Bozeman Mother Must Be Better Than Hollywood Mothers

Mother's Day has come and gone. Everyone loves Mother's Day. There is no greater love than the love of a mother. Here in Bozeman, I saw mothers and sons smiling, heading out to enjoy a family dinner today. No love is stronger than a mom's. Now that is something that is very true in my world. My family.

My mother was the greatest mom in the world. We all think that. It's true. Isn't it?

But when I worked in the Hollywood entertainment industry, I found out that Mother's Day is not joyful for everyone.

I knew of kids who supported their families working as actors.  A nine-year-old boy meets with a network producer and director. In the waiting room, the mother sits and waits for their kid to return after the audition. The kid getting the job would mean the family could buy a new house.

"How did you do?" the mom asks.

"Okay, but I couldn't cry when they asked me."

Next, the mom slapped the kid actor in the face. His face was red and tears spilled out of his eyes.

"If you loved me, you would have gotten the job. See how easy it is to cry?"

None of the other moms did anything. I wondered if they said nothing because they where also like her. It could have been they were just as shocked as I was.

I remember a mother pushing her 16-year-old daughter to "date" a major television star at a party. Later my television star friend and I talked. That lady is always pushing her kid on stars.

The mom didn't seem to mind the actor was much older than her daughter. Married, having a girlfriend, nothing meant anything to this mom. She was trying to get her kid some press and maybe a job.

"Yeah, some mothers are sick. She's a good kid, but her mom is like pimping her," he told me.

After seeing things like that in Los Angeles for some kids, I am sad. Mother's Day isn't as joyful and filled with love as mine were.

I grew up in Hollywood and when I told this story to another friend they said, "It probably happens everywhere." There must be rotten moms here in Bozeman, too.

See that is the thing. I want to think bad parents are all in Hollywood. The whole world is normal, just Hollywood is sick. Could we have the same thing here, but it's not that obvious?

I know, on this Mother's Day, as I sit, cry and miss my mom, I force myself to think: All mothers are good and kind and loving and sweet and funny. That's what I force myself to think. Most mothers are great. They don't abuse their kids. I have to think that not to be sad.

The glass is half full. Everything has a happy ending.

"Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus." (at least in Montana)

Dominick