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Mothers Who Dream |
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About the Author
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Carole Moore: When a
Door Closes, There's Always a Window When I first contacted humor writer Carole Moore for a possible profile, I asked her if she had children. Her amusing response included: "Am I a mother? I suppose so. If I'm not, then I must be into some sort of bizarre role-playing game where you give up your sleep, money and sanity and in return you get custody of expensive balls of flesh that like you and don't like you in alternating random patterns over a 20-odd year period of time. . . . Or else I'm on the X-Files." Seeing humor in nearly every situation is typical of Moore's attitude, and she probably learned to laugh at herself as a way to cope with moving around at an early age. Her father was in the Navy, which meant Carole became a world traveler at a very young age. Seeing exotic locations may also have fueled her intense interest in ancient history, shaping her first career goal. Moore wanted to become an archaeologist. "I've stood in the presence of Ramses," she says, enthusiastically recounting a visit to Cairo, Egypt and its Museum of Antiquities. History still lights her fire, but hit with the "acting bug" in high school, she pursued that dream instead. She studied theatre arts in college, but says, "I liked eating too much to stick with it." Seriously though, Moore came to the realization that she had little chance at making a living acting. "Others were far better at it," she says. "But writing. . . . Now there was something I could do well." After shutting the door on a brief marriage to a man she says wanted "something to decorate his arm and spend her time at the country club playing bridge," Moore kissed dramatic arts good-bye and pursued broadcast journalism instead. Utilizing her writing skill and techniques she'd learned in theatre, she landed radio talk show and TV news gigs. But her sharp mind and desire to make a difference created stumbling blocks. When the TV station was sold, Moore was out of a job. Another station offered her a sports anchor position. But they weren't as interested in her abilities as they were their ratings. "The station wanted to hook the male audience with large breasts and low cut shirts," Moore says. "I didn't want to be the Crissy Snow of broadcasting." Moore's talent and ambition ran more than skin deep. Rather than fall into their trap, she saw a window of opportunity and decided to try something new. Divorced and without any children, she enrolled in rookie school and became a cop. A year later she was married to a fellow law enforcement officer. Several years later, they began a family, and although Moore loved her work and was "pretty damned good at it, too," she says, "It became obvious police work could shorten my lifespan. I had two kids to watch grow up." After twelve years, she quit, and returned to journalism -- this time on her own terms. Like many mothers, Moore made choices that allowed her to fulfill her own dreams while taking care of her children. At fifty, she blends her talents with her life, writing humor that pokes fun at herself and her family so other women can see that their normal, yet sometimes chaotic lives, aren't really so out of control. Today, Moore happily pursues her goal of caring for her family while writing. She touches other people's lives the way she's done in all of her careers . . . so far. Who knows? Maybe tomorrow she'll be traveling back in time to pursue her tucked away archaeologist goal. I'm sure the spirit of Ramses could use a little of Moore's humor, too. To find out more about Carole Moore and to feel good about your own life by reading her zany take on her own, go to: www.thehumorwriter.com
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