Latest news with #QueSera
Chicago Tribune
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
David McGrath: Who says father knows best? Mom was always one step ahead of me, and always right
There seemed to be no end to the embarrassment my mother caused me as a kid. We grew up watching Marlon Brando and James Dean at the movies when motorcycle caps and tight jeans were ultra cool. So what did Mom get for me and each of my five brothers for Christmas? Corduroy pants in 'husky' sizes that had cuffs and were so baggy they made a whipping sound that announced every humiliating stride as I walked down the school hallway. Granted, your legs didn't freeze like they did in jeans in Chicago's winters, and they were soft and comfortable enough for sitting at your desk all day. But I'm convinced the other kids were stifling their laughter the entire year. In sixth grade, I was mortified when Mom made me give Sister Joel a bottle of Jergens lotion for Christmas. I protested that it was a dumb present for a nun to whom the other kids gave rosaries and candles and framed pictures of the Blessed Virgin. Sister, in fact, looked like she was going to cry when I gave it to her, and then squeezed my hand, probably because she was also ashamed. Which reminds me of the time I was 9 and standing up at my Uncle Don's wedding with Cathy Gogal, the bride's sister, and the prettiest girl I ever saw. I wore a white tuxedo with a cummerbund, which I had to admit looked cute on my brother Kevin, who was 5 and the ring bearer. But leave it to Mom to ruin everything when she made me put a bag of Tootsie Rolls in my pocket with which to feed Kevin if he got antsy in church, which I told her would be disgraceful to do in the middle of holy Mass and in front of Cathy. Lucky for Mom, though. When Kevin started squirming during Communion, the candy shut him up. And Cathy signaled me with a hopeful smile that she would like a Tootsie Roll too. The worst was the Southeast Improvement Association's annual variety show. Mom was the director and said I could sing, 'Que Sera, Sera,' the only song I knew all the words to since they played it on the radio a million times a day. The night of the show, however, she made me put on a yellow wig since it was Doris Day's song. She said Red Skelton and Milton Berle wore wigs all the time and it was fun. But I hated it to death. Then a funny thing happened. The audience cheered and clapped and kept standing till I sang it again. I was the hit of the show, and people kept buying me bottles of Pepsi and chocolate Dixie Cups until my belly ached. It gave me a liking for the stage, and confidence in front of an audience, which came in handy when I joined the high school debate team. And later as a musician when I was in college. And a school teacher after graduation. And at readings in bookstores. Come to think of it, most everything my mother made me do worked out a lot better than if I hadn't. Which seems to be true about mothers everywhere, who magically know things ahead of time and things you don't even say out loud but are in your head. They know when you're sick before you do. Or if you're just faking it to stay home on test day. Don't try to sneak past them and hide your sadness or fear or worry, since they narrow their eyes and can see inside you. I think you know what I mean. And they'll always get you to tell them what's wrong. Mothers are all-knowing that way, mainly because they are so loving; and they're the closest thing we have to people's conception of an all-knowing, all-loving God. Some may think it blasphemous to make such a comparison. But honestly, with respect to mothers, I think God would be flattered.
The Guardian
02-04-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio continue form as Aston Villa leap past Brighton
Fabian Hürzeler has had better weeks. After the agony of being dumped out of the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday by Nottingham Forest in a penalty shootout, there was more heartache for the Brighton manager as Marcus Rashford's third goal in his last two matches, yet another for Marco Asensio and Donyell Malen's first for the club gave Aston Villa a crucial victory in the battle for a top-five finish. It meant Unai Emery's side moved above Brighton and vastly improved their chances of matching last season's achievement of qualifying for the Champions League. They still have to play fourth- and fifth-placed Manchester City and Newcastle in the run-in but after making some shrewd acquisitions in January, including Rashford and Asensio – who now has eight goals for Villa since joining on loan from Paris Saint-Germain – you wouldn't bet against them doing it. Hürzeler criticised his team for 'playing soft' during their defeat to Forest and urged them to take out their frustrations on a Villa side that began the game two points behind them in the table. With fears that both record signing Georginio Rutter and Adam Webster could be out for the season after limping off against Forest, the Brighton manager made five changes, with Brajan Gruda entrusted with the No 10 role in Rutter's absence. It took Villa's fans less than five minutes to remind their hosts that they are heading to Wembley later this month to face Brighton's arch-rivals Crystal Palace with a chorus of 'Que Sera'. With the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against PSG to look forward to as well next week, Emery made only two changes from the side that eased past Preston as John McGinn was deployed in an more advanced role. The Scotland midfielder came close to opening the scoring when his header from a Lucas Digne cross went wide as Villa made the more promising start. Rashford – Villa have an option to make his move from Manchester United permanent in the summer for £40m – had sight of goal after an immaculate touch to control a long ball forward but screwed his shot wide. Matty Cash was much closer with a powerful drive that whistled just over the crossbar, while Simon Adingra curled his effort inches past the far post following a swift break downfield involving Kaoru Mitoma. The livewire Emery was by far the more active of the two managers on the touchline, although Hürzeler sprang to his feet when the referee Stuart Attwell waved away appeals for a penalty after Mitoma went down rather easily under pressure from Cash inside the area. The Villa full-back could not resist offering his own opinion that the Japan forward had dived as the pair had to be separated by the fourth official Simon Hooper. Mitoma forced Emi Martínez into a save before Villa had their own appeals for a penalty turned down despite the video assistant referee taking a long look at Jack Hinshelwood's challenge on Jacob Ramsey. Brighton felt they had another shout for a penalty when Yasin Ayari's free-kick cannoned back off the post and struck Ramsey on the arm but again Attwell said no. It was going to take something special or a lapse in concentration for one side to break the deadlock and there was a bit of both about Rashford's goal at the start of the second half. Jan Paul van Hecke's header from a corner was straight at Martínez and the Villa goalkeeper wasted no time finding Morgan Rogers with a quick throw. His pass over the top was perfect for Rashford to race on to and he squeezed the ball past Bart Verbruggen into the net via a deflection. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion Brighton thought they had found the perfect riposte when Adingra swept from close range minutes later but, much to Hürzeler's annoyance, VAR ruled out the goal after replays showed Mitoma had used his arm to control the ball in the buildup. A fit-again Ollie Watkins was one of three Villa substitutes as Rashford's night came to an end midway through the second half, with Emery attempting to close out the victory. Not to be outdone, Hürzeler made a quadruple change for Brighton as Danny Welbeck and Carlos Baleba were summoned from the bench. But it was Asensio who made the difference when he finished off a lightning quick break to fire home a pass from Rogers before Malen rounded off the scoring in injury-time to give Villa's Champions League hopes a real shot in the arm.
