Drowning in Suburbia

Were All Kids That Stupid?

So, here it is... Saturday night/early Easter Sunday morning and all I can think about is the fact I don't have to set my alarm for tomorrow and get to sleep in. (This last week has been a little crazy for me - but more in that later) And in that thought I couldn't help but remember being a kid where nights like tonight were where I simply couldn't wait to get up in the morning. What the hell was WRONG with me?!

Easter, to a kid who grew up in a pretty non-religious household (Knew what Easter was in terms of Christianity... Just didn't go to church.), was basically like Spring-time Christmas. Only with a lot more candy and only one "gift" that was usually a stuffed rabbit of some form. So naturally I looked forward to it coming as soon as it could. After all, I'm guessing the mentality was along the lines of "The sooner I'm awake, the sooner I get my stuff!"

That thought alone makes me feel bad for my Mother who played the roll of both Santa and the Easter Bunny in my house. For unlike Santa who could eat cookies and set out gifts the night before, no biggie... The Easter Bunny always had the basket filled with candy out... And had hidden the eggs I had colored the day before. Can't exactly go hiding eggs the night prior now can you? Which meant my Mother had to plan to be awake before me to make all this magic happen... And I wanted to get up on a Sunday morning at like 6 am?! Chalk that one up to another unsung "Mom's are awesome... Or have magic powers" thing.

Either way, she put up with that sort of nonsense until I was old enough to figure out there was no Bunny coming and hiding eggs and bringing me candy. Didn't stop my Mom from making baskets happen though, just meant she go to sleep in a bit more.

This year will officially be the last Easter I wake up at home (seeing as how I'm moving out this month) and things are far more casual. I'm sure my mom will still come out with some sort of collective basket filled with candy for the household... But like in the last few years past... I will get there when I get there.

Gone is the "OMFG!!!" kid who apparently hadn't learned the pure joy that is sleep. She's been replaced by a person who can easily sleep until noon no matter what day it is. Which still makes me wonder... Were other kids like I was? Are there ones like that now? (On the whole... Waking up early on Holidays thing... Maybe not so much to find hidden eggs at that time since I know not everyone does it that way) If so... Hopefully these kids will catch on quick (but not too soon) and will let their "Easter Bunny" get a chance to sleep in.

Edit next day:

Mom proves her awesomeness once more. This was sitting on my computer desk this morning. I can't remember the last time I actually had a basket to myself. Maybe the fact this is the last Easter morning I'll be waking up in her house dawned on her too. Either way... thanks, Mom. You rock.

This one's for the old man.

So living in Southern California, Los Angeles specifically, has basically made avoiding the Michael Jackson hoopla impossible. Not that I don't respect the guy for the work he has done, not that I wasn't an 80s kid growing up to his music (Some...school production thing actually had us doing Thriller back in early grade school... and that remains to be one of my fave long-ass music videos, but I digress...)... but let's be honest here, the last few years in particular of his life really have made it so a vast population, myself included, went "Oh, that sucks." and that's about it. I had this discussion with my boyfriend the other day and we both came to the conclusion that, sadly, the MJ we remember has been "gone" for a long time now.

The memorial service yesterday happened over at the Staples Center and really my mind was more on "dear god...this is costing our already uber in debt city HOW MUCH?" and well...traffic issues. We had it on here at the office I work at but I didn't really care too much. I had well, work to do.

By now if you didn't catch the main thing, however, no doubt you've been hearing (and seeing/re-seeing) the clip of his daughter, Paris, speaking. Now one again I find myself loathing how much the mass media is just infatuated with this clip.

just in case you haven't seen it...

But there's something here. Something...well, that actually caused this cynical bitch to pause. Here I am watching some 11 year old girl burst into tears and somehow it actually got to me. I don't think I care so much that it shows some insight onto Michael Jackson's role as a parent... I think I just well... could empathize.

I didn't see "Michael Jackson's daughter, Paris." up there on that podium. What I did see was a young girl, who just lost her father, speaking at his memorial service, in front of 18,000+ people she doesn't know. She chokes up and instantly seeks comfort in her aunt's arms after she basically says something where you can literally hear her little heart breaking. Does that sound sappy? Probably. But as a girl, with a father I care deeply for, I couldn't help but step back and realize that one day...while I certainly won't be an 11 year old girl...that will basically be me. 

Similar circumstances? Not really. And god willing I'll get many more years out of my dad. But one day it will happen. And while I won't be standing up in front of thousands of people when I say my goodbyes at a memorial service, I don't doubt that I too will be telling of how my father was the best there was and say something similar to..."I just want to say I love him so much."

Maybe one of these days I'll even get the gumption to tell him that before it's too late. Even if he'll probably reply with some snarky comment. But that's my dad for you and while I'll probably call him an ass quickly following the sappy comment, I think he'll get it.