Last fall a Facebook friend of mine Kelli announced she was going to co-produce and co-direct her local Listen To Your Mother Show. It peaked my interest for a few reasons:
1) I love and adore Kelli whom I met through a series of unfortunate events. Namely the great gDiapers tiny size g’s shortage of 2010. Any who, Kelli is one of those woman who wears her heart on her sleeve, pulls on her hiking boots and literally climbs mountains. She’s a mother, a creator and a person I’m lucky enough to call friend.
2) I have had a great affinity for all things Portland before I had even been lucky enough to visit the city. The quirky, adventurous city with a beautiful backdrop of the mountains and being nestled by the ocean. Bubblers, bridges and beautiful people of every age, race and affilitation.
3) I’m a mother, I listened to (or pretended to at least) and still listen to my mother.
So, I reached out to my friend inquiring what this new venture of hers was and how could I possibly be involved. She connected me with LYTM’s National New Cities Mentor, Melisa, who conveniently was visiting my local area. Melisa and I traded information about the local area, what brought her to town and how Metro Detroit was also hosting a local LYTM Show. I was nervous, excited and I knew wanted to be involved.
I “liked” the local co-producer/co-director’s Facebook pages and found their blogs which felt like I was peaking in their windows. Blogging has been something I’ve flirted with more than flirted with really. We have had a few short flings that lead to published entries which ultimately, unfortunately were deleted as if they hadn’t ever happened. Reading others words, their experiences and about their lives feels intimate and liberating because it’s relatable. These woman were local, they were accessible, they were like me! I left a comment on Angela‘s page sharing my interest and if there was anything I could do to help please let me know. She kindly shared that no help was needed but I could audition to be apart of the show.
Audition? What could I possibly have to share? So, I researched thanks to the internet where everything and anything can be found. I went to the LTYM home page, I watched men and women share their stories. These stories of hilarity and heartbreak, of love and affection, of every day experiences we may take for granted. Then I found Mary Tyler Mother‘s video about her daughter, Donna, who died of childhood cancer at 4 years old. I’ve followed MTM for the last couple years through her blog and Facebook page. She’s a wonderful, inspiring advocate for motherhood through and through. I found what I had been looking for and pondered on what I could share.
Over the years I’ve shared the loss of my mother, I thought I could do that and took a look at the gDiapers blog I had written last year. I thought maybe I could share this with some editing. I worked on it for a few weeks but ended up scrapping it. Determined, I championed on with a few inspirational lines of that blog and completed my piece. But, I’m one of those that continues last minute edits until I am truly happy with it types. I knew I needed an outside perspective. I needed validation that I was good enough, I was strong enough and goddamnit someone would like it. Someone did, someone turned into about 5 people and these people helped round out my piece. I was ready to sign up to audition.
Mother of all Bacon 