How did I miss this the first time? Great story, thanks.
Crazy mama (mine's not as crazy as yours thank God), the poverty (my son's dumpster diving stories can match yours), the health food jags (I swear I didn't go so hog-wild as your mom), schoolyard bullies (I've had my share)...and I can relate most to the bad hair days!
My beautiful Naomi confided to me the other day she wished she had straight hair. I confided I'd always wanted curly. "It's not as easy as it looks," she told me with all the wisdom of a six-year-old, "There's a lot of pulling." I've often complained to my daughter that if a woman is to have a mixed race child, the least she should do is learn how to take care of the poor thing's hair. It burns me no end to see these lovely mixed-race children with brittle, bleached nappy hair. There's no reason, no reason at all that mother shouldn't get herself educated. Maybe I took my rants too far. Naomi was not three months old when my daughter tossed the Johnson's baby shampoo and marched in to a beauty salon and demanded the best conditioner they had. My daughter has books for curly hair. Armed with her concoction of lavendar water, and she fusses, parts, and ties up Naomi's hair, fingering the luxurious curls in to obedient ringlets. Naomi is then under strict instructions "Not to touch it." No-one is going to accuse Naomi of having frizzy, nappy hair.
Publishing is scary for two reasons. You have to brace yourself for a lot of rejection. And you expose your self to the world. Not everyone will "get" you.
That said, this writing needs to get a wider audience.
http://www.wga.org/