Mexi-ranch and Mama: Two Things that Keep the World Spinning

Tonight, as I made the drive from tiny.little.lake.town back to Peoria, I realized that the car in front of me belonged to my Mama, who was driving back to Springfield to work for the week.

Right now, I must stop this story to interject with two things: 1) I never knew I had a "Mama" until I lived in Kentucky and 2) my family is temporarily fractured by the fact that Mama has to live in-district for her job and house in said tiny.little.lake.town has yet to be unloaded. In short, my parents don't live together Monday-Friday, but try not to read too much into that.

Anyway, when I realized that she was piloting the car ahead of me, I called her on the phone and we had a nice cell-phone and SUV caravan up the state, finally stopping at the good Applebee's in Springfield for a meal of onion soup, appetizers, and of course...mexi-ranch.

The beauty that is mexi-ranch...salsa and ranch dressing in harmonious co-existence...it's truly one of my favorite things in the world. I don't remember some of college, but by-God, I remember the mexi-ranch. Eating it in celebration; drowning sorrows in the stuff; enhancing a great, great meal; having it as part of a bonding moment. The greatest friendships I've ever had have been cemented and sealed in a glob of mexi-ranch.

So Mama and I are sitting in a booth, eating mexi-ranch and drinking the caffinated drinks we had sworn off weeks ago, laughing at how fate has had its way with us. She shared with me her disappointment that at 50, she's living a vagabond lifestyle for a job and that Grandpa! is becoming increasinly difficult in his increasing age. I saw Grandpa! today - impatient to have his hair cut correctly, he shaved it all off. With his pointy ears and wrinkled forehead, he could pass for the cousin of Yoda...who incidentally is the being that I aspire to be like, a fact I shared with my Mama this evening. Yoda is at peace with himself and harmony with the world, seeing things as they are and accepting things as they come, always striving to be one with the force, yet will beat ass when necessary to preserve the way of the force. I'd presume there are way worse ways to exist. I told her about my misadventures in dating and then she let me know that I should "give marriage a try" but do it on my own terms. She also told me that I'd do well by marrying one of my friends and gave me a specific name as suggestion. I told her that we'd see...we'd see...

I suppose it sounds cliche, but my Mama is one of my best friends. Her world view and ambivilence toward "major issues" is admirable and amusing. More often than not, she tells me what I need to hear and not what I want to hear. Once, I called her after a test-gone-wrong crying about my inability to do math. She told me to suck it and stick it out and go get help. I got an A in that class. She kicks my ass when I need it. She gives me support when I need it too.

Mama and I are close. I hope we always are. But it never hurts to ensure that the mortar and bricks that hold us together are fortified with mexi-ranch.