For a brief period after college, I had to move back in with my folks. I quickly realized that grown men should not be living under the same roof as their mothers. But hey, we all have issues with your moms, right? Anyway, if you thought your relationship with your mom was complicated, check out this story about a Sicilian woman who grounded her 61-year old son for staying out too late and, uh, not liking her cooking!
According to Reuters, the mother took away her 61-year-old son's house keys, cut off his allowance and hauled him to the police station because he stayed out late. The son responded by saying his mother did not give him a big enough weekly allowance and did not know how to cook. Police helped the squabbling duo make up and the two returned home together, with the son's house keys and daily allowance restored.
Apparently, most Italian men still live at home late into their 30s, enjoying their "mamma's" cooking, washing and ironing.
Wow! What a bunch of wusses. Reminds me of the Alec Baldwin quote in "30 Rock": "The Italians have a saying, Lemon. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. And although they've never won a war or mass-produced a decent car, in this respect, they are correct.
About MetroDad
I'm a French-named, speed-reading, former public policy analyst now trapped in the body of a Asian-American fashion executive. I've ridden elephants in Sri Lanka, imbibed snake venom in China, skiied the Italian Dolomites, eaten barbecue in Pakistan, travelled to every state except North Dakota, visited 28 out of 32 major league ballparks, worshipped at the altar of Graceland 5 times and have shut down most of the nightclubs in Paris. That being said, I still get lost every time I go through the Lincoln Tunnel.
It's safe to say that we'd probably get along if you can truly appreciate the real beauty in...a good Peking duck, Sunday's NYT crossword, nice manners, Scrabble, Law & Order, spontaneous travel, Otoro, Jim Jarmusch, Tabasco sauce, Morrissey, Haruki Murakami, Peets coffee, Radiohead, listening to baseball games on the radio, Thievery Corporation, X-Men comics, fresh powder, Southern BBQ, Christopher Hitchens, bloomin' onions, mid-century design, the warmth of a good scotch, a great day spent fishing where you didn't catch a damn thing...
On a related note, I'd like to believe that I probably have absolutely nothing in common with another human being who really loves any of the following: pro bass fishing on tv, NASCAR, low carb Cabernet, Kathey Griffin, Microsoft, the Olsens, Applebees, Jessica Simpson, romance novels, tofu bacon, Pamela Anderson, ballet, "Survivor" or HUMMERs. Similarly, I could also never be friends with someone who mixes up "they're", "there", and "their". I will give you a smidge of credit if you know the difference between "if" and "whether". But if you leave any participles dangling, we're breaking up.
In conclusion, let me just say...
Lex clavatoris designati rescindenda est.
(The Designater Hitter Rule has got to go)
