Assignment #1

The blinking “1” means an unheard message waits.

I press the play button.

“Hi Lorette, this is Mum.”

Oh.

This is going to take awhile.

“It’s Saturday, um, around, I don’t know, 11:00 or so. Dad and I are up in Maine, we just had lunch, Dad just got back from golf…"

In person, my Mother is quiet and polite. She knows and follows the give and take of social conversation, pausing, nodding, asking questions, limiting responses to three or so sentences. On the end of an unmanned telephone, however, she loses her way. The answering machine doesn’t interrupt or interject, so she just keep talking.

Her messages can be epic.

“…and Kathie told me how her grandson, Davie, well his full name is John David but he goes by Davie, but he’s still little so that’s ok, he started soccer too…” That’s her, still talking.

I press the fast forward button one last time, hopeful there is a particular question or bit of information that will be revealed, something - anything - that is for me.

“…and that’s how that goes. Long story, right honey? How are my girls doing? It’s been so long since we’ve seen them, and Dad, well Dad thinks it’s been…”

Then I find it, the bit that is for me.

I realize that this lengthy voicemail of unrelenting chatter is like a bad blog.

This message is just like the blogs that I briefly alight upon, never to return. The ones who talk at me, not with me. As a reader, I need something, anything that makes me personally hitch myself to the post or writer.

In my previous life as a School Psychologist, a wise mentor once told me to always give parents a "take home" after a meeting. By this she meant a pamphlet, a phone number, a website or some other tangible for consideration after the meeting.

According to my blogging course instructor, blogs are similar. People need to come away with something after reading a post, like a laugh, advice or a link.

This blog, The Take Home Blog, will highlight a "take home" lesson for you, something I have learned. It is your doggy bag after my lunch. You can choose to take it or leave it.

The Take Home this week:

I love my Mom. She is the best.

Brevity can be a successful blogger's best friend.