Now is better than then; or, my father still sucks from the grave

[spiderine]

I was on the phone with my mom last night, and for lack of anything better to talk about I told her I was thinking about going to Martha's Vineyard to see Great Big Sea.  She was like, "You're still going to rock concerts at your age?"

I was trying not to laugh at the idea of a GBS show being called a "rock concert", and I was also thinking, "My age?  WTF?"  Then I realized, I'm 44!  Whoops! Totally forgot I'm not supposed to have a life anymore!  So I just replied, "Um, yeeaaaah..."

I totally expected one of her disappointed sighs about how I'm supposed to be Past That Phase (tm), but to my surprise, she said, "You should go."

I thought Whahuhbuh?  Who are you and what have you done with my mother?  I said, "You really think so?"

She proceeded to tell me a story.  Seems back in the day, she and a couple of friends wanted to drive somewhere to see a concert.  Kris Kristoffersen and Willie Nelson, to be exact. (I thought,Yay, mom! you go with your country-rock hippie self!)  My dad, of course, BLEW A COG and started spouting his usual crap, paraphrased thusly:  "YOU'RE A GROWN WOMAN WITH A HUSBAND AND CHILDREN AND HOW DARE YOU GO GALLAVANTING OFF AND HAVING FUN AS IF YOU WERE ALLOWED TO HAVE A LIFE AND ENJOY YOURSELF! YOU SHOULD BE HOME! HUSBAND! CHILDREN! YOU'RE OLD AND MARRIED AND YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE A SELF!"  (Yeah, my dad yelled in ALL CAPS, all right? Come on, where did you think I get it from?)

Needless to say, my mom did not go to that concert.

I am now definitely going to this concert.  Not only because I wanna, but for my MOM.

I almost don't know how to feel about this.  Except for the part where my dad may be 20 years dead but he still SUCKS.