Posture

We've all heard this one before: parents trying to get their children to do something to enhance their lives. The children -taking their parents' benevolence as a form of dictatorship- will do everything in their power to refuse. Their acts of protest? Crying, whining, running away and faking illness. Of course, I was that kid, truly believing I was a free thinker and exempt from "those" things. I was the prototype of a modern woman (not really). If I had listened to my mom, I could have been a Chinese speaking ballet dancer who played piano recitals on the weekends. At home, I would've been able to sew curtains, a nice party dress all while preparing a three course meal.

I've tried to make up for lost time by learning how to cook. I can still sew with a needle and thread, make a skin tight tube dress to hit up the clubs but definitely no gown for a ball. I can speak just a little Chinese and if you consider the cha cha to be similar to ballet, then I'm not so far off from those idealistic dreams of my mother.

My latest attempt at reverting/reclaiming my mom's life tips is trying to improve my posture. Lately, I've been attempting to sit up straight for as long as I possibly can but find that it is very similar to being punished or exercise, which I avoid at all costs. I like to attribute my terrible posture to the way I sleep at night. I would describe my sleeping similar to how a hedgehog might look like, curling myself into a ball as a last defense if ever someone tried to attack us at night.

When I was younger, my mom used to receive catalogues that sold those products "as seen on TV", like those magazines that sold pre-seeded mats that, when watered, would grow a beautiful flower patch (I really wanted one) or novelty clocks or utensils. While looking through this magazine, my mom used to threaten me by telling me that she would purchase this bra-type thing that somehow improved posture by keeping your shoulders back. Maybe she should've gone through with it. I could've been a Chinese speaking, ballet dancing, piano playing, excellent hostess/seamstress with good posture. What a catch!