Why I'm elated for Prince William

Why do I care about Prince William's engagement? Well, apart from the fact that I feel the world could just use some happy news right now, it gives me hope. Sure, there's all the joy and hope surrounding any newly engaged couple. But that's not what I mean. It gives me hope because in this world filled with trashy reality stars and crazy drunk celebs, he opted for... a lady. I know, I know. Don't jump on my apparent lapse of royal protocol.. Technically, she's not a "Lady," but a commoner. What I mean is, she's not a skank. PRAISE GOD.

I watch TV, check out magazines, catch some YouTube clips, and each and every time I am left with this skin-crawling feeling of what my sons may bring home one day. It starts at a frightening age, this skankamorphosis of young girls. Our house is adjacent to an elementary and middle school. Those cute little outfits of first grade become a little too sparse by sixth grade. It's well reported that sixth grade girls are more highly developed than previous generations. (It's absolutely true. Dr. Oz even said so.) Couple that with the shrinking clothes and the role models of Rihanna with her F*** You necklace and Snooki with her... well, her entire self- I'd freeze blogger embedding all the links... and girls are being shown that skank is the new black.

In this day and age, it seems like every young woman in the public eye must have fake boobs, fake tan, fake hair extensions, and be, in the immortal words of Bill to Russell on Fat Albert, "like summer vacation... no class." Along comes Prince William, son of one of the most glamorous women ever, with his bride to be. And she's n-o-r-m-a-l looking. She's beautiful, yes. She is gifted with a tall, slender figure and yet she looks, dare I say, "human." Don't think they don't have skanks in the UK. They brought us Big Brother after all. He just didn't pick one of them! Kate Middleton has already been photographed for years, and always appears very tastefully dressed. Good God, how I hope she'll be plastered on every magazine for that alone. Team her with a young man who wears suits, while we've deluded ourselves into thinking argyle sweater vests are "boys formal dress wear" and pajamas (on adults) in restaurants are ok, and it gives me hope.

I remember getting up really, really early in the morning to watch his parents' wedding while out in California that summer. All of us, even the non-Anglophiles, feel like we've watched him grow up from hyper, mischievous little boy to the now betrothed 6'3" man. So then, I look at my Son1 and Son2 (my own heir and the spare) and I think, "ok, there's hope." There's hope that boys settle down in to articulate gentlemen. There's hope that young men may learn once again how to dress well, and not look they are always heading off to play basketball. There's hope that my prospective daughters-in-law need not be hoochies.

So this evening, I'm tucking in to some cozy time with  the TV, getting my WASP on with all the media fanfare and contemplating where I can find a kick ass hat to wear to the church service to which I will assuredly be invited. William, on behalf of your beloved late mother, and on behalf of all mothers everywhere~ thank you for picking a nice young lady. Not a skank.