Mama Jo and Jo Jr. (Photo by Portrait Innovations)
I was a not-so-young DJ on a decidedly youth-driven New York City radio station (Z100) when a series of crises led me to do the unthinkable: move to the Bible Belt – “Greensboring,” North Carolina – to care for my ailing, estranged, pack-rat mother.
Everyone predicted Operation Mama Jo would be a disaster. My therapist suspected I had Rescuer Syndrome. My friends staged an intervention. Even Mama Jo wasn’t sure it would work.
What followed was an unforgettable roller-coaster ride with her and her enormous doll collection, my born-again brother, the laid-back South, and first-time home ownership – plus a few drag queens along the way. It proved to be a magical, hilarious, and, at times, heartbreaking antidote to heal a long-fractured family. I learned the meaning of true love, devotion, faith – and how to age gracefully without losing my Inner Teen. Most surprising, what I feared would be some of the worst years of my life turned out to be some of the best. The same was true for Mama Jo.
By the way, there’s nothing boring about Greensboro.
Sold everywhere. To get a personally inscribed copy, please click the “Buy the Book” link on the sidebar.
To see more of Mama Jo and her infamous doll collection “like” the Facebook page for Jo Maeder.
