A Mother's Day Reflection

Written by Zeke Perez Jr.

One of the beautiful aspects about writing for Nerds That Geek is the freedom to write about the things we enjoy. As nerds, geeks, or fans, we all have stuff we’re passionate about. Books, movies, sports, shows, whatever. Some of those things we stumbled upon ourselves, but many of them were ‘gifted’ to us, and that makes them even more important. The bonds and stories that go with them give us shared experiences that make them even more meaningful, all thanks to the people we share them with.
 
I wanted to do something special to commemorate the holidays that celebrate those people in our lives by writing pieces about them on Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Grandparent’s Day. To kick things off in honor of my mom Christine, here is the first of those articles!

My mom bestowed upon me a love for the 80’s starting at a young age. I remember spending a lot of time on Saturdays and Sundays just relaxing and watching great movies from the decade. If you know me, you know that Back to the Future is my all-time favorite. That came from my mom. I was blown away by the movie the first time she showed it to me, and my love for the movie grew even more later in life. We shared countless laughs watching Weekend at Bernie’s and The Jerk, and we delved into the movies that epitomize the 80s with The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
 
As a 90s baby, we spent a lot of time with great 90’s TV shows, too. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Dinosaurs, and Saved by the Bell were some of our favorites. Of course, we did the typical ‘Saturday morning cartoons’ thing, complete with cereal (Lucky Charms!) and Bobby’s World, Looney Tunes, and Garfield.
 
My mom could definitely get down on some arcade games and video games! During trips to the laundromat when I was a kid, my mom would give me a few quarters and show me the ropes on games like Galaga, Pac-Man, and pinball. When I got my Nintendo 64, she was right there to join in on some games. We had some good Mario Kart 64 races and a very memorable and high-scoring baseball game on Ken Griffey Jr’s Slugfest.
 
More of her 80’s influence came my way through music. Prince was her favorite artist and that’s something I’m absolutely on board with. Purple Rain is a perfect album (and song (and movie)). Culture Club, Styx, Wham!, and The Eagles all make me think of my mom as well. Her and I have a mother-son concert date this June to see Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers. I’m very much looking forward to it.
 
There are a few things I wish I got from my mom. She’s exceptionally talented and creative. When it comes to arts and crafts, drawing, gardening, or anything in between, she is always making magic. Easily the best Christmas gift I’ve ever gotten was a quilt she hand-stitched for me, made from Denver Broncos rally towels that my family had collected from various games we had been to over the years. That’s just one example of the things she has made, and I use and cherish that blanket regularly. I did not get any of her artistic abilities, unfortunately.
 
While I didn’t get the artistic gene, I think of the many other things that my mom has given me. She’s given me all sorts of movies, music, and pop culture, for sure. But she’s given me so much more. She’s someone I can turn to whenever I’m trying to figure out anything in life. She’s taught me how to be loving, compassionate, and hopeful. She supports me in everything and is always there for me. Thanks for all that you do and for all that you have done for me, mom. I love you and Happy Mother’s Day!