When I was a teenager, living in California with my parents, I remember many of my folks' friends visiting them. We had moved to California from Chicago in 1954, just a few months prior to my 8th birthday. My parents, and their parents before them had been native Chicagoans.
The move to sunny Southern California brought many visitors to my parents home. Obviously relatives, some of whom moved to California after they saw just how beautiful it was in those days, and, as I said earlier, friends of my mom and dad.
On one such occasion, I remember sitting at the kitchen table, where all good friends seem to congregate even to this day, and listening to my parents chat with their visiting friends. At one point, my dad looked over at me and said, "We've known each other since we were little boys - almost 50 years.". I know my mouth must have dropped open and my eyes rolled. When you're but 16 or 17 years old, you simply cannot fathom knowing anyone for that long of a time.
Now, however, in just a few days, I will be leaving to fly out west to attend a reunion of my high school graduating class. We arranged this gathering a few years ago. We were the Class of 1964 - and thought it would be a good idea to celebrate our collective 64th birthdays together, at a reunion. It won't be the first time we've gotten together in recent years. In 2004 we celebrated the 40th anniversary of our graduating. In 2006, we had had so much fun in 2004, we got together to celebrate turning 60 years old.
Our high school class began together in 1960, so we've all known each other at least since then - 50 years! Many of us have known each other even longer. In fact, there are several of my neighbors who will be at the reunion. One, in fact, that lived two doors down from me, and moved into their house around the same time my parents moved into ours. Over 56 years all told.
Back in those simpler days, we played on our street - games like Mother May I? Tag, you're it; Red Rover, come over, and the like. One or more of our parents watched over us - even as we played into the darkened night. If someone misbehaved, a parent - didn't matter whose - corrected the erring child. We felt no fear in walking several blocks and even miles away, or going to a park by ourselves, looking for someone to play with. Can't do any of that today unfortunately.
The times have changed of course. Most of our parents are gone and now we are the ones who are telling our own children and grandchildren about friends we've known for 50 years. And, just as I did, so long ago, the younger people's mouths drop open and eyes roll, not comprehending how quickly time passes. Nor understanding that their own time will come.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Hate & Fear, Redux
Here we go again. This time it's another idiot small-time preacher with a flock of about 50 souls in Florida. He is going to burn copies of the Koran - the Muslims equivalent of the Christians Bible. His name is Terry Jones, and he is the Pastor of the "Dove World Outreach Center".
Good Grief, what incredible irony. The only other Terry Jones I've ever heard of is the Terry Jones who is a member of Monty Python, the absurd British comedy group known for mocking any and every thing, and, in the process, creating some incredibly funny moments to those of us with sick, twisted minds - like yours truly.
Unfortunately, This Terry Jones is about to do something that is not, in any way, shape, or form, about to do something that is "funny". Instead, of course, he is behaving badly - though a case could be made for his "sick, twisted mind".
The name of his church too, is certainly ironic. The Dove is universally known as a symbol of peace, love, and faith. Pastor Jones' upcoming actions on September 11th, certainly betray any semblance of the usage of the word Dove, and it's universally accepted and recognized meaning.
World Outreach comes next in the Church's name. Under any circumstance can his burning of the Koran planned for this Saturday be construed as an "Outreach" to the world? To me, the outreach is only to those folks who have succumbed to the hate, fear, and loathing that seem to grip those among us to have no tolerance for anything different than their own beliefs. Unfortunately, during the last two decades, that group has been both festering and growing.
This man - this Terry Jones - proceeds to do this inexcusable act despite urgings from our Military leaders warning of potential grave consequences for our men and women in battle; despite the leaders of virtually every known religion condemning his proposed actions; and despite, I think, what the majority of Americans feel.
He proudly keeps a gun with him to ward off the daily threats he is receiving on his life for the action he is about to perform, and he apparently is enjoying the spotlight of the continuous coverage of newspapers and television stations.
All the while he claims to be praying about it. I would have to question exactly who he is praying to.
Old Fart Mike
Good Grief, what incredible irony. The only other Terry Jones I've ever heard of is the Terry Jones who is a member of Monty Python, the absurd British comedy group known for mocking any and every thing, and, in the process, creating some incredibly funny moments to those of us with sick, twisted minds - like yours truly.
Unfortunately, This Terry Jones is about to do something that is not, in any way, shape, or form, about to do something that is "funny". Instead, of course, he is behaving badly - though a case could be made for his "sick, twisted mind".
The name of his church too, is certainly ironic. The Dove is universally known as a symbol of peace, love, and faith. Pastor Jones' upcoming actions on September 11th, certainly betray any semblance of the usage of the word Dove, and it's universally accepted and recognized meaning.
World Outreach comes next in the Church's name. Under any circumstance can his burning of the Koran planned for this Saturday be construed as an "Outreach" to the world? To me, the outreach is only to those folks who have succumbed to the hate, fear, and loathing that seem to grip those among us to have no tolerance for anything different than their own beliefs. Unfortunately, during the last two decades, that group has been both festering and growing.
This man - this Terry Jones - proceeds to do this inexcusable act despite urgings from our Military leaders warning of potential grave consequences for our men and women in battle; despite the leaders of virtually every known religion condemning his proposed actions; and despite, I think, what the majority of Americans feel.
He proudly keeps a gun with him to ward off the daily threats he is receiving on his life for the action he is about to perform, and he apparently is enjoying the spotlight of the continuous coverage of newspapers and television stations.
All the while he claims to be praying about it. I would have to question exactly who he is praying to.
Old Fart Mike
Monday, September 6, 2010
Labor Day
Isn't it interesting that we are in the midst of celebrating a weekend dedicated to America's labor force - the very people who worked so hard to build our country? I say this because it seems everything appears to be slanted in "management's" way these days, particularly the big corporate businesses, their CEO's and stockholders.
As we think about this particular holiday - if we give it any thought at all - it was initiated by Labor, or here comes what now is a nasty word - UNION - leaders. These folks fought for the working man and woman at a time when wages, work hours,and working conditions were terrible. Without unions, who knows what the normal work week might have been. 60 hours instead of 40? Minimum wage might never have existed. 7 day work weeks might have been the norm. We'll never know because these men forced the situation with greedy company owners on behalf of the working stiff.
Nowadays, of course, everybody, except union members themselves, seem to be anti-union. They feel that the union worker is paid too much, and their benefits are ridiculously high. But, with union membership dropping, and big business shipping jobs overseas by the hundreds of thousands, real wages have actually dropped for the middle class worker over the past 20 years. So have the benefits offered to them by the companies they work for.
Candidates from the right claim they've never been offered a job by someone who wasn't rich. While that may be true, the offers are dwindling at the same time the company's profits are swelling. It seems to me that the normal working person would reject the premise that is being proposed about giving tax breaks to the richest among us - both individuals and corporations. But, then again, I don't buy into the stuff being force-fed on Fox news.
One thing I do know though - it's doubtful we'll ever see a three-day weekend celebrated called "Corporate Day Weekend". Then again, if the Republicans get their way, sweeping both houses of Congress - and eventually the White House again, I suppose it could happen.
Old Fart Mike
As we think about this particular holiday - if we give it any thought at all - it was initiated by Labor, or here comes what now is a nasty word - UNION - leaders. These folks fought for the working man and woman at a time when wages, work hours,and working conditions were terrible. Without unions, who knows what the normal work week might have been. 60 hours instead of 40? Minimum wage might never have existed. 7 day work weeks might have been the norm. We'll never know because these men forced the situation with greedy company owners on behalf of the working stiff.
Nowadays, of course, everybody, except union members themselves, seem to be anti-union. They feel that the union worker is paid too much, and their benefits are ridiculously high. But, with union membership dropping, and big business shipping jobs overseas by the hundreds of thousands, real wages have actually dropped for the middle class worker over the past 20 years. So have the benefits offered to them by the companies they work for.
Candidates from the right claim they've never been offered a job by someone who wasn't rich. While that may be true, the offers are dwindling at the same time the company's profits are swelling. It seems to me that the normal working person would reject the premise that is being proposed about giving tax breaks to the richest among us - both individuals and corporations. But, then again, I don't buy into the stuff being force-fed on Fox news.
One thing I do know though - it's doubtful we'll ever see a three-day weekend celebrated called "Corporate Day Weekend". Then again, if the Republicans get their way, sweeping both houses of Congress - and eventually the White House again, I suppose it could happen.
Old Fart Mike
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