Curse #40 - The Gypsies

In honor of Mother's Day this Sunday (hint, hint all you guys that need to go get a card and or present), this week's posts are all about motherhood.

My mom and I are very different.  My mom is much more cautious than I am.  Growing up, she wouldn't let me have those rubber balls in the 25 cent machines because, "You might swallow them," but I was TWELVE! However, she did have to Heimlich a gumdrop out of me once, so I guess she was a little jumpy.

Thanks to the movie Psycho, she still has trouble taking a shower in an empty house.

Every time my dad went out of town, she would put the taters and onions box in front of the door.  Yes, in my mom's mind, the robber may be able to break the dead bolt, but he won't get through the taters and onions box. 

Every year, my cautious mom and the free spirited me would meet head to head in an arguement.  There was one magical week when the carnival would roll into town.  All of  Commerce seemed excited as they watch the workers set up all the rides. On opening night, all the kids lined up to buy their tickets for the tilt-a-whirl, the zipper, and the gravitron....all the kids except me. 

I could never go to carnival because as my mom put it, "Carnivals! Those gypsies set up the carnivals."

Now, I don't exactly know who "the gypsies" were, but my mom, a normally non-prejudiced woman, does not like that whole people group, at all.  She would always say, "Do you see how fast they put those rides up! All you need is one loose bolt!"

Now, every time there is a news report about anyone getting hurt on a carnival ride, you know my mom is going to see it, and you'd better bet my mom is going to tell me about it and say, "Did you hear about that.  I told you.  Gypsies!"

Although, I am not nearly as cautious as my mom, I still don't go to carnivals.  Did some of my mom's cautiousness rub off on me? No.  Do I respect my mom just that much? Yes...but no. 

I know the moment I go to a carnival and get on that ride, it will break, and I know that I will get some kind of injury that puts me in the hospital, unable to speak, and  because my mom loves me so much I know for sure she will show up at that hospital, and because no one likes a good "I told you so," like my mom does, I know the first words out of her mouth will be, "I told you.  It's those gypsy rides,"  and I refuse...REFUSE to let her be right!  (sorry for the run on)