The Bridges of Madison County opened in theaters today. After my hard day at work, I decided to go see it this evening. Mom wanted to go with me, so I let her. She was excited; she finally got the chance to do something.
It was a wonderful picture. My mom cried.
As the credits rolled, we went out the exit near the screen, but then we took a wrong door and ended up on the other side of the mall. We had to walk around
And there, in an isolated and empty parking lot, I walked with my mom, a woman a little over 40, and I asked, “Mom, has Kevin or Nate or I ever stopped you from being who you wanted to be?”
She said, “No, but your father did.”
She began to cry.
Painful memories I suppose. But it was then that I realized that at one point in my mother’s life, she actually loved my father. That was so long ago.
I watched her as she pulled her keys out of her purse to unlock the car door and begin her journey towards our home and her world of detail and procedures.
June 2, 1994…if only I knew…
June 2, 1993…I difficult night, but now I don’t know why…
June 2, 1995…my first grade teacher recognized me today at McDonald’s. It had been 12 years since she last saw me. How could she have even recognized me? But to her, she said I hadn’t changed much.
I always hear older people reflecting upon their youth and telling wonderful little stories.
I learned today that all of my youthful little stories have already been conjured up and written down. The story of how I grew up cannot be re-written.
And now I will lay my down to sleep. Only to wake up to another day of fast food procedure.
Perhaps there are bridges in Crestview.
20yearsagoblog 