perhaps it will take you to help her enjoy the time with a new friend. Or she might just be a snot. But I guess there’s only one way to find out!

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Lee Ann Spillane

March 5, 2012

I wonder if she feels socially awkward or if she doesn’t like the racket of kids at play. I enjoyed your description. I’ve been that reading Mom on the bleachers in the gym several times. If not the Mercedes, how else could you describe this Mom? I wonder what her name is! Or what she does like about her forays into her child’s world?

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Mardie

March 5, 2012

Like Lee Ann, I’m wondering if she was embarrassed at having to tell her son to be quiet or if she just wanted to make contact but was a little awkward. I really liked the way you did a little back-and-forth between what she did and what you did. “She pulls out her Kindle. I pull out my magazine or my blackberry. My young son asks her young son to play. She and I exchange smiles.” It made helped me to visualize, to compare and contrast.

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Kari

March 5, 2012

I love everything about this post, from the parallels between you and Mercedes Mom to her shocking statement, to your wondering about her story. My favorite line in your slice is your last…showing your resolve (to figure her out)and your hope that perhaps there’s more to her than a disappointing comment.

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Kellylou

March 5, 2012

I can’t wait to hear more about this story! 🙂

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