by Marty Coleman | Feb 18, 2014 | Milton Berle, Mother's Day - 2011, Mothers Day |
The start of a new series on Motherhood.
Hard Moms
I always feel very sad when I hear from someone who had a mother that did not care for them as they deserved. I am not talking about moms that are a bit too controlling or a bit too demanding. I am talking about moms who abandon and abuse. It’s just really, really sad when I hear those memories come out.
Luckily it does seem they are in the minority. Most of those I know are very grateful for their mothers and what they did for them, even when there are shortcomings in them that cause hardship for us. I had that with my mother. She was an alcoholic and wasted many good years in a fog of liquor. But she became and stayed sober for 15 years before her death and that made a huge difference in the redemption our family had together. There is nothing quite as sweet as a family rebuilt and restored.
Emotional Hands
We read the quote above and look at the illustration and it seems to be about physical limitations. But what about all the emotional and psychological hands a mother needs? How many of those hands does one have available? It becomes a lot more complicated when we realize it’s not just about if they can do all the activities they need to do, but about all the emotional personas they have to deal with and be. It isn’t easy being a mom.
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Drawing and commentary © 2014 by Marty Coleman
Quote by Milton Berle, 1908-2002, American comedian
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by Marty Coleman | Feb 17, 2014 | Quote Authors |
Today in the US it is ‘Presidents’ Day’. It is also ‘Random Act of Kindness’ day. So I decided to make a mashup day. It’s now the ‘Presidents and Other Random People Day’.
I started by looking up some images of George Washington (Prez #1).
This is what I found.
I found the usual images but I also found some random images of people who didn’t, at first glance, seem to belong in a search for George. Since today is also Random Acts of Kindness Day I thought I would show a kindness by remembering and honoring these other people as well.
1. George the Myth
The painting is of George Washington as a young boy. It is illustrating the mythical story of him admitting to his father that he chopped down the cherry tree because he ‘could not tell a lie’. All Americans know that story and many of us know the painting. But who is the guy drawing back the curtain and pointing to the illustration? The name of the painting is ‘Parson Weem’s Fable’ by Grant Wood and the man in the painting is Parson Weems, the creator of the fable about the cherry tree. It’s been alleged, and with good reason based on his other exaggerations, that Weems made up the story. Washington was revered above all other figures among the founding fathers and mothers, and with good reason. But along with that admiration came a desire to exalt him way above his reality. This story was just one of many meant to put him up on a quasi-God pedestal. The truth is though, he needs no pedestal. The raw facts of his life and his efforts are enough to put him at the pinnacle of America.
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2. George the Inventor
This one isn’t hard to figure out. The photo is of George Washington Carver, the amazing scientist and educator. He was known primarily for his many discovered uses for peanuts that helped create a billion dollar industry. He was the one who introduced crop rotation to the south, saving it from soil depletion from heavy cotton and tobacco growing. He also was an inventor, educator, painter and a musician. This man was a great man, never once selling or patenting any ideas of his, always saying “God gave them to me, how can I sell them to others?”. Check him out, it’s worth it.
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3. George the Model
He’s a model and has nothing to do with George. The book however is about Washington as a young boy and man. Who knows how accurate it is.
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4. George the Congressman
It’s easy enough to assume his name is George Washington something and you would be right. He’s George Washington Collins. He was a Congressman from Illinois who died in 1972 in a plane crash after only 2+ years in office. His legacy was cut short, but his wife, Cardiss Hortense Collins, ran for his seat in congress and won. She ended up serving 24 years in the House of Representatives. A Random accident led to an amazing career for the first African American woman from the midwest to ever serve in Congress. Read her story, it’s also worth it.
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5. George the Bridge
Honestly this one caught my eye first. A modern day woman in an image search for George? That definitely didn’t make sense. But it does. George Washington had a bridge named after him, the bridge going between New Jersey and New York. This woman jumped off it to her death this month. Her name is Ashley Riggitano and she committed suicide on her 22nd birthday (Feb 6th, 2014). She was a burgeoning jewelry designer and fashionista in NYC. She left a suicide note in her Louis Vuitton bag she left on the bridge. In it she told of being bullied and harassed by ‘friends’, 5 of whom she named and said she did not want to be allowed at her funeral. These women included her supposed best friend and business partner in her jewelry business. One told her to “Go kill yourself with Xanax” shortly before she jumped off the bridge. Her family said she had suffered from depression and anti-depressants were found in her bag along with the note. It was also said she had tried to commit suicide before. It’s a very sad story.
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So, I was thinking maybe our random act of kindness today can be the giving of attention. I loved finding out who these people were, what they added to the world. They may all have passed away, but they deserve to be paid attention to, to be remembered in kindness, random or otherwise.
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© 2014 Marty Coleman | Napkindad.com
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by Marty Coleman | Feb 12, 2014 | Sketchbook History Tour |
I had to drop off one of our cars to be serviced this week. I waited at a Tulsa Starbucks for a few hours hoping the car would be done without me having to drive home and back.
Here is the finished version of the line drawing I did in my sketchbook while there.
I thought it might be fun for you to see how one of my drawings looks before it is finished so I scanned it before I shaded it. Here’s the flat, color-only version.
The original drawing was done in pen. Here it is before any color was added.
What do you think? Is the final drawing the best or do you like one of the other two better?
And another question, what does it look like they were talking about? What are their stories?
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Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman
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by Marty Coleman | Feb 10, 2014 | Breasts - 2012-2013, Joyce Grenfell |
I know many of the Napkin Kin would say the moment below is the moment, right?
Purchase the Original Drawing or Purchase a Print
The Sublime Moment
I don’t regularly have this sublime moment in my life repertoire, but I did have it once. The moment helped me understand the ecstasy of which my female friends speak. No, I didn’t enter a drag queen contest or dress up as a woman for Halloween (not that there’s anything wrong with that). I had to wear a heart monitor for 48 hours as part of my annual physical. It was strapped around my chest the whole time and what an annoyance it was. It was SO great to finally have it off. I figured out then that if I were female I would probably be one who takes her bra off the second she gets in her car to go home from work. I just knew I would want it off that bad.
Anyway, just a fun drawing today to let my female Napkin Kin know I understand your agony and ecstasy (at least a little bit!)
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Drawing by Marty Coleman
Quote by Joyce Grenfell, 1910-1979, English actor and songrwriter. She actually used the word ‘corset’ instead of ‘bra’ in the original quote. I can imagine a corset would be even harder to keep on all day.
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Happiness is the sublime moment when you get out of your bra at night
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