Like mother, like daughter.
By the time my late mother was in her sunset years – think pretty far up in her 80s with an ultimate destination of 94 – she agreed to let my good wife, Karen, come down to her apartment in Judson Manor and purge her closet. We all looked forward to the big day as my mother had a smidgen of pack-rat in her veins she had no doubt inherited from her own mother.
It quickly became apparent to my mother that her role was to be that of a silent partner.
When’s the last time you wore this dress? And, what about this sweater? And, these shoes over here? You can’t wear this type of shoe anymore, can you? This whole closet is filled with items you don’t wear anymore. Why are you saving all this stuff you obviously don't care about or need? These items are just taking up valuable space.
And, into the bin would go more and more dresses and sweaters and a lot of shoes.
My mother struggled somewhat with her daughter-in-law’s cold approach, so she started referring to Karen as Ruth.
Why in the world would you refer to your wonderful daughter-in-law as Ruth?, I asked.
It’s because when she helped me empty my closet she was ruthless.
And, the name stuck. Think about clearing your garage. Does Ruth need to come help? Or, when it’s time to clean out the refrigerator. Ruth is on her way!
So, to get to the point of this anecdote.... Tracy arrived this week to help her father clear out a couple of closets. Folks, Ruth is alive and well in the new and improved Baby Ruth.
In 2022, I have lost complete control of my world. Under the relentless supervision of Baby Ruth, I have tossed the following items (already) this week. I say already because we haven't finished. Something I have learned is that Baby Ruth learned well from the ever relentless Ruth. The job is never done.
Two pair of slacks.
Five belts.
Six hats, including some from my favorite team, the Cleveland Indians.
Eight suits. These had been religiously saved in case I got called back to full time work duty. The phone could ring at any time. Two of those suits were still in dry cleaning bags from the mid-’90s. So what if suits with pleated pants are currently out of style. I’m going to really regret this if a new wave of pleated suit pants comes back into vogue and I get the call.
Eleven of the finest Land’s End short sleeve dress shirts all cleaned and on hangers.
Twelve pair of shorts, mostly with pleats. If you see somebody walking around Cleveland with pleated shorts you’ll know where they came from.
Twenty t-shirts with invaluable logos, some from organizations that no longer market under their old names. Indians?
Twenty-six fine neckties of various widths, some with the colors of the hated University of Michigan. I guess it’s o.k. to get rid of those.
And, as I said, we are not done. Baby Ruth will be here for most of this week. Ouch. It’s going to be brutal. My memories are all going to be walking around town without me.
Let me tell you, folks, Baby Ruth is a whole lot more than a candy bar. She’s a tough-as-nails second generation crazed woman.
DY: In Just a Few Words is a blog that comes out when something needs to be said or every Tuesday - whichever comes first. Davis Young is a communications professional who adds 50+ years of experience and perspective to issues of the day. His emphasis in DY: In Just a Few Words will be humor (a touch of sarcasm here, a pinch of facetiousness there...). Once in a while, he will touch on something a bit more serious - but hopefully not too deep or depressing.
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