momblog, not a metal band

In this big old crazy world of mass media, Politics, entertainment and advertising, where our personal communication gizmos string us out on sensory entertainment and propaganda served fresh from the information superfreeways and interwebs, we’ve got plenty of different voices in our heads.   

But amidst all the hubbub there is a voice of comfort, a voice of good old fashioned common sense and country wisdom.  It’s the voice of a mom; the sound, battle tested mother and writer Laura Snyder.  Snyder writes a nationally syndicated humor column called Laura On Life which can be read in many magazines, online publications, and over 100 newspapers nationally.  She is also a public speaker, author of two books, and board member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists.   In her column, she addresses all aspects of home life, raising kids, and being a mom, but mothers aren’t the only readers that Snyder’s experiences, tone and perspective resonate with.  Anyone who had a mother, or a childhood will appreciate the column.

            Snyder has such a wide appeal because what she’s writing about applies to everybody.  Even if you’re not white, or don’t live in North Carolina like Laura, you can still appreciate the family hilarity recounted in full detail.  All the content for Snyder’s column comes from her ordinary everyday experiences as a mother of five.  Now five is a lot, especially when it’s kids, so I presume that lot’s of parents probably feel encouraged to read about someone balancing childrearing with sanity.  At the same time, writing about all of this is therapeutic for Snyder.

            At the National Society of Newspaper Columnists, Snyder is a board member and treasurer.  She contributes an online column called Snyders Block for their website.  She has won several awards for her writing and speaking. 

Snyder is also the author of two books, the first called, Laura On Life:  Wahoo For Dinner! and the other, Laura On Life: Corn Dogs and Dust Bunnies.  These works have constantly been the source of humor for her readers, as well as being comforting and enriching.  Something between chicken soup for the soul and Paula Dean.

Snyder’s reputation for heart warming anecdotes of childhood innocence and family lessons learned through comical circumstances all leading up to a bigger moral definitely doesn’t come unearned.  Her columns portray exactly the kind of innocent hijinks we would expect from Opie or “the Beav,” and the comfortable world of home that’s so hard to reclaim once deserted.  Her depictions of family life are comical, but they are also substantial and wholesome, reminding me constantly of when I was younger or something that would have happened in my own family.  These scenarios represent more than meets the eye.  It’s not about one instance of the event, it’s about the fact that millions of people can tune in and relive a comforting sliver of what mom used to mean in our lives.

            Snyder’s writing style is clever and clear.  Her pictures are always vivid and her pace, emotion and narrative are always perfectly balanced.  You can tell that Snyder has been writing for a long time and has a handle on the craft.  Snyder also makes liberal use of puns and jokes as well as cute euphemisms and nicknames, allegory used to teach lessons, analogy to illustrate differences, and two sided story telling.  

What make Snyder such a likeable and enduring writer does not include the use of gimmickery, cheap wisecracks, or any sponsorship deal with lunchables or anyone like that.  What makes Snyder so widely and steadfastly read is her genuine and constant retelling of the back and forth, ups and downs, and ins and outs of parenthood.