Friday, January 26, 2007

Sounds About Right


“It’s like a costume party. You put on some silly dress and you get married. Then you put on an even sillier dress when you’re pregnant. You find yourself wearing the same thing day after day and you’re a mother.”

Goodbye Without Leaving
Laurie Colwin


Works for me.

Do equivalent “costumes” exist in men’s lives? Sure, they often wear hideously styled, god-awful coloured (rented) tuxes at weddings and are subject to the fashion statement of wearing spit-up on their shoulders (as are women) but it’s not quite the same.

Women — we are so special…

No review of Colwin’s novels. Suffice to say I loved them all and some helped me get through the “motherhood” years. Yeah, I know. I’m still a mother. It’s different now. You know that light at the end of the tunnel? It’s shining on me. (Kind of.)


(Check out this link for a wonderful article about Laurie Colwin by another great author, Anna Quindlen. Excerpt: “In her stories, Laurie Colwin made the plainest domestic circumstances sparkle with wit and joy.”)

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I always enjoy a good motherhood book...

Some of my favourites are "The Big Rumpus" and "An Innocent, A Broad" both about women during pregnancy and mothering small babies/toddlers which I am definately out of. But it's the writing and connection I feel when they nail a thought/notion/image on the head with words...I love that.

It's just now I have more time to read than I did way back when I had a house full of babies.

megan said...

There are times when I consider myself to be a fairly intellegent, observant, and intuitive person. Then there are times (i.e./after reading your blog today) that I wonder if I have a clue about anything. I love ya, but today's blog was lost on me.......not so sure what it was really about.

oreneta said...

The irls and I were talking about this clothing thing actually, being a guy is kind of the pits. There are a lot of colours they cannot wear, they can only wear pants and shirts, well and shorts, girls can dress in any colour, wear any style, guys or girls frilly or tom-boy. Guys can't really play with the girls, so have to resort to teasing them, and they can't just swing an arm around a buddy 'cause they like them, so have to resort to wrestling. Girls can be sporty or book wormish without soocial retribution. Girls have made a lot of gains, boys don't seem to have been so lucky in some ways. Not fair.

Beth said...

trish: I checked out that other book you mentioned - "Mommies Who Drink" - sounds raunchy but good. I'll check out these too.

megan: Hmmm...I think I wrote this blog after my daily dose of Ecstasy - which would have put me in my "other world." Not a place that makes a whole lot of sense to others but nonetheless, a fun place to be...

Beth said...

oreneta: What a great discussion to have with your kids. And you're right - women have much more freedom to express themselves in so many different ways.
I kid my husband that the only way he can add a little life to his (almost) daily "suit" costume is with a tie. Kind of sad.

Anonymous said...

I've only read one Laurie Colwin novel, 'Family Happiness' and enjoyed it very much. I can't totally relate to the domestic life not having any kids, but there's still a lot of domesticity involved in keeping up a house and feeding a husband...

I didn't find your post confusing at all. I like the jumble of thoughts that come out of you. Really, that's what's going on in our minds...our thinking is rarely linear.

Beth said...

patricia: "The jumble of thoughts that come out of me??"

You made me laugh.

And I'm trying to "wallow."

Anonymous said...

i had loved my bridegroom
LOL