My cool mom: Always one step ahead, even in the 1960s. COURTESY OF KELLY O
In my second year of college, I had to make a difficult phone call. I’d stared at the phone for almost two hours before I actually picked it up and dialed. I was fairly calm, until I heard her voice: “Hello?”
All I said was “Mom?” and then I started sobbing.
My mom was not used to me being a crybaby. When I was a teenager, I was kind of a cocky asshole. Like most teenagers, I thought I already knew EVERYTHING. There was a lot of door slamming, glass breaking, and yelling. Once, I threatened to run away—but my mom called my bluff and started packing my suitcase while simultaneously reminding me that I had no money and nowhere to go. Damnit, she was so smart and always, ALWAYS one step ahead of me…