The Shirley Diaries - a brief commentary on the 3 Shirley Diaries

Yes, to those of you who have inquired.....The Shirley is still alive, laughing, living and driving in the country. I won't say exactly where, because I need to protect the surrounding small towns from tourist traffic that may occur from interested Shirley fans wanting to capture a glimpse of this marvelous creature. But rest assured, she is well and still possesses the ability to embarrass with the simple turning of a car key.

The Shirley also has a thought or two on my 'take' of her fiascoes. She claims no memory of them at all - which prompts me to believe she is in the very early stages of senility *joking* - and does not agree to take any responsibility for her alleged escapades.

The Shirley does think that The Shirley Diaries are very funny. She said that she read the first one late at night after dad was asleep and that she had to keep stepping away from the computer in order to get control of her laughing!

The Shirley states that I have a vivid imagination to which I retort with a snort, "...imagination? My right foot!" (and by right foot, I am referring to the one that still has the feint outline of a 7 stamped on the top!)

The Shirley is horrified that I used her real name. I told her I had to use her real name to expose the guilty! No, really, I tried to come up with a different name to use, and being a playwright, you'd think I would have been able to do that. However, the task became monumental and about as easy as assigning a different numerical value to the number 7. Can you imagine saying I'll take seven cookies, and them giving you only three? It simply cannot be done. So, I was forced to use her real name - sorry mom!

The Shirley thinks that all this 'driving under the influence of laughter' stuff is going to make people think she's a loon. She is a loon! But a funny, lovable loon.

The Shirley has reminded me that, once upon a time when I told her I was going to be a writer, that she forbid me to write anything bad about her until she was dead. To that I say, she's looking pretty healthy and may live to be a hundred and twenty, at which time I will be one hundred and too senile to write! Besides, I maintain that I have not written anything bad at all - only funny...and true, oh, so true...things.

The Shirley is afraid that people will dislike her after I have exposed her driving....um, shall we call them adventures? I have received so many emails about how wonderful The Shirley is that I believe it is testament to her true character - a funny, wonderful mom who wasn't...isn't afraid to be human.

So, to The Shirley, I lift a martini glass full of cranberry juice (because I have to drive later or it would have an appletini in it) and salute her. She gave me lessons in how not to drive and she taught me how to laugh at myself. (I do tend to take myself too seriously - note to self: laugh at self more often.)

Here's to The Shirley! - a fabulous creature that roams the hills of Texas. (I'd give out her license plate to protect the innocent, unsuspecting drivers around her - but The Shirley may sue me for being a very naughty child and for going too far.)

So, if you truly loved, enjoyed and laughed at The Shirley - please DO leave a comment so she can read it with her own eyes.