the goodbye conversation

condensed version of two very long notes. mine. and his…

me: you have no respect for me. i have to sleep with my keys in my pillowcase. you’re almost 19 and you didn’t graduate from high school. you have two weeks. get a job. or get out.
and you’re NOT taking the dog.

son: you can’t get a job in TWO WEEKS!?!! it takes that long to process the forms! you just want me to leave! you are a bad, childish mother, a hypocrite. so what if i smoke pot in the garage, you’ve done things i’ll NEVER do! i’m done putting up with all your crap about me being this horrible, horrible child that doesn’t DO anything. well fine. i don’t need your grief. i’m leaving.
and i AM taking the dog.

me: NOT.

:: later ::

apparently, “i’m leaving” means “i’ll be back before dinner … after i go to my grandmother’s house and tell her i need a latch for my backyard gate” … then he proceeds to attach the latch to the inside of his bedroom door, oy! the latch has 24 hours. then the bedroom door will be removed.

sorry boy. i will prevail. i work hard to own this house. i’ll be damned if i’ll let you trash it any more than you already have. I AM MOM. get over it.

Comments

  1. kd said July 22, 2002, 5:58 pm:

    oh mercy. (((hugs)))

  2. jenni said July 22, 2002, 6:42 pm:

    I hope things start looking up for you. =(

  3. Tess said July 22, 2002, 7:14 pm:

    Wow. Sorry about the drama. Hope you stood firm on the dog thing…

    Good luck to you.

  4. Kelly said July 22, 2002, 9:30 pm:

    Oh geesh. Sorry to hear about this!! I hope it all works out for the best.

  5. reb said July 23, 2002, 4:46 pm:

    wow. from the pov of a kid who got kicked out (though a little prematurely…..my parents wanted their golden years which meant as soon as i graduated from high school), i have to admire you taking a stand…..not a lot of parents can do that these days. good luck, ratty! *hugs*

  6. kat said July 23, 2002, 4:50 pm:

    wow. i’m sorry to hear this. hope it gets better and stand firm momma!

  7. kd said July 24, 2002, 1:35 pm:

    oy! a latch?? i’m speechless.

  8. donnie said July 25, 2002, 1:10 am:

    take down the door !!!!!…and put up beads!!

  9. ratface said July 25, 2002, 9:37 am:

    oh GAWD, donny… beads?!? to go with his purple parachute pants??

    the latch is gone. the door is still there. but if it weren’t? he’d probably be nailing sheets and blankets all around the opening… with big nails. LOTS of big nails. and screws, too… oy. you should see the holes the LATCH left…

  10. Jessica said August 1, 2002, 9:17 pm:

    He’ll thank you in two years. And yeah: stand firm.
    He’s got to figure his shit out. If he insists on playing the pathetic card, you could help put him up in a hostel or something, a sort of happy medium between dependence and engaging the real world on something closer to real terms.

    xoxo!

  11. Jessica said August 1, 2002, 9:44 pm:

    OMG, I just saw the pictures of the room. And the posters. Dude. It’s not like you’re ever getting laid in there, so you might as well get over it.

    ;-*