OPINION: Editor James Bennett's column: Have you called your mama? I sure wish I could call mine on Mother's Day

May 9—Paul "Bear" Bryant recorded a television commercial for South Central Bell in the 1970s that I always remember on Mother's Day.

The late Alabama football coach says at the end, "Have you called your mama today? I sure wish I could call mine."

kAmp =@E @7 FD H:D9 E96 D2>6 E9:?8]k^Am

kAm|J >2>2 H2D r2C@= y62? q6??6EE] $96 5:65 @? pAC:= '_[ a__h[ 2E 286 f_ 27E6C 32EE=:?8 962CE AC@3=6>D 7@C 2 564256]k^Am

kAm|@C6 E92? 'a J62CD =2E6C[ D96'D >:DD65 3J 96C 72>:=J 2?5 7C:6?5D 2D >F49 2D rC:>D@? %:56 72?D >:DD "%96 q62C]"k^Am

kAm%96 s6EC@:E ?2E:G6 H2D 2>2K:?8 :? >@C6 H2JD E92? @?6] p?5 2D H6 =@@3242?5 46=63C2E6 >@E96CD @? E9:D DA64:2= H666]k^Am

kAmx'G6 366? H2=6>@CJ =2?6 E9:D H66@E:@?2==J C6>6>36C:?8 2 H@>2? H9@ >@G65 E@ %6??6DD66 W:?8X H96? D96 H2D ba] $96 5:5?'E 6G6? @G6 2C@F?5 E96 |@E@C r:EJ 2D 2 E66?286C 2?5 2D 2 J@F?8 >@E96C :? 96C a_D]k^Am

kAmx>28:?6 >@G:?8 E@ E96 $@FE9 :? 'hf_[ 25;FDE:?8 E@ 4F=EFC2= D9@42?J C2EE=6D?2J F?4=6 s@?2=5[ 2 D49@@= E62496C[ 42>6 E@ A:4>6 FA 7@C 2 c\w DA622E49:?8 4=@E96D[ D@ D96 H2D 6>32CC2DD65 7@C >6 E@ 4@>A6E6] s@?2=5 4@?G:?465 96C E@ =6E >6 8@[ D2J:?8 >J C28865=J 4=@E96D 5:5 ?@E >2EE6C] $96 >256 DFC6 E96J H6C6 4=62? 2?5 :C@?65[ 2?5 @77 H6 H6?E]k^Am

kAmx H@? E96 4@F?EJ 492>A:@?D9:A 2D 2 D:IE9\8C256C E92E ?:89E 2?5 2 49647@C Sd] x C6>6>36C E96 32?AC6D:56?E >2@>6?E x 42>6 E@ 42D9 :E] w6 2D@?6Jn" x D2:5 x H2D 8@:?8 E@ 8:G6 :E E@ >J >@E96C[ 2?5 x 5:5] xV> ?@E DFC6 :7 D96 6G6? DA6?E :E]k^Am

kAm{@@6] $96 5:5 H@C7@C 2 D9@CE E:>6 2E E96 p4>6 q@@E r@>A2?J] xV> ?@E DFC6 H9J[ 3FE D96 AC676CC65 4=62?:?8 9@FD6[ 4@@62=D 2?5 5@:?8 =2F?5CJ 7@C FD] p 5:CEJ D@4@? E96 7=@@C H2D ?@E E96C6 >@C6 E92? 7:G6 >:?FE6D H:E9 96C 2C@F?5]k^Am

kAm%96C6 2C6?'E E@@ >2?J >@E96CD =:@C6]k^Am

kAm|J >@E96C H2D ?@E E96 D2>6[ C62==J[ 27E6C >J @=56C 3C@E96C[ %@>[ 5C@H?65 :? 'hga] w6 H2D @?=J aa[ 92G:?8 ;FDE 7:?:D965 32D:4 EC2:?:?8 :? E96 pC>J] $96 H2D @?=J cc] uC@> E92E >@>6?E @?[ x J ;F?:@C 2?5 D6?:@C J62CD 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 %6??6DD66 :? z?@IG:==6[ x H6?E 9@>6 6G6CJ H666 H:E9 96C 2?5 >J 72E96C] x 3FE ?6G6C 5:5] x 5:5 ?@E H2?E E@ >26 >:DE26 E@ 42== 4@==64E 7C@> H96C6G6C x H2D H@C:[ !9@6?:I @C $62EE=6] $96 H2D 72D4:?2E65 E@ 962C 23@FE >J ;@3D 2?5 49:=5C6? 2?5 =::?:D46 23@FE %@>] $96 6?565 6G6CJ 42== H:E9 E96 D2>6 C67C2:?] "r@>6 9@>6 H96? J@F 42?]" $96 DFC6 H:D965 %@> 4@F=5 92G6 4@>6 9@>6]k^Am

kAms6DA:E6 96C @H? :?23:=:EJ E@ 5C:G6[ C6=2E:G6D 2?5 7C:6?5D E@@96C =@ED @7 A=246D] $96 G:D:E65 >6 :? pC:K@?2 E9C66 E:>6D] $96 H@? 2 S'ad D=@E\>249:?6 ;246 :? }2D9G:==6 @?6 E:>6] $96 H2D 2 3:8 s@==J !2CE@? 72?] w6C 72G@C:E6 D@?8 H2D Qw2C5 r2?5J r9C:DE>2D]Qk^Am

kAmp?@E96C E:>6[ x 7=6H H:E9 >J >@>[ >J 6I\H:76 2?5 =:EE=6 3C@E96C E@ s6EC@:E G:D:E >J 8C2?5>@E96C — >J >@>'D >@> — 7@C E96 =2DE E:>6 :? A6CD@?] vC2?5>2 z:C49?6C H2D 2 DE2J\2E\9@>6 >@E96C 2D H6== W:? E96 'hb_D[ 'hc_D 2?5 'hd_DX 2?5 DE@@5 @?=J c\7@@E\h :?496D E2==[ :7 E92E] $96 H2D 2=H2JD 2 8:2?E :? >J >@E96C'D 6J6D[ 2?5 >:?6] (6 E@@96C D9@AA:?8 2?5 @FE E@ 62E] (6 3@F89E 96C 8C@46C:6D] p D9@CE E:>6 367@C6 D96 A2DD65[ 8C2?5>2 E@=5 >6 E96 G:D:E H2D @?6 @7 E96 36DE H66@E96C 8C6H FA H:E9 EH@ 3C@E96CD[ r92C=:6 2?5 q@3[ 2?5 D96 925 2== 3@JD[ %@>[ $E6G6[ r9C:D 2?5 >6] $96 H2?E65 D@ 325=J E@ 92G6 2 =:EE=6 8:C= E@ DA@:=] (96? >J 52F89E6C[ w2??2[ H2D 3@C? :? a__a[ >J >@>VD 46=63C2E:@? H2D 2D 6I4:E:?8 2D 3F:=5:?8 2 ?6H 9@FD6[ 2D >J A2C6?ED 5:5 :? 'hhd]k^Am

kAm(:E9 >@>'D 72:=:?8 962=E9[ x 4@F=5 ?@E 7=J 96C E@ 36 H:E9 FD H96? w2??2 H2D 3@C?] x? 724E[ D96 5:5 ?@E D66 w2??2 :? A6CD@? F?E:= 72== a__d] (96? H6 =67E 27E6C 2 D9@CE G:D:E[ D96 DBF66K65 w2??2'D 49666 324H96? J@F 42?]"k^Am

kAm%96 G:D:ED H6C6 E@@ :?7C6BF6?E 2D x H@C@G6 FA :? E96 >65:2 3FD:?6DD 2?5 C2:D6 E96 6 8@E E@ 36 AC64:@FD 27E6C x EFC?65 c_ 2?5 >J >@E96C 9:E E96 e_ >2C:D65 >@C6 E92? x 4@F=5 56=:G6C H96? :E 42>6 E@ G:D:E:?8 2?5 D92C:?8[ 2?5 D@@? >@> DF776C65 E9C@F89 962=E9 AC@3=6>D[ :?4=F5:?8 4@?86?:E2= 962CE 5:D62D6 E@ 2? :?23:=:EJ E@ H2=@DE @7 E96 E:>6] (96? H6 G:D:E65[ D96 H2D H2:E:?8 @? E96 7C@?E A@C49 56DA:E6 36:?8 7C2:=]k^Am

kAm|J 72E96C[ H9@ 5:65 :? a_'a[ C67FD65 E@ =6E >J >@E96C =:G6 :? 2? 2DD:DE65 =:G:?8 724:=:EJ 2D DF886DE65 3J 96C 5@4E@CD 2?5 42C68:G6CD] w6 492?865 96C D966ED 2?5 4=@E96D 2?5 82G6 96C 2 32E9 6G6CJ 52J 7@C ?62C=J 2 J62C 367@C6 D96 5:65] $96 E@@42C6 @7 FD H:E9 6G6CJ 3C62E9 @7 96C =:76[ :E D66>65[ 2?5 96 C64:AC@42E65 2E E96 6?5 @7 96C =:76]k^Am

kAm%96 H@C5D "4@>6 324H96? J@F 42?" H6C6 649@:?8 :? >J 62CD 2D H6 G:D:E65 96C 8C2G6D:56 @FED:56 q2IE6C[ %6??6DD66[ 62C=:6C E9:D H66:?8[ x E92?:DD65 96C]k^Am

kAm}@H 6?E6C:?8 E96 H:?E6C @7 >J =:76[ x DF886DE E92E J@F 7@==@H "%96 q62CVD" 25G:46] r2== J@FC >2>2] x DFC6 H:D9 x 4@F=5 42== >:?6]k^Am

James Bennett is Executive Editor. Contact him at 256-235-3540 or jbennett@annistonstar.com.