THE LATEST NEWS FROM SPRINGFIELD: OCTOBER 19-23, 2009

From: http://twitter.com/MelindaSueLewis

Rick struggled to process what Leah told him about not wanting to be a minority within a minority - the only Black girl in her school's gifted program - and about how some people have trouble believing that she's really one of the famous Springfield Bauers.

He turned to Ed for advice, but Ed was disheartened to admit that he's been a pretty bad, absentee grandfather. He doesn't really know Leah that well, so he can't advise Rick. Ed and Rick reminisced about their respective, beloved grandparents, Papa Bauer and Bert. Ed urged Rick to think about what Bert would have advised him to do. Rick realized that, no matter how much he was dreading it, he had to go talk to Mel about the situation.

It didn't go well. Mel was furious at Rick for trying to pressure Leah and wondered why he couldn't leave well enough alone? Rick, in turn, chastised Mel for knowing about their daughter's problems but keeping them from Rick. Mel countered that there was nothing Rick could have done about them, then added that Rick has never been a gifted, Black teen-age girl; he doesn't understand Leah's reluctance to be singled out for being all three.


Hoping to pick up an ally, Rick went to Mel's dad, Professor Clayton Boudreau. Rick reminded Clayton of all the sacrifices that African-Americans like Ruby Bridges and the Little Rock 9 made so that Leah could have the opportunities she does today. Clayton wondered if Rick was lecturing him about Clayton's own culture and reminded that he did have a doctorate in history. See his diploma there on the wall?

A chastised Rick humbly asked for Clayton's help, but Clayton refused. He admitted that, just like Rick, he'd pushed Mel to succeed academically, and that, as a result she always blamed him for it. Mel once told Clayton that he'd turned her life into a quest to make other people happy at the expense of herself. She'd only learned to be truly happy in the past year, and she has no desire to inflict the same fate on Leah.


Bill came to Mindy with his concerns that Lizzie was growing unhealthily obsessed over Sarah's relationship with Jonathan's girlfriend, Aubrey - to the extent that Bill was afraid Lizzie might be neglecting Alana. Mindy tried to reassure him, but could tell it didn't do much good.

Later, Lizzie called Mindy and asked her to come over and watch the baby. Lizzie explained that Jonathan was out of town, and Lizzie wasn't going to have Sarah bonding with Aubrey - she'd already lost too much time with her daughter to that woman! Then Lizzie begged Mindy not to tell Bill what she was doing...

What should Mindy do?

Tweet her your advice at: http://twitter.com/MelindaSueLewis