True Story Tuesday - Arranged Marriage

I'm participating in True Story Tuesday along with several other blogger friends. First, a teeny bit of background. Many of my embarrassing stories (or seemingly embarrassing ones) will star my mother. When we were youngsters, it seemed to be her mission to embarrass us. Many people believe this to be true of their mothers, I know. In the case of my mom, I am sure of it. I am not convinced that being exposed to embarrassment at an early age builds character. Let's just say that as a result of some of the things she has said to me in public, I'm pretty dang hard to embarrass. This true story didn't actually embarrass me. I had enough experience that I saw it coming. So you be the judge, was mom on a mission of embarrassment or just a well intentioned man-hunt?

This one takes us way back to the 20th century. The year was 1998 and I was a freshman in college. Actually, technically, I wasn't quite yet. I was leaving home for the first time and my parents were seeing me off by toting my stuff a couple hundred miles south and staying for two days of "freshman parent classes" at my school's freshman orientation week.

The second day all the freshman and their parents attended a meeting where the student body council and their advisors introduced themselves. I went to a private christian school and the joke was that many parents sent their children (especially their daughters) there to get married. So at the end of his introduction, the faculty advisor said, "And moms and dads, I also want you to know that I did, in fact, meet my lovely wife when I was a student here." Everyone chuckled. It was a good joke. So for a little laugh, at the end of HIS introduction the ASB president said, "And like our mentor Tim, I hope to meet my wife here." Everyone chuckled. It was a good joke the second time too.

That evening there was an all campus Bar-B-Q as a last goodbye meal for the parents to have with their freshmen before they all took their empty station wagons and paraded off campus until the time came to move all that junk home for the summer. Everyone, absolutely everyone was at the Bar-B-Q that evening. I was standing in line with my parents. Not more than 20 feet away my mom notices Mr. ASB Pres himself. I see the light turn on in her eyes, a plan is forming... She looks at me and says as loudly as she can without yelling, "Hey Shell, there's that boy who's looking for a wife. Maybe you should go put in your application!"

Now don't get me wrong. My mother is not some maniacal Mommy Dearest looking for every opportunity to make her children feel small of insignificant. She is, to this day, one of my very best friends and spiritual mentors. It's just that Mom doesn't take herself too seriously, and she didn't think that we should either. She always thought that if we couldn't laugh at ourselves, we certainly had no right to laugh at others - even in fun. By the time that event took place, I'd learned her life lesson well, which is why my response was something like a calm, "I'll do it tomorrow Mom." and not a screaming sprint in the other direction. Mom is really good at laughing at herself too. But that's a story for another day. :-)