Saturday, May 17, 2008

Hot Mama


Today I was called a hot mama. The comment came from the hottest mama of all, at least in my book. Sue is one of my all time favorite professors, she is one of my all time favorite people for that matter. Sue has been many things to me, my professor, my friend, my counselor, my mentor, my spiritual advisor, and my mother. She has been all those things to many of her students. I love her with all of my heart. She is not an easy person, she makes me think until I have a headache, she pushes until I reach my potential, but she loves me and she understands me.

Sue grew up in a blue collar family, she did not have it easy. She was a single mother and drove a bus to put herself through school. She is a Jungian psychologist. She has traveled all over the world, she studied under several of the major theorists in psychology, including Jung and Frankl. She spent time in South America, becoming a Shaman. She has extensively studied philosophy. She has an amazing mind and has lived an amazing life. In her class discussions, no religion is safe and you must be prepared for a liberal dose of curse words, including the "F" word. I cannot think of a topic that I have not discussed with Sue: politics, history, philosophy, sex, children, dogs, cars, money, you name it. She has an opinion and a theory on each one of them.

My first encounter with Sue was in her class. She was intimidating. She kept asking me questions, she would not let up, at one point she asked, "Did you even read it?" At break she told me she wouldn't pick on me if she didn't like me and know I could take it. Then she told me I was too smart for my own good. Sue tells a story about going to a psychic when she was a teenager. The psychic told her she would die when she was 65. I met Sue when she was 65, she said that in preparation for her death that year, she quit doing anything she didn't like to do. Then she turned 66 and said, now that she was still alive, she was really behind.

She dresses smartly, she shops in New York City, she dyes her hair jet black, and drives an Alpha Romeo Spider. She smokes, she drinks and she loves good food. She preaches to everyone to find what you love to do in life and do that for a living. She individually takes her grandchildren on trips to New York and Europe. She understands people, she can read what people are thinking and knows why they do what they do.

She knows me well, she can see through my facade. Today, Sue summoned me over to a group of young students she was talking to. I had not talked to Sue since last summer. She said (about me), "this troublemaker has been through it all and can tell you that you'll not only live through it, but eventually you'll figure it out." Then she said, "Look at you, you're just a hot mama. You've met someone, you're having sex. Good for you." I just smiled, gave her a hug and went back to class. Like I said, Sue knows me well.

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