"But Mom I am standing up straight" I cried.

Uh oh I'm not standing up straight. My Mom just came to Palm Springs to visit and reminded me of this. "Gail, I was noticing at dinner that you weren't standing up straight. You really should , you look so much prettier when you do." "Yes I was," I insisted as I glared at her. Apparently she either likes to nag me or it's really true because I've been hearing about it for over 50 years. Growing up it used to drive me crazy, "stand up straight" over and over and over. "Ok, ok, I hear you," I'd snip back and then slouch. I never understood why it was such a big deal. And how "straight" is straight enough? This question haunted me. She had eyes like an Eagle. Although she didn't let me shave my legs and to me that was far more noticeable than my posture. "But Mom, I sobbed, everyone shaves their legs....please." I was twelve with hairy legs wearing white anklet socks and party shoes....a really bad look and no one ever asked me to dance. Nope, my lack of dancing didn't matter, it was all about standing up straight.

I've spent years of my life ignoring her words and focusing on shaving my legs, which btw is tiring and really boring after one leg. Truthfully however, I think about posture more and more these days as a doctor friend of mine told me the way to stay youthful looking is to stand up straight. His words struck me , unlike Mom's. Was he onto something? Is that the key? I thought it was a face lift but posture is cheaper. I'm in desperate need of "youthful" and started lifting weights to stregthen my droopy shoulders. I'm trying the least expensive route first but have started a plastic surgery fund with the money I'm saving by not taking the tollway.

Mom's words were discouraging as I was convinced I had resolved my posture issues. I still wasn't standing up straight enough for her and hung my head in despair. It was then like a dream come true she changed the subject, "Gail when was the last time you had your roots done?"