I know everyone, or hopefully most everyone thinks their Mom is special, and I'm no exception. The whole birthing thing must have been trouble enough without all the additional worries afterwards that come with being a parent.
For me, my Mom represents strength and determination. Raising me (a mixed raced child) as a single parent while working a full time job in the banking management sector couldn't have been easy. There were moments of sexism and racism which she was able to rise above all the while taking an active interest in what I was doing. She was alwaaaaays at the parent teacher meetings to access my progress at school, something which I couldn't say about most of my friends. She enforced an open communication with teachers to make sure I was getting the most out of my education. She taught me to do the best I could and not to simply take the easy path. While my high school had a 60% minimum to be exempt from final exams, my mom said I needed 70%. Thanks Mom, I think :).
Perhaps one of her greatest gifts to me was her love of music. Coming home from daycare at 8 years old talking about Elvis and the Bay City Rollers, I asked if she had any. She said "no, but I have these" and held up some obscure records by a group called The Beatles. I put on the first one called "With the Beatles" and loved the opening strains of "It Won't be Long". I was hooked and became a Beatles fan. My Mom also played piano and was always tinkling around on the song "Send in the Clowns" which became one of my favorite songs. Opera and orchestral music was also heard throughout the house on many occasions. I think the most important thing that stuck with me was her explanation of major chords vs minor chords. One sounded happy, the other sad. I preferred the sad.
With these introductions to music, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that most of the music I listen to is of a more dramatic, over blown, artsy fartsy style. It doesn't matter whether it's Stravinsky's "Firebird Suite", Iron Maiden's "Sign of the Cross", The Beatles "Happiness is a Warm Gun", Marillion's "The Invisible Man", Bat for Lashes "Glass", John William's Start Wars "Force Theme", The Cure's "Cold", or Queen's "In the Lap of the Gods", if it's dramatic, and in a minor key, chances are that it'll move me in some way.
And yes, she took an interest in what I was listening to, especially during my teen aged years as a metal head listening to Maiden, Priest and Sabbath. She would sit and listen (or at least pretend to listen) while I educated her on the various frequency differences of Toni Iommi guitar sound on Live Evil vs the guitar sound on Judas Priests Sin After Sin. She was also curious about the lyrics, possibly to make sure I wasn't getting into any "Evil" stuff. As I said she took an interest in everything I did.
Now a days, she lives a little further out but I still see her regularly (she even comes to gigs still) and we chat. She's still interested in what I'm doing and I'm interested in what she's up to.
So Mom, I love you and thanks for all you've done for me.
Happy Mothers Day
Love
Wilton
For me, my Mom represents strength and determination. Raising me (a mixed raced child) as a single parent while working a full time job in the banking management sector couldn't have been easy. There were moments of sexism and racism which she was able to rise above all the while taking an active interest in what I was doing. She was alwaaaaays at the parent teacher meetings to access my progress at school, something which I couldn't say about most of my friends. She enforced an open communication with teachers to make sure I was getting the most out of my education. She taught me to do the best I could and not to simply take the easy path. While my high school had a 60% minimum to be exempt from final exams, my mom said I needed 70%. Thanks Mom, I think :).
Perhaps one of her greatest gifts to me was her love of music. Coming home from daycare at 8 years old talking about Elvis and the Bay City Rollers, I asked if she had any. She said "no, but I have these" and held up some obscure records by a group called The Beatles. I put on the first one called "With the Beatles" and loved the opening strains of "It Won't be Long". I was hooked and became a Beatles fan. My Mom also played piano and was always tinkling around on the song "Send in the Clowns" which became one of my favorite songs. Opera and orchestral music was also heard throughout the house on many occasions. I think the most important thing that stuck with me was her explanation of major chords vs minor chords. One sounded happy, the other sad. I preferred the sad.
With these introductions to music, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that most of the music I listen to is of a more dramatic, over blown, artsy fartsy style. It doesn't matter whether it's Stravinsky's "Firebird Suite", Iron Maiden's "Sign of the Cross", The Beatles "Happiness is a Warm Gun", Marillion's "The Invisible Man", Bat for Lashes "Glass", John William's Start Wars "Force Theme", The Cure's "Cold", or Queen's "In the Lap of the Gods", if it's dramatic, and in a minor key, chances are that it'll move me in some way.
And yes, she took an interest in what I was listening to, especially during my teen aged years as a metal head listening to Maiden, Priest and Sabbath. She would sit and listen (or at least pretend to listen) while I educated her on the various frequency differences of Toni Iommi guitar sound on Live Evil vs the guitar sound on Judas Priests Sin After Sin. She was also curious about the lyrics, possibly to make sure I wasn't getting into any "Evil" stuff. As I said she took an interest in everything I did.
Now a days, she lives a little further out but I still see her regularly (she even comes to gigs still) and we chat. She's still interested in what I'm doing and I'm interested in what she's up to.
So Mom, I love you and thanks for all you've done for me.
Happy Mothers Day
Love
Wilton