Last week, despite the soccer spreadsheet snafu, we got to Thing Three's soccer game early. There was only one other mother there, a woman I've seen a few times. She stood out before because she was so well-dressed, even at the school field where Thing Three's practices are held. She wears neatly pressed DKNY jeans and sweaters. She has a new pair of Danskos on every time I see her, and each of her ears is punctuated by a large, yet tasteful, diamond. She is thin and tan and elegant in a way I'll never be. She was one of the women who flat out ignored me that first practice.
Saturday, though, she smiled at me and said hello. Then she introduced herself and we made small talk. She asked about Thing Three, and noticed Things One and Two. "She's lovely," she said about Thing One. "She looks just like you." She was being genuine and kind, and I wondered, briefly, if it was because no one else was there. I looked at her kids, her toddler son with his mop of hair and in the tiniest soccer gear I've ever seen. I mentioned that he was cute.
"Yeah, we just came from his game." Then she crossed her arms. "The women at his games...I dunno...."
"What?" I asked.
She looked at me, eyes squinting. "It's so cliquey," she said. "I think they don't talk to me because they know I'm a stay-at-home mom. And they all have these careers." She was being honest in a way that pained me. Because you know what, it doesn't change for any of us mothers, does it? Doesn't matter how much money we have, or how many pairs of cute shoes, we still think everyone is judging us.
I think I'm officially one of the soccer moms now. And I don't much mind it anymore, so long as I can keep my tattoo and advanced degree and hip Neko Case t-shirts.
And my fledgling collection of vibrators, of course.
*tm
Vindication is sweeter than chocolate.
Posted by: Tragically Hip Single Mother | May 06, 2007 at 01:37 PM
I told you they were neither intimidated nor threatened by you. They're too busy thinking you're intimidated and/or threatened by them.
Posted by: EcamirG | May 07, 2007 at 05:03 PM
Either that or she was softening you up for the kill.
Posted by: badfreak | May 07, 2007 at 08:09 PM
in the parlance of kevin smith, you shared a moment.
that is sweet. no. really. i mean it. i'm serious!
Posted by: Kari | May 08, 2007 at 04:16 PM
Kevin Smith should not be allotted a parlance.
Posted by: EcamirG | May 10, 2007 at 02:34 PM
If you take parlance and subtract the r and n, you get palace. Maybe he can have one of those. For a moment.
Not that KS needs to be allotted one. He probably already lives in one, what with the way he's worked a couple good movies into a yearly movie-on-demand-cash-cow franchise.
Posted by: Friend2 | May 10, 2007 at 03:47 PM