It's pretty quiet round these parts with The Brothers on the east coast. I'm catching up with things, organizing, putting the old life in order, drinking vodka drinks, hanging with The Soph. I've got the first draft of MGDB and need to find an agent. Tips? Leads? Extra girds for the loins? I've got a meeting tonight at the neighborhood police station -- an orientation for parents of kids who want to be auxiliary police. Guess who? Big, big sigh with a slow, heavily accented good lord. I'm trying to persuade him that cops while necessary and often wonderful are -- well -- cops. They carry all that shit on their belts, have clubs and tasers and bad haircuts and mirrored sunglasses and wear black leather boots that come up to their knees. How about firemen? is what I ask in my most gently persuasive tone. Tearful, if you're reading, please chant for The Big O and his mother.
I was going to write a Saturday three-line movie review of Amy, the documentary about Amy Winehouse, but I didn't get around to it. Here's a three word review:
Go see it.
Can we be sister-wives?
ReplyDeleteCount me in, please.
ReplyDeleteThe girls and I were watching old youtube videos of Amy this past weekend. Probably because leaving the island (to see a current film) in the summer feels like such A BIG DEAL. Even though I don't always comment, I read every single one of your posts. Wish I had an agent for you. One of my bf's is is a casting agent in LA, but I don't think that would help ---YET. Your kids are all beautiful. Hope to meet them in person some day. They each take us on their own journey! Enjoy your local PD. Bring cookies ;-)
ReplyDeleteA fireman. Yes! My Dad was a fire chief. Every Fireman/ woman who has come to our home in a medical emergency has been beyond competent and kind. Dangerous still though. I think he'd look just smashing in the gear!!
ReplyDeleteOh Elizabeth, my son wants to be a fireman. He was almost, almost there, and then he got injured. I don't know what comes next, only that we have to let them follow their calling. Oliver may be the cop that makes us all believe in cops again, the way Tearful does. You are doing what any good mother would. But oh, I hear you.
ReplyDeleteOh no, O! A phase. You are a good mama. In Joanne's most mature maturity, whatever will make O happy...
ReplyDeleteI think the truly hard part about being a cop is seeing bad stuff every day. Seeing people at their worst, doing their worst. However not that long ago I listened to a cop in the States someplace, can't remember where, and he was talking about dealing with drug addicts and what they were doing in his town. They were treating addictions as medical problems instead of criminal problems and having success. This cop had been part of the "War on drugs" for ten years and was not helping addicts out. It was wonderful to hear. I'm thinking that's the kind of cop Oliver might be.
ReplyDeleteI just reread what I wrote. What I think and what comes out don't always match. The cop realized that the war on drugs wasn't working for anyone and helped set up this new program. Addicts are no longer arrested. The cop pointed out that addiction is not a crime and should not be treated as such. Hopefully that's clearer. My poor brain.
ReplyDeleteI think that Oliver would be the most amazing, most compassionate police officer that ever lived. While it's terrifying to imagine your child out there on that job, I just have this feeling that he would turn the entire system on its head with a smile.
ReplyDeleteAs for agents, ask Carrie Link for hers. I met her once, but she wasn't right for what I was doing. She might be for you.
I think that the fact that he's interested shows what a great job you've done raising him to be compassionate, to care for others, and to stick up for the overlooked and downtrodden. Plus it reflects his own innate goodness and courage.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I wouldn't encourage anyone to get into the job unless they couldn't find meaning in any other way. It exacts a heavy toll on people who do the job with total commitment, which I'm sure would be your son's approach. Of course, people like him are who we'd like doing the job, that goes without saying.
But everybody loves a fireman. And they get better funding and they have great training and they are bonded by shared danger and you know, shit, they're firemen.
If he ever wants to talk or ask some questions or hear some horror stories, feel free to put him in touch with me. I'm at tearfuldishwasher at gmail. Any time.
big love,
scott
Oh but we so badly need good cops! I've long believed that there are two kinds of cops--those with tiny egos on massive power trips desperate to prove their own masculinity, and those that really truly want to help people. Anyway, he's so young. I bet he moves on.
ReplyDeleteAmen to the comments above about needed and valuing good cops. It's probably good for Oliver to see what it's like -- I'm not sure how much unvarnished truth he would get as an auxiliary, but still. It would be a good learning experience. (And better than joining the military. I think.)
ReplyDeleteI completely understand where you are coming from about your kid being a police officer. I'd feel the same way. However, I can't help but feel that the Big O would make a wonderful officer - that's your fault! If they were all like him, I know we wouldn't be seeing the videos we've been seeing.
ReplyDelete