The Truest Sentence [I] Know
by STACY G

Green Day Sing-Narrates Summertime Mom Woes. (Cracker crumbs and carpool lanes and lazy suitcase packers, oh my!)

True Sentence No. 17

I stumbled upon this video online. Summertime mom woes, narrated by Green Day. To the tune of all their classic songs, of course.

Of course it’s obnoxious. Rushing to back-to-back carpool lanes and kids leaving cracker crumbs all over the pantry (probably recently remodeled). And it’s irksome when kids can’t pack their suitcase, or when you can’t get them into the summer camps you want.

My children are young now, just shy of ages 4 and 2. This may be my life in a few years.

A few months ago, I may have found this video funny. Now, I find I can’t relate to it despite the ways I see my suburban existence mirrored back.

While this video is going mildly viral, as a summertime-blues-anthem for moms, I am in awe of these woes.

I know it’s a parody. I know should laugh. Don’t be daft. Don’t wanna be an American Idiot. (Doo-doo-doo)

These are real problems for real moms.

And these are their lighter problems.

They have other issues, too, that their families face. Substance abuse and infidelity and terminal illness and death and job loss and other obstacles.

And yet, I look at this video and see privilege I can’t relate to. Your day-to-day annoyances are carpool lanes and messy kids.

My day-to-day annoyances are carpool lanes and messy kids along with feelings of racism and racial isolation and people who a) don’t see the problem or b) see the problem but would like me to grapple with these blows in more dignified and ladylike way without stepping on toes.

All the hardships this video woman encounters, BIPOC women (the lucky suburban ones) encounter them too. On top of other far more weighty problems – problems often denied. Or maybe those problems are acknowledged as real, but probably a good idea for POC to tone it down.

Because those video women, they are the allies.

That blows my mind.

This video is funny. I have a nostalgic spot for Green Day.

Probably, I’ve lost my sense of humor.

I’ve lost my ability to take a joke.

And today, here’s the truest sentence I know. True Sentence No. 17: I’ve lost my ability to take a joke; I’ve lost my old sense of humor and (sadly) I don’t think that I want it back.