truepenny | Laughing. Almost. Too. Hard. To. Type.

So, I'm a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

So is my mom.

Many years ago, Phi Beta Kappa, as an organization, decided that my mom and I are the same person (I think something went squirrelly when I informed them of my name change upon getting married, but I've never been sure). I called to explain that, no, we were two different people, thank you (There was a pause, and then the customer service woman said, in tones of deepest disapprobation, "That's just a stupid mistake," which may be the best response I have ever gotten from someone who has to answer phones for a living.), and there for a while we were, in fact, two different people. But then Mercury went into retrograde or something, and we became one person again. I decided life is too short to bother with nonsense like this, especially as neither Mom nor I is what you might call an active member of the organization, so I let it slide. Mom doesn't care, I don't care, Phi Beta Kappa is confused.

I just went and got the mail, and found the inevitable culmination of this state of affairs: a certificate congratulating me on my fiftieth anniversary of membership in Phi Beta Kappa.

This would ordinarily just be mildly annoying, but the fact that Phi Beta Kappa is a honors organization with an exceptionally lofty and self-congratulatory self-image makes it so funny that I may never stop smirking.

Also? Dear Phi Beta Kappa, what's with this "Mrs." nonsense? That's DOCTOR Monette to you.

Congratulations, Mom.