Thank You, Mom

The Birds has been one of my top 10 favorite movies since I was 4 or 5. I’m not trying to brag about my taste or greater appreciation of a difficult film (Vertigo so bored me!). My mom introduced me to Hitchcock early on and that is the film (along with Psycho) that stuck.

I remember one day mishearing her to say that The Birds would be on TV (this was pre-VCR) and I got really excited. When I sat down to watch, the movie was Thunderbirds Are Go (which I also loved) and I got a bit sad, even if I enjoyed the movie playing.

During that period I also used to pretend to be sick during Creature Feature Week so I could stay home and watch the old Universal horror films on the noon time movie on a regional UHF station. I thought I was fooling my mom, but I’m sure she knew.

My mom is tougher than I am. She ran 1/2 marathons while pregnant and 200 mile relay races while sick with aggressive cancer. She sacrificed her 20s to raise a family, and then became a professional in her 30s to continue supporting it. What have I done except take advantage of her sacrifices?

I would not be where I am without my mom, for many reasons. Despite my many transgressions into literary studies and other areas, she taught me to love cinema. Despite my natural laziness, she taught me a work ethic and the ability to push myself. Despite me being a male, she taught me that women — even those that became early mothers and housewives rather than career women — were smart, strong, and deserving of the utmost respect.

Thank you, mom.