Mothers Day (Sans Apostrophe)

It is 4:10 pm, Saturday May 12 and soon I need to start getting ready to head across several towns and way out to the "West End" to celebrate a most valued friend's birthday. So far today I have packed a lunch I did not intend to eat, made salsa I only got a mere taste-test of, started a pâté fermentee for tomorrow's bread (also to be enjoyed by others), shopped for two mother's day cards (I only have one) and finally, started the two day process of making "Rich Man's Brioche" for the mother I have and the mother-in-law I don't.

Don't get me wrong, I offered to do the making/cooking/baking/shopping for the mother's in question because I get a sense of accomplishment from tackling difficult recipes "from scratch" and having them turn out. I enjoy the process of making bread products especially. Bread making is scientific, measurements must be exact. You must pay attention to the texture of feel of the bread and to its look, in order to produce a successful loaf. The windowpane is a moment of excitement in my house. I can lose myself in the process and achieve the same Zen like focus as I get when training karate; what is referred to as Mushin or mind of no mind. So, I'm not trying to martyr myself here because, I have, to a certain extent, enjoyed my day - though I could have done without the image of plastic (at least I hope they were) antlers affixed to either side of a pickup truck on my way home from the shops.

As I sit on my kitchen floor typing (all counter/table space being occupied in various states of proofing doughs), I wonder why it is that I have chosen, for I did deliberately choose, to take on the responsibility of gift giving for a woman I have only met thrice? and why that responsibility was so readily handed over to me, as it is to many women in relationships. My brother would never think to have his partner buy for our mother. He is acutely aware that he knows her best. Granted my brother is a Mamma's Boy, though not on the grand scale that others of my acquaintance are.

How did gift giving somehow become a woman's biological imperative? Is the assumption that a woman can know a relative stranger better because they share a gender? Because I know for a fact that I won't be asking leaving the purchase of my dad's Father's Day gift to my guy. Though I am now toying with the idea of requesting it just to see the reaction I get.

Somehow I forgot to mention in the first paragraph that my terrible ex's best friend is expected at tonight's festivities. Perhaps that knowledge unconsciously directed me to the activity that required my focus to the exclusion of other thoughts. I'm sure we'll all have a lovely time, the way we have on so many occasions in the past - wait, that can't be right......

In The Neighbourhood

http://www.durhamregion.com/news/article/1353476--senior-struck-at-busy-oshawa-intersection-dies

Another week, another collision between person and motorized vehicle in my neighbourhood.  This time it was an elderly woman crossing at a busy intersection and a 22 year old driving a pickup truck. I was not on the scene until after the collision occurred, so I cannot say for sure what went down that day, but I can share what I have witnessed and experienced thousands of times. A driver comes to an intersection and signals to turn right. The driver intently watches his or her left to see if there is any motorized traffic coming and as soon as there is a break in the flow the driver guns it. The driver never once looks to his or her right to see if pedestrians at the same intersection might be crossing at the lights. The pedestrian, doing exactly what they are supposed to do and crossing with the light, either gets hit or suddenly has to jump out of the way to avoid a collision. This is no accident, this is a driver failing to perform the proper safety checks to ensure the road is clear of ALL traffic, not just traffic of the motorized variety and it sadly happens hundreds of thousands times per day. Now someone is dead, her family is broken and the driver will never be the same. Was it worth the rush, the distraction, and the inattention? I doubt the 22 year old thinks so now, regardless of what his thoughts were just prior to the collision. Are you going to be the next person dealing with the guilt of having killed someone with your motorized vehicle? Or are you going to slow the %*@# down, realize nothing you have to do today is more important than someone’s life, and pay attention to your surroundings when you drive? Because the alternative is deadly.

My thoughts go out to both the families of the woman who was killed and the of the driver because all their lives are forever changed by one very poor decision.