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Mom Wasn’t Royaly, But She Ruled the Roost<br />
By: Mike Murphy / Social Insecurity<br />
Last year, the death of Queen Elizabeth II<br />
dominated the news. Then in March, there<br />
appeared the headline, “Royals<br />
share photos to mark first U.K. Mother’s Day without<br />
late Queen.” Mother’s Day in the U.K. occurred on<br />
March 19th.<br />
As Mother’s Day is celebrated this month, it<br />
triggered thoughts of my own mother and related<br />
childhood memories, many of which I am sure are<br />
like others of my generation.<br />
While my dad worked as a police officer, it was<br />
Mom who walked the beat at home 24/7. Back<br />
then everything Mom did was by hand: laundry,<br />
cooking…and discipline.<br />
My mom, like many others at that time, never got<br />
a driver’s license. Day trips were by city bus, and those were exceedingly<br />
rare since dragging five little boys downtown on a bus hardly qualified<br />
as a “fun outing.” So, Mom was stuck at home which had to be rough<br />
on her.<br />
The sharp distinction between the lavish lifestyle of British Royalty<br />
and that of my mother could not have been clearer. However, in the<br />
1950s there did appear to be one chance to close that gap at least<br />
temporarily - on the TV show “Queen for a Day.”<br />
As many of you recall, the show opened with host Jack Bailey asking<br />
the audience (mostly women) “Would YOU like to be queen for a<br />
day?”<br />
Following emotional interviews of several women,<br />
the host asked each contestant what she needed most<br />
to improve life for her and her family if she were to<br />
win the title. The winner was then chosen based on<br />
audience applause.<br />
As I recall, my imagination ran wild as “Pomp and<br />
Circumstance” played, a red velvet robe and glittering<br />
crown were placed on the sobbing “Queen,” and was<br />
handed a dozen roses while sitting on her throne.<br />
As the host displayed all the prizes, including fancy<br />
appliances, expensive clothes, cosmetics, or jewelry,<br />
even exotic vacations, all I could think about was, “If<br />
only Mom could win!”<br />
Well, Mom never got the chance to be Queen for a Day. But every<br />
Mother’s Day, my brothers and I remember that Mom will always be<br />
Queen of our Hearts.<br />
Mike Murphy is a retired teacher/coach. His book of humorous<br />
articles titled “Tortoise Crossing - Expect Long Delays” is available<br />
on amazon.com.<br />
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