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As I creep ever closer to the birthday that will mark a half century of life (and twenty some years of baldness), I am left feeling introspective. I look at the face in the mirror, taking inventory of the grays in my beard and the lines on my face. When I’m not looking in the mirror, I’m also looking beneath the surface, at the persona animating the face. I’m taking inventory of all the influences that make, in essence, me. My personality, or any personality, is not programmed like a line of code. Rather, it is built by one’s experiences and by the people with whom one shared those experiences. I could once again write about Stephen King because of the many ways he influenced me, but in honor of National Working Mom’s Day, I’m going to discuss one very influential mom that influenced the majority of me. 

My mom would be the perfect spokesperson for National Working Mom’s Day because she is the quintessential working mom. Honestly, most of my memories of my mother are of her working. She worked as a telephone operator for GTE (one of the largest independent telephone companies during a time when phones plugged into walls). She later became, as she described it, a “switchboard technician.” This meant that she did a lot of driving whenever phone lines went down. This usually involved driving out in the middle of nowhere at all hours. Whenever there was a storm, it meant that Mom would be called (on a phone plugged into the wall) and would soon be going out to fix something, sometimes coming home in a few hours or staying out all night

It never sounded like a pleasant job, and it’s one I would never choose (thanks, library!). However, for all the times Mom had to work odd hours, I never felt like I was neglected. I remember Christmases where she did her best to get what I asked for. I remember vacations with me, her and my brother, all three (or at least the two children) having the time of our lives. She was also there for me, making sure I had the material needed for a school project, or any  Stephen King books I wanted, thanks to the Stephen King Book Club (another relic of the ‘80s where, for a subscription fee, they sent you a Stephen King book whenever a new one came out). 

At times, my mom performed her duties as a parent like a magician. Not that she pulled Stephen King books out of her sleeve, but she performed her parental magic in such a way that I didn’t see how the trick worked. I didn’t see the work involved until I became a parent. Her influence helped me be a better parent and a better person through example. After working as a switchboard technician for many years, she went back to school and got an accounting degree. Even if I didn’t inherit her head for numbers (save for inventorying gray hairs and wrinkles), I hope to have gotten some of her work ethic and willingness to improve myself. 

National Working Mom’s Day has got me thinking of my mother, but it also makes me realize the multitudes of mothers who work different jobs, from putting dinner on the table to making sure the youngest child has enough cupcakes for the bake sale, and every other parental task in between. Sometimes, mothers might fade into the background, having completed the trick of making their child happy and loved, of raising them to be responsible, well-meaning adults, but there should be times where mothers are allowed to step from behind the curtain and take their much-deserved bow. 

Moms and not moms, don’t forget about the programs the library is offering this week: 

• On Tuesday, March 12, at 6 p.m., Rob Kibbey’s Comedy Classics invites you to climb in the ring with a screwball comedy preceded by a vintage cartoon. In our feature, timid milkman, Burleigh Sullivan (Harold Lloyd), reportedly knocks out a boxing champ in a brawl. The fighter’s manager decides to build up the milkman’s reputation in a series of fixed fights and then have the champ beat him to regain his title. Popcorn and drinks provided.
• On Wednesday, March 13, at 2 p.m., the Kentucky Picture Show features a feel-good comedy from Ireland. The good news for Ned Devine is he’s the lucky winner of the National Irish Lottery; the bad news is poor Ned dies of shock. News of the win spread quickly in the scenic little Irish village of Tully More, but not the secret news of Ned’s demise. With lottery officials closing in to confirm the prize claimed by the deceased Devine, Ned’s closest friends scheme to keep the prize money close to home (in memory of Ned of course). Popcorn and snacks provided. 
• On Saturday, March 16, at 10 a.m., the library is hosting Heirloom Tomatoes 101, where fresh garden tomatoes are just a few months away! Join us for a quick workshop where you will learn how to start heirloom tomatoes from seed, transplant your little beauties and save your own seeds at the end of the season. To register, sign up on Evanced or contact the library at 744-5661. 
• Saturday, March 16 is also the monthly meeting of Clark County Public Library’s Spice Club, which meets at 2 p.m. This month’s spice is sumac. Make sure to come into the library and pick up this month’s spice if you don’t already have it!