I’m One Proud Mama

I am one proud Mama! Last Saturday we—friends and relatives of my daughter, Emily—gathered in Newnan to celebrate her college graduation from the University of West Georgia. Yes! Two daughters—two college graduates. You see why I’m one proud mama.

And they have lots of other proud supporters. I only wish my daddy could have lived to see this day. Education was important to him. He wanted us all to have college degrees. Unfortunately, only one of his four daughters gave him that joy.

Now, with Emily’s accomplishment, five of his nine grandchildren have college degrees. He would be happy.

Now, I’ll confess here something everyone doesn’t know about me. I attended the University of Georgia. (Most of you knew that.) I did not finish the requirements for my degree. (I don’t broadcast that.) I could explain here, but this is not about me….it’s about my wonderful daughters. It’s just to say that had they not received their degrees, I could not have been too critical because I understand life gets in the way, priorities change, stuff happens.

But my two girls are now both proud holders of bachelor’s degrees. And they both have already entertained the idea of returning to school, although there were times they thought if they just got their bachelor’s degree they would be done for good.

Neither of them completed college with the degree they thought they wanted when they first started. Neither completed it in four years. But, they both have degrees, and I couldn’t be prouder.

We expect kids to know what they want to do with their lives at a pretty early age. But, I’m 57, eying retirement, and have fleetingly thought of changing careers numerous times.

I’ve long said my job can be the best job in the world…and it can be the worst. At this stage in my life, having done this one thing for so long, change would be scary, but possibly invigorating as well. But I digress.

My children’s degrees may not be the most useful—Emily’s is in anthropology and Hannah’s is in religious studies. But, the degree opens the door. And, knowing what I know at my age, I think it’s good to have that piece of paper. That may make it easier to change careers in life if they choose, than say if it was in a more “useful” area such as teaching or nursing.

College is a time of growing up. I raised my girls to be independent, and independent they are. When Hannah went off to college I had this dream of her being able to attend college full time without having to work. Well, either the money I could provide her was not enough for her liking, or, she just wanted to work. Hannah had already been in the working world for about five years when she started college.

My daughter began work at the tender age of 14. It was not planned. Hannah’s stepmother worked at the Log Cabin Restaurant, and Hannah started going and helping out before reaching her 15th birthday. After that, it was no holds barred.

Hannah has always been a workaholic. So, after the first few weeks/months, she found a job, and worked from then on. Anyone who knows Hannah knows it is not unusual for her to hold two or more jobs at one time…like now, she’s working three.

When her little sister started college, she vowed it would not take her six years to graduate (she’s a 2007 graduate of Jasper County High School). I don’t even remember the plans for her having to work, but I think she planned to work part time from the outset.

Anyway, life rocked along. Emily changed schools (from West Georgia to GMC) to be closer to her daddy who was sick. He ended up dying the day before she signed the lease on the new apartment. That was hard on her. But, she excelled at GMC, then returned to West Georgia after completing her core courses.

While at GMC she worked at Ruby Tuesday, learning every job involved in restaurant business, which is not easy work. Then a friend told her about Hooters. She went to work there, at the Macon store.

I remember she called me the first day and told me how easy the work was—“I get paid to talk to people.” Not long after, she realized that the tips are good there, too. In Newnan, she worked at Olive Garden and other places, but Hooters, this time in Newnan, was the best job to pay her way through school. By this time, mom wasn’t much help financially.

So she has graduated. She has student loans to pay back. She wants to find a “real job,” and recognizes that she may have to take a pay cut initially.

I’m proud of my daughters. I helped them as much as possible financially, but they both have loans to pay back. They both worked throughout college, which contributed to it taking a little longer than the four years in which some complete it.

They have this accomplishment under their belts…and I think it’s a great accomplishment.

One reason I mention the Hooters job, is that the Monticello Hurricanes won $5,000 from the restaurant (see story, front page).

I understand some people have a problem with the restaurant. I wonder if those people have ever visited Hooters. I know a lot of Hooters girls. Some are not the ladies I’d like to see all females be. But that is true everywhere.

As for my child, and her friends, they are ladies who happen to be able to wear the uniform. Their job is to make their customers feel welcome and comfortable, and of course to serve them their food and drinks. The Hooters menu is simple, making their job easier.

I met many of my daughter’s “regulars”—the customers who come to see her on a regular basis—Saturday. They are not leacherous old men. They are men, couples, families, great people. Some of them may help her start her career. One couple did much of the decorating and preparing for the party. They love her like a daughter.

I know I won’t change the minds of those who disagree. My daddy had strong feelings about women “selling their bodies.” But, I know these girls; I know the restaurant, and I would recommend it as a great job for some young ladies to work their way through college.

And, for those who have never visited Hooters, and were wondering, the girls wear short-shorts, tank tops, panty hose, socks and tennis shoes.