I remember that era
Bookworm on Nov 07 2008 at 3:33 pm | Filed under: Uncategorized
Dave Barry wrote something very profound and I, although a bit younger than he is, still remember those times:
You know what I miss? I miss 1960. Not the part about my face turning overnight into the world’s most productive zit farm. What I miss is the way the grown-ups acted about the Kennedy-Nixon race. Like the McCain-Obama race, that was a big historic deal that aroused strong feelings in the voters. This included my parents and their friends, who were fairly evenly divided, and very passionate. They’d have these major honking arguments at their cocktail parties. But unlike today, when people wear out their upper lips sneering at those who disagree with them, the 1960s grown-ups of my memory, whoever they voted for, continued to respect each other and remain good friends.
What was their secret? Gin. On any given Saturday night they consumed enough martinis to fuel an assault helicopter. But also they were capable of understanding a concept that we seem to have lost, which is that people who disagree with you politically are not necessarily evil or stupid. My parents and their friends took it for granted that most people were fundamentally decent and wanted the best for the country. So they argued by sincerely (if loudly) trying to persuade each other. They did not argue by calling each other names, which is pointless and childish, and which constitutes I would estimate 97 percent of what passes for political debate today.
What I’m saying is: we, as a nation, need to drink more martinis.
No, you know what I’m saying. I’m saying, now that this election is over, whatever the hell happened, can we please grow up and stop being so nasty to each other? Please?
Political discussions around the family table when I was a kid were not personal attacks on people’s morals and morality. Instead, they were discussions about political goals and the means for achieving those goals. If people disagreed about goals, that was one civil discussion; if they disagreed about the means for achieving agreed upon goals, that was another discussion.
Dinner parties were lively, not offensive — and this may well be why I’ve got all this political energy percolating in me, which I take out on my blog. Sadly, I don’t live in a world in which I can replicate those intellectually stimulating parties that I remember so well from my youth.
Hat tip: The Weekly Standard
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“this may well be why I’ve got all this political energy percolating in me, which I take out on my blog. ”
Nevertheless, your loss is our gain. And I for one, appreciate the opportunity for the discussion.
And don’t anywhichway care for martinis!
My mother used to drink manhatans…I think I could stand those. I may even have a recipe somewhere…but I think I’ll stick with California wines!
“this may well be why I’ve got all this political energy percolating in me, which I take out on my blog. ”
Nevertheless, your loss is our gain. And I for one, appreciate the opportunity for the discussion.
And don’t anywhichway care for martinis!
My mother used to drink manhattans…I think I could stand those. I may even have a recipe somewhere…but I think I’ll stick with California wines!
Sorry for the double post…needed to correct the spelling on “manhattans”…it showed up with the dreaded red line under it. Not sure why…maybe the plural?
Anyway…it seems that you can hit the “stop” icon, and it will appear to stop but actually doesn’t.
I know. There’s a preview button…I don’t use it. I confine my risk to low level issues!
Suek:
2 shots of good bourbon, one shot of good red vermouth, a dash of bitters – shaken not stirred and poured over two maraschino cherries with half a tsp of cherry juice.
Hmmmmmmmm…..think I will go and fix one for myself, now….or two.
Yeah…I remember the maraschino cherries. I was allowed to snitch those…!
Funny you should mention that…we seem to have a surfeit of maraschino cherries now that our kids have left home. Why do you suppose…?
No grandkids yet?
I still have a ridiculous passion for maraschino cherries. I love that acidic sweetness. I don’t buy them, because I’d gorge myself on them, but I’m always happy to have a Shirley Temple when I go out!
So many cherries…not enough Bourbon. Sigh.
My father in law had a thing for chocolate covered cherries. We always gave him some for birthdays and Christmas – at a certain age, the possibilities for gifts becomes very limited! Nevertheless, the depression was a very real part of his memories, and the difficult years he and my MIL spent in the early years of their marriage while he was an intern, so he only allowed himself _one_ each day. No more. Just one. Even though he was – by that time – secure enough not to ever have any financial problems again.
Then for a story on alcoholic beverages….
That was also a period of wives clubs in the military. My mother was hostess for the ladies group on one occasion, and as was usual, had two punchbowls – one alcoholic, one non-alcoholic. People knew – generally – who normally chose which one to self-serve from. At a certain point, Mom realized that certain of the ladies who usually chose the non-alcoholic beverage were -ummmm – a bit the worse for wear – or maybe a little _less_ the worse for wear! In any case, after checking around, it seemed the ladies thought she had put out _both_ non-alcoholic punch bowls…and the Scarlett O’Hara punch was _so_ tasty! Ooops!
Alcoholic beverages were normally served at such functions. No soft drinks in those times. Well, maybe ginger ale. No wines – until we moved to California. I still have a slew of recipes for various punchs. I’ve never used any of them, but I have them. Artillery Punch, for example. And the above mentioned Scarlett O’Hara…
Times have changed. I don’t normally even think about it…today is today and life is normal. But when I think back to “how things were” when I was much younger, there is a tremendous difference. Some of it is simply a different culture – I grew up in a military culture, and raised my children in a military culture, and now I live in a civilian culture. That alone is a major difference. But I don’t think it explains all the differences. For better or worse? I don’t know. Young people of today would probably find those times more restrictive, but they were also more secure – in a social sense. You knew the rules – and generally, the consequences for breaking them. It was easier to be a rebel in ways that had less permanent effects – I sometimes wonder if the excessives of today are the result of not being able to be “bad” with less excess…
And I have to say it….this thread _cannot_ go away without _someone_ saying it…!
Ah yes…I remember it well!
Back to the flight deck.
Yes, I suppose it was a lovely era.
The democrat party brought it to an end of course, when all those lovely, mature, innocent – and naive – people woke up and realized that Joe Kennedy successfully stole the election for his kid by buying up the entire dead voter turnout in Chicago, (a huge number), the state of Illinois, and the state of West Virginia.
First and only time a national election was stolen.
The problem with lovely, naive and innocent people is that they’re innocent and naive.
Hobbits, Tiresias. Hobbits!
Land of Make Believe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3vTlDAdr7I
Hasn’t got much to do with this post, other than it’s a great song.
They
wereare my favorite group, despite the pantheisim.>>people woke up and realized that Joe Kennedy successfully stole the election for his kid>>
My mother was born in Boston, and grew up there. My grandfather worked in real estate (I don’t know particulars – he died the year I was born) and must have done well – he had the first electrically lighted house in his district. He died in a car fire – which my mother said was a political hit. Her feelings against Joe Kennedy were so strong – that he was a crook etc – that I think she thought he was connected, but I’m not even sure she wasn’t blowing things out of proportion. Nevertheless, we _know_ that Joe was a rum runner – that’s how he made his fortune – so breaking the law in some ways was a given.
I wish I knew more about what was going on at that time, and more about my grandfather, but my mother never talked much about it. Why would he be targeted for a political hit? Even if you have bad guys doing that sort of thing, it’s not usually a random thing…why would they have wanted _him_ dead? what was his involvement? Maybe it’s best left in the past…but I do get curious sometimes.
>>First … time a national election was stolen.>>
There. Fixed it for you. (wish I knew how to do those line through jobs – much more effective!)
I am unaware of one that’s been stolen since.