Blog Post 5

 I chose to listen to a podcast from This I Believe. The essay I chose is titled The Juice Box Mom. The 4 minute dialogue comes from Candance Gordon in Argyle, Texas. She explains that she has never been the alpha mom kind. For classroom parties, she never brought the handmade sandwiches adorned with centerpieces built from dixie cups and hot glue. Somehow, these mothers would create embellishments with expertise crafting skills using whatever they found on Pinterest. Gordon would bring the drinks. The most manageable task of them all. Her house is not often in perfect condition. She's a stay at home mom, but she's frequently busied with other tasks besides keeping a pristine house. Gordon felt that she was a failure of a mother, disappointing her kids with her terrible turkey cookies. One time, a teacher complimented her for bringing extra drinks to every event. In reality, she never knew how many kids were in the class. 

I found this particular essay to hit home for me. After listening to the podcast, I realized that my mom too, was the drink mom. It was always the easiest, the most convenient item to pick up at a supermarket for a low cost. Not to say I ever felt disappointed with my mom, but I understood Gordon's frustrations with herself. It must be hard to not present as the craftiest mom, especially when your kids are carrying the shitty cookies you baked the night before into a classroom filled with the most judgmental people of all: kids. 

Gordon's voice is great to listen to, despite the fact that I didn't prefer the podcast format. The website isn't super visually appealing, but then again, it is meant for audio essays. Thus, it makes sense that the focus would be on the recordings.