Sept. 1, 2004 Dear Annie,
Please give me the right words to talk to my Mom. We went to a music festival here in our own town and she danced! It was so embarrassing! When I get back to school I know the other kids are going to say something. I want to talk to her so she doesn't do it again, but I'm not sure how to start.
Red Faced in ____________
Dear Red Faced,
I'll leave out your hometown to save you further embarrassment. Please, don't say anything to your Mom about this. Think how bad that would make her feel! It's done now, and I'm sure she wasn't out there dancing alone, at a music festival. Wouldn't it be cool to be so free from self-consciousness that you could jump up and dance when the spirit hit you? I couldn't do it, but I saw some ladies at the Art Festival here in Eatonville dance to the band and I envied them. I understand how you feel, but I don't think you should say anything. Your Mom dancing in public was only a big deal to you, no one else. When I was thirteen or so it really embarrassed me that my Mom wore the same color shirt and pants. Sounds silly, doesn't it, that I cared, but for some reason I can't recall, I just squirmed when she wore a maroon rib knit top with the exact same color pants. And she paid with the exact change at the grocery store, counting it out to the penny. Horrible! Parents embarrass us, and then when they're gone, or we're far from home, we wish we could see them dancing in the park, or counting out each nickel. And just think, soon enough you'll mortify your kids! It's a family tradition.
Annie
Please write to: Annie, P.O. Box 1084, Eatonville,WA 98328
E-mail: letters_annie@hotmail.com
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