Mama PhD

I am not done writing about the connection between big-money sports and rape culture on college campuses. Today, though, I would like to describe two experiences that highlighted for me the value of a shared activity that engages such huge numbers of people across geographical, cultural, and economic boundaries.

In geometry, we define “similar” structures as being of the same shape but of different sizes. I found myself thinking of this recently as we drove through a town in New York named “Ludingtonville.” It reminded me of a statue in the middle of my home town that shows a figure on a horse obviously shouting something to anyone who would listen.

Last week a new custodian, while emptying my office trash, took one look at a framed photo of my daughter and asked me brightly, “Is that your granddaughter?” I graciously corrected him and continued working. When I mentioned this to friends their responses were uniformly horrified. It is a truth universally acknowledged that telling a woman she’s old is an unforgivable insult.

When you hear fanfare, cat-calls, whoops and whistles tonight you’ll know that’s our household celebrating the end of National Novel Writing Month (known online as NaNoWriMo.org – check it out!).

Tolkien’s subtitle for The Hobbit, “there and back again,” is a not-so-subtle reminder that his protagonist — supposedly much like Tolkien himself — is not much of a traveler. While he makes the journey with the dwarves that restores their gold to them — and nets him the ring that sets The Lord of the Rings in motion — he would really, really, rather be at home than on the road.

My husband and I were married on November 22, 1975, which was Thanksgiving day that year. It wasn't planned as a "theme wedding"; my mother had her heart set on a particular venue for the reception and that was their only open date for nearly a year.

After picking my daughter Katie up at the airport in Chicago and preparing to drive to Michigan for the holidays, I must admit that I first checked the web to see what the Occupy protestors are doing for the Thanksgiving holidays. Since so many protestors are college students, I wondered if they were headed home and dropping the protests for the weekend? It doesn't look like it! On the Occupy Chicago site I found that they are planning a People’s Parade tomorrow — “as an alternative to the corporate-sponsored event taking place on State Street.”

Our family recently attended a symphony concert. It was a matinee performance geared for families, and the sold-out concert hall was packed with moms, dads, grandparents, and squirrelly, dressed-up youngsters all eager to watch Bugs Bunny cartoons on a big screen with live orchestral accompaniment. A large, blank screen hung above the stage where the musicians warmed up and ran through tricky bits.