Think You Had a Rough Childhood? Think Again. Push by Sapphire

About 5 of my neighborhood mommy friends and I decided to read the book Push which the movie, "Precious" is based upon. When everyone is done, we're going to meet at the local pub, have a few drinks and talk about the book - among the usual mommy/girlfriend talk.

The life of Precious is so awful - the worst I've ever imagined- had one baby from her dad at 12 that has Down Syndrome, and is now pregnant with her second baby by her dad also. Her mother molests her too and forces her to eat. If she doesn't eat when her mother wants her to, she gets beaten. That's why she's obese. Her mother also expects her to do the cooking and cleaning. She can't read and has been passed through the school system - nice!! But finally is put into an alternative school. This is where things start to turn around for her.

The book is under 200 pages and I devoured it in one sitting. I didn't even stop to use the bathroom (which probably contributed to the UTI I have right now - ugh). I haven't seen the movie, but I don't need to. I saw it all in my head and that was plenty.

This book is a great book discussion piece because it has many implications about the school system's failure and the role of parenting. Precious couldn't have been born to worse parents. Throughout the entire book, I kept thinking, 'what the hell kind of mother are you???" stupid woman for letting your daughter get raped every night by your husband, then beating her for it - that she took your man, molesting her yourself, and making her your domestic slave?? Not to mention the verbal abuse too. Such a sad fate.

The author worked with inner city kids for several years, not sure how many. I passed on my copy of the book to a mommy friend so I no longer have it. So you know that Precious is based on some of the kids she came in contact with.

I couldn't put the book down because I kept hoping for a happy ending. I don't want to spoil it for anyone so I won't say what happens in the end. But this is the most moving book I've read in a long time. Depressing. But it really makes you appreciate the childhood you did have.

I am now reading The Help which is really good so far.

Crushed By My Childhood Sweetheart: Nick Rhodes

Last Friday, my cousin was able to get me some Duran Duran tickets. Since my husband was at his holiday party for work, I was able to beg my mother to babysit Rick, I went with my cousin to the show.

For those who know me, I have been a fan since grammar school - listening to my big sister's vinyl records with her back in 1984. I loved their music and I loved them - despite all the fluffy hair and make-up, I thought they were hot (well except for Andy -sorry man). My favorite guy was Nick Rhodes - the keyboardist. I thought he was handsome, liked his disposition and bookish ways.

I last saw them a few years back when they played at the House of Blues and I was able to squish my way up to the very front with my husband and only had 1 person standing in front of me. It was my childhood dream come true. It was an amazing show.

This show was good, but nothing prepared me for what I witnessed:

At the end of the show, when the guys came to the front of the stage to take a bow, a girl in the front row handed Nick Rhodes a bouquet of flowers. He seemed to take them reluctantly, and walked off the stage holding them downwards (as opposed to upwards- as you would carry a bouquet you actually cared about) and then he threw them like a piece of garbage across the stage into the back behind the curtains. He didn't even wait til he was out of sight to trash them!! I gasped.

This kind of tainted my larger-than-life view of him all these years. That was really rude to do and I felt so bad for that girl. I suppose I never tried to get backstage passes or tickets to meet & greet because I didn't want my perfect view of them to be tarnished in any way.

This doesn't mean I think he sucks - I guess he is human and has the ability to be a rude jackass just like the rest of us. I guess I just expected more.