Erma Bombeck

As you may or may not have noticed, I have been relying quite religiously on Erma Bombeck for my "Quote of the Day". A talented writer, acute observer of life, and outrageously hysterical commentator of motherhood, she was a voice of a generation of mothers who found themselves right in the crosshairs of the women's movement where the battleground began with deciding whether or not to work or stay home with the kids.

Though that big decision still weighs heavy on the minds of a lot of us (often changing a couple times a day), the conveniences and accomodations for contemporary mothers are for more abundant than the Erma Bombeck mothers. Those mothers began the metaphorical juggling act, and Erma Bombeck made it very funny.

As clear as anything, I distinctly remember sitting on the floor with a coloring book in Cape May, NJ (where we lived when I was 5-8) and trying to concentrate on a certain masterpiece while my mother was laughing uncontrollably (tears running down her face) over some book.

"What are you reading?" I asked, not imagining anything could be more entertaining or wonderful than me.

"It's just a book about being a mom," my mother managed, in between gasps for breath.

"What's so funny about that?" I asked, trying to think of a mom, any mom, that was funny.

"Oh, it's just the way she rights."

I was unconvinced and so I returned to my craft.

Flashforward 26-28 years and, yeah, there have been some funny moments. And I think I've found my next book.......

Oh, and if memory serves, I believe my mom was reading When You Start to Look Like Your Passport Photo, It's Time to Go Home.