First off, happy Mother’s Day to all you mothers, whether you got that way by giving birth or by acquisition. If you’re doing the work, you’re a mom, in my humble opinion. Okay, my not so humble opinion.
That being said, you will find no sweet Mother’s Day specials here. I get the same nauseous feeling around those that I got when I walked into the office supply mega-store the other day and saw a display of computer mice, cordless phones and notebooks in the same shade of bubble gum pink most of us can’t wait for our tweens to grow out of.
I love Mother’s Day. I just hate the assumption that I want something pink and floral about as much as most Dads shudder at the thought of yet another striped tie. I want something practical. Like power tools. My husband loves the vases and the flowers (although he doesn’t like pink, either).
On to the television. We start off with a special episode of The Dog Whisperer, airing tonight (May 
at 9 p.m., this time focusing on puppy mills. Now, I love Cesar Millan and have used his techniques with my own two boys, and they do work. And I have to give the show credit, that while there are some disturbing images, we saw far worse on the recent Animal Planet special. Finally, they did talk to a responsible breeder and discussed appropriate breeding practices.
However, this is not one of your better Dog Whisperer episodes. Some of it may be just me. The group that Cesar is working with is Last Chance for Animals and at least one of the guys just set my teeth on edge. He came off as a bit of a fanatic at times, and while I fully appreciate the work he’s doing, I generally view fanatics of all stripes with a certain sense of unease. Again, that’s just my take on it (which is why I’m not naming him). Your mileage may vary.
But Sunday, oh, what fun. The Science Channel has got (cue dramatic music) Meteorite Men, a special airing at 9 p.m. You’ve got two guys, Geoff Notkin and Steve Arnold, who couldn’t be more different, but they’re the perfect partners because they so completely share the same passion – finding and digging up meteorites, the remnants of asteroids that have fallen to the earth.
The special is done with comic book style titles and occasionally, panels. But forget that. What really makes the show sing is the utter passion these two guys have for meteorites. These guys just get so excited about them, it’s leaks out all over the place and is just fun to watch. And, oh yeah, you get some science education thrown in, too.
I appreciate that some things are just hard and I do believe that there’s a point at which you just have to gut through some things, like algebra. But I also believe that the way science (and history, too, now that I think about it) are often taught does more to stifle interest in these two vital subjects than incite curiosity. Now, I had the blessing of teachers who were passionate about these subjects, so I know what a difference it can make. But I also had parents who got excited about learning, in general, and who also loved history and science and were willing to share those passions.
Which brings us back to mothers and the critical role we play in our children’s lives. TV can only do so much – and all too often, too much of the bad stuff. But we are still and always the most potent and strongest influence on our kids. So let your passion and curiosity out. It’s not about how much you actually know, but your willingness to find out. What fun. What excitement. And it may even get you something more interesting than pink flowers.