SocialOlogy: Volume 3 A Mom That’s Gonna Linger

Something our population has in common is that we ALL have a mom. They might not have all been present or supportive, but every single one of them spent time growing us inside them and then went through an incredible amount of pain to bring us into this world. Not a single one of us would exist if some woman hadn’t made the choice to have us. Then we spend the rest of our lives not appreciating them, because we can. We are their kids, and they have to love us unconditionally. It comes with the birth certificate.

Moms come in so many different versions. The homemaker who has cookies ready when you come home from school but spent the afternoon online shopping to try to fill a void. The mom working two jobs, trying to pay bills and eating green beans out of the can because she only had enough money for your dinner. The frustrated mom who thinks about running away because she has no idea what she is doing. The got-it-all-together mom who hides in her closet to cry when she can no longer keep up a brave face. The cool mom, so desperate to be her child’s friend that she sometimes overcompensates.

It’s me; I am all those moms and many more, as was my mother before me, and her mother before her. Because, to be perfectly honest, we are ALL of these together in one body just trying to do our best for our children.

Mothers of all forms wear many hats: the best friend, the enemy, the embarrassment, the annoyance, and the kisser of our physical and emotional boo-boos. We try to wear all these badges with pride every day. But most of the time, we feel like no matter what we do, we are still falling short of what/who we should be. We don’t get a manual for this type of stuff. So motherhood is basically making the best decision you can on the fly, while knowing you will most likely be resented for it later.

No matter what type of mom we have or had, at some point, we wish we had had one of the other types. As adults, we all have memories that we still hold against our moms. That time she was late picking us up from school. When she embarrassed us in front of all our high school friends. Getting grounded for something we got caught doing. Or, of course, worse, like abuse, ridicule, or even abandonment.

Ninety-nine percent of the mothers I know would say that the worst part about being a parent is that moment when your child realizes you are not perfect. You are not the superhuman they saw in their formative years; you are, in fact, just a flawed person struggling to keep things together as a family, and often stumbling. That look of disappointment on your child’s face sticks with you like the silly putty they threw on the ceiling when they were 6, and you still can’t get down. It is one of the most difficult and unappreciated jobs to exist, but we do it because we love you with every ounce of our souls.

Every generation learns from the one before it. My grandmother was kind and sweet to me. It wasn’t until I was in my teens that I learned how she had raised my mom. Chasing her around with a spoon, making her sleep in the closet. Then my mother began to repeat her mother’s habits, because that was how she was taught to do things. We all feel the pain of the treatment of those who came before us.

And then you get to Generation X, who were trying so hard to break the cycle of the past that we often overcorrected with less discipline and more freedom. Which way is best? I have no idea; I’m just a mom doing my best with the knowledge and lessons (good and bad) I learned from my predecessors.

What I will tell you is, I was in a car accident last month, and as I sat on the side of the road with a broken wrist, scared and alone…this 51-year-old woman… did not want my husband for comfort. I wanted my mommy to make it better! But she passed away years ago, so I called my adult daughter. She saved the day and made me physically and emotionally feel better.

We may not always agree with the choices these goddesses in our life who gave birth to us make, and sometimes we won’t understand it at all until we are parents ourselves, or until they are gone. I quote my mom every day, because she was a force that I never appreciated until it was too late.

I am lucky enough to have a list of mother figures that I got to spend the Mother’s Day holiday with this past weekend. To pay it forward, I have tried to be the same to many, whether I gave birth to them or not. Because being a mama often has nothing to do with DNA; it’s more about the women who are there for you when you need them.

If you are lucky enough to still have your mom around, do me a favor and call her. I promise she’s thinking of you. Or you have a mother figure who taught you some things when you needed guidance, let her know. Because we may not be perfect, but we are always thinking of you and want to help, and we worry about you, because that is what moms do.

And if you know a mom who is feeling a bit lonely or overwhelmed, give them a shout, as well. The sisterhood of motherhood is real, and sometimes we need a friendly life preserver to keep us from drowning.

It’s not a competition about who is the best mom or who has it worst. Truly, we are all just trying to be the most caring and teaching moms we can be. Every day. For the rest of our lives.

My mom was very flawed; some things she said/did to me still haunt me, even though she passed almost two decades ago. Every day, I still think of her and of the lessons she was trying to teach me. She was often not a great parent by today’s standards because she was overwhelmed trying to handle my brother and me on her own. But I hear her words and still listen. And I think I ended up pretty strong because she was my mom.

All that I can hope for is that when I pass, my daughter and the others that I tried to help think of me with the same respect and joy that I was a part of their lives.

Be kind (especially to your mom),

JRT

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Author

Jodi Renee Thomas

Jodi Renee Thomas is a Central Florida native who has written for many established publications, including The Orlando Weekly and Chicken Soup for the Soul. An award-winning playwright with credits from the Orlando Fringe Festival to off-Broadway theater, with a splash of her speaking for human rights on the steps of the nation’s capital. Now, she is enjoying this next chapter of her life with her husband and a 3-pound dog that likes to sit on her lap while she types.

College Football Power Flex Rankings: Updated Top 25 (Week 1, 2025)

College football in the state of Florida is back! Since Florida State won the title in 2014, college football in the state of Florida has been a pretty sad state of affairs. After week one of the 2025 season, Sunshine State teams are flexing their muscles, led by a resurgence in Tallahassee and Miami.

Florida State put an absolute whuppin (OK, I admit that’s not a real word) on pre-season top 10 Alabama. That FSU won was not the headline, it was the way they won. The Seminoles completely dominated an Alabama team of 5 star recruits on both the offensive and defensive lines, punishing them repeatedly with bone crushing blocks and tackles. Clearly, bringing in Gus Malzahn to be the Offensive Coordinator has worked. The Seminoles rushed for 230 yards and held the Crimson Tide to just 87 yards on the ground. That’s a manhandling on both sides of the ball. If you are an FSU fan, you have to feel like the team is back, and that the 4 new starters on the offensive line are a complete success, as is new quarterback Thomas Castellano. The Seminoles were one of the most impressive teams I saw over the weekend, and the rankings will reflect that.

Miami also wants to be back. Perennially they are proclaimed as back and end up falling on their face. What makes me feel like this year could be different is what I saw in the trenches with the Hurricanes. The team has NFL level talent on their offensive and defensive lines and it showed in a 28-24 win over Notre Dame. Carson Beck was efficient at quarterback after transferring in from the University of Georgia, and new receiver CJ Daniels made what may end up being the touchdown catch of the year with a one-handed grab.

I would be remiss in talking about the state of affairs with football in Florida without mentioning the resounding victory USF had over ranked Boise State to kick off the season in front of a national TV audience. The 34-7 rout was a sure sign that Coach Alex Golesh is moving the team in the right direction.

SYNAN SAYS TOP 25 FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 2ND

LSU (1-0) – I saw nothing more impressive than winning at Clemson by shutting them out in the 2nd half
FLORIDA STATE (1-0) – Physically whipped Alabama
OHIO STATE (1-0) – Offense has a long way to go, defense is top notch
MIAMI (1-0) – So far, so good Carson Beck
TCU (1-0) – man did they shellack Bill Belicheck’s UNC team
AUBURN (1-0) – impressive road win at Baylor
SOUTH CAROLINA (1-0) – team needs a lot of work, but handling VT on a neutral field is impressive
USC (1-0) – they scored a whopping 73 points vs. new FBS school Missouri State
OLE MISS (1-0) – Ga. State is not great, but the Rebs did hang 63 on them
USF (1-0) – Bludgeoning Boise gives them this spot
IOWA STATE (2-0) – win over Kansas St. less impressive this week
TENNESSEE (1-0) – new QB Joey Aguilar stepped right in against Syracuse
GEORGIA (1-0) – Look like they want to run the ball like Georgia normally does
UTAH (1-0) – hard to tell how good win at UCLA is
CALIFORNIA (1-0) – went to Corvallis and waxed Oregon State
VIRGINIA (1-0) – beat perennial bowl team Coastal Carolina 48-7
PENN STATE (1-0) – let Nevada score late, but they’re still a top team
GEORGIA TECH (1-0) – QB Haynes King is for real. Questions about the rest of the team
NEBRASKA (1-0) – winning at Cincinnati gets them ranked for now
TEXAS (0-1) – lost at #3 by one score, they’re still good
ARIZONA (1-0) – whipped Hawaii that has already beaten Stanford
CLEMSON (0-1) – made it inside the 20 to tie the game in the 4th, but not enough running against LSU
NOTRE DAME (0-1) – gave Miami everything they had
KANSAS (2-0) – convincing wins over mediocre teams
WASHINGTON (1-0) – will be gone as soon as teams like Florida and Oregon play someone, anyone!

Mike Synan

After two decades in news and politics, Mike Synan is returning to his roots to write Sports as “The Sportsaholic”. Mike hosted a talk show for 6 years on WDBO after Magic home games called “Magic Til Midnight”, and spent years working as an in-game correspondent for both ESPN and Fox Sports Radio. His column “Synan Says” has appeared on both www.wdbo.com and www.floridadaily.com. He has a BS in Political Science from Clemson University. You can reach him at msynan@sportsmail.com

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Don’t Just Read It. Live It.

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Author

College Football Power Flex Rankings: Updated Top 25 (Week 1, 2025)

SYNAN SAYS TOP 25 FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 2ND

Mike Synan

Don’t Just Read It. Live It.

Get the latest stories, rankings, and culture from Pulp City delivered straight to your inbox.

SocialOlogy by Jodi Renee.

For Orlando’s DIY Scene,.

Magic Collapse Forces Major.

Don’t Just Read It. Live It.

Get the latest stories, rankings, and culture from Pulp City delivered straight to your inbox.

Author

College Football Power Flex Rankings: Updated Top 25 (Week 1, 2025)

SYNAN SAYS TOP 25 FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 2ND

Mike Synan

Don’t Just Read It. Live It.

Get the latest stories, rankings, and culture from Pulp City delivered straight to your inbox.

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