BELLAIRE • MEMORIAL • RIVER OAKS • TANGLEWOOD • WEST UNIVERSITY

Nowhere to hide

By Claire Frankfort, age 18 | March 29, 2021

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THANKS, MOM Claire Frankfort, a 12th grader at Episcopal High School and daughter to Buzz writer Andria Frankfort, is often the unwilling subject of her mom’s “Back Porch” column. (Photo: Liz Junell)

Looking through my family's mail three years ago, I came across The Buzz Magazines’ issue of the month, with my mom’s article in “Back Porch.” As usual, I did not think much of it, flipping through the pages looking at the many houses for sale in the neighborhood. Then I read my mom’s article. The article was about me (no surprise there!), specifically about the journey I was about to embark on: driving. I ran to my mom, needing answers to my multitude of questions: Why does it sound like I’m a terrible driver? Why does it sound like I’m going to crash at any moment? Why does it sound like nobody should ever get in my car?

My mom has been telling stories about my life since she started writing for the magazine. She started with when I was traumatized with bed bugs (that article was published right before starting a new school … great timing, Mom). While this is a bit of a stretch, it almost feels like half of Houston knows what has been going on in my life for quite some time. I love the stories that are written, and if I had minded it so much, she would not have written them. Little did I know, though, Houstonians would be stopping my dad in the courtroom to comment on my driving.

A judge asked the morning after the paper was mailed, “So, Todd, how’s your daughter’s driving going? I hope you’re not in the same car together!”

How mortifying! We still get remarks about that infamous article, three years later. Learning to laugh about it has become my specialty, even when dads approach me at parties asking if my driving has improved (this really happened). I heartily enjoy seeing how far my mom’s articles have reached, even though it might embarrass me a little bit.

Maybe next month Houston will be learning where I end up going to college or if I get another terrible case of bed bugs – because that is just what I need.

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