What you depict here is a "backpack," not a "book bag." As a former book bag carrier myself, I envy schoolkids these days because the backpack is easier to tote, though it also allows them to lug much heavier loads.
I like the idea of building hockey rinks. I think you have something there. After the war has been declared over, leave behind baseball, rugby, soccer fields and basketball courts plus the equipment. It's certainly cheaper than leaving behind armaments. Then the people left to their own country will say, "All they left behind were these sports fields, but the kids like them."
It is a crazy world we live in but as you have mentioned many times before it has always been one. I just finished Ken Burns's documentary " The Roosevelts" which was a great eye-opener for me on the extent of craziness this world can have. I hope we aren't destined to relive an era that extreme. Thanks for your writings, I find much comfort in them.
I really liked your observations about women and hockey. It really goes beyond the game, doesn't it? We've been acculturated to the idea that "Men are aggressive" and "Women are the gentle sex." I doubt if that was ever that clearly defined in reality. Take Hillary Clinton in her presidential campaign, for example. In her debates, she probably wasn't any more "aggressive" than most male political candidates. The problem was, she was "female" and if she "attacked" her opponent, many people saw her as simply "Unladylike!" Angela Merkel, Margaret Thatcher, Aung Sun Suu Kyi have all "broken the glass ceiling," and I imagine all of them have labored hard to balance statesmanship with societal expectations for women.
We're in a time of social flux. Women's basketball is doing well, bit it's a "no contact" sport. At Cornell in 1969, I sat in the stands to watch Ken Dryden wield his hockey stick against Denver for the collegiate championship. I simply couldn't believe the amount of aggression displayed in that game! What struck me even more, was how blind the referees appeared to be. "It's all part of the game," a fellow in front of me said blasély, in response to my horror.
Even with all that padding, players could, and did get hurt. Apparently, these women on the ice "played like a man." I'm not sure that's a compliment to either gender! But on the larger scale, if we really expect to reach a point of near gender equality one of these days, we'll probably have to revise our standards concerning aggression. Hopefully, we might move away from being "Cave Men" and become more like "Gentle Minnesotans!"
The title of your essay calls to mind the old song: "This world is not my home, I'm just a passing thorough, My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue, The angels beckon me from Heaven's open door, And I can't feel at home in this world anymore." Garrison and company probably did that one on PHC.
When I was growing up in the rural South, I liked to go to church because that and school were the only places that we went to where people sang. And I love be in a big group of people who are singing good old hymns and gospel songs. Of course, I mean a big group of people who know how to sing and know how to sing four part harmony.
Church has always been a central cultural and social organization in the South. But church has changed quit a bit over the years. In my youth churches had the dinner on the grounds once or twice a year and probably would have a big "singing" to go with said dinner. But back then churches did not have food often. Now many churches have a meal every Wednesday evening along with their mid-week programs and many churches have breakfast on Sunday morning. Every time one turns around now churches are eating or selling food to fund raise. Many modern churches think a lot about eating and fund raising.
Music in church has changed in many places also. Congregational and big group singing is out; praise bands and praise music are in. Pianos and organs are loosing out to guitars in many places.
In general, Southern churches now are more cultural/religious/political places. Around where we live, most church people are devoted watchers of Fox and other right wing media and many are devoted followers Donald.
Everyone thinks that Southerners are very religious. Southerners probably go to church much more than others but as to whether they are really religious I can't say. I know many sincere church people who study the scriptures; I also know many church people who seldom or never opened a Bible. Some people go to church for business, political, and social reasons. Church is so central to social life in much of the South that anyone who wants to be active in business, a profession, politics, social life, etc. really needs to go to church because that is such a good place to meet people in the community. In many places the best bets would be the First Methodist or First Baptist in terms of meeting the "right" people.
Church is like football and other sports. I am too restless to sit and watch sports whether live or on television. And I have never understood football. But football and other sports are wonderful because they give millions of people something to do. They are like church. Church is a good thing to do -- on balance it probably does more good than harm and it gives people something to do.
When I was young I loved to go to church for the singing; but I pretty much hated the sermons.
I love a good sermon, but many ministers are poor preachers.
Thanks for this account of your church experience. I'm lucky to go to a church formed many years ago by a merger of Episco and African Methodist and the music reflects this and for Communion we often sing a spiritual or a familiar old Prot hymn familiar from my childhood and everyone knows the words and we stand in line for communion singing and weeping. It's beautiful. I agree that the Spirit is not always active in sermon inspiration, but the sermon has never been the main feature for me. The idea of going to church to hear a band perform is utterly alien.
When I left home to go off to college I started attending an Episcopal Church and was a member of the Episcopal Church for many years. That was in the pre-1979 days when they used the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. The Morning Prayer service using the 1928 Book is beautiful if you have good hymns and the congregation knows the Anglican Chants to do the Venite, etc. I don't think that is done much anymore. The Episcopal Communion service is very nice if you have a good group who will do the responses and participate in the service and the singing. The Episcopal Communion service is designed for participation by the congregation. I like the Episcopal Church although I am no longer a member for family reasons.
Preachers are missing a golden opportunity when they flub their sermon. The minister gets up and has about 20 minutes to explain to a room of people why we are here. One would think that the minster would make good use of that time; but they often don't.
I came to the church too late for the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. My fundamentalist forebears revolted against Anglicanism back in the 19th century, maybe because they didn't like men wearing gowns, and I'm trying to make my way back.
Consult your dictionary for the definition of "Liberalism" and you should read of concepts including "willingness to respect opinions different from one's own" and "promoting individual rights and free enterprise." So-called "Progressives" have commandeered the word "Liberalism" and turned it on its head.
For example, would you say that corporate boycotts of Georgia due to its new voting law (which is undeniably more lenient that those of Progressive strongholds such as Massachusetts and New York), imposition of "safe spaces" designed to protect sensitive ears against criticism, and de-platforming commentators who dare challenge the Progressive orthodoxy on issues such as global warming, defunding the police, mandatory vaccination, and indoctrination of federal and military employees on "Critical Race Theory" are good examples of respecting opinions different than one's own?
Would you say that the Progressive's imposition of massive federal and state regulations on small businesses is a good example of promoting individual rights and free enterprise? I could go on and on.
Republicans, Libertarians, and other conservatives are not the would-be despots seeking to suppress and punish dissension, impose suffocating federal control over state matters, restrain free enterprise, and coerce all citizens to suckle from the public teat. Rather, look to your left to see the true enemy of classical Liberalism.
It wasn't an award I was trying to win and I'm a little confused as to which were the straw men but it's early morning and I'm not feeling all that bright.
Thank you for writing. It's been years and years since I've heard that phrase "suckle from the public teat." It's the sort of phrase only an old dairy farmer would use. I expect you're referring to Social Security and Medicare and if so, you are a brave man indeed.
It would be a great idea to stop people and corporations from "suckling from the public teat." I assume that we can start with Exxon, Big Pharma, Big defense contractors, etc.
Some people think that those of us who receive Social Security and Medicare are "suckling from the public teat." But I and many other people worked for many years and contributed to Social Security and Medicare. We are just getting back what we paid into.
When people around here (rural Alabama) mention "suffocating federal control over state matters" they often mean that they are miffed because the feds told Alabama that we have to let everyone vote regardless of race. I hope that is not what you have in mind; everyone should be able to vote, serve on juries, and be treated fairly and honestly by the law and courts. Don't you agree?
Great column. I think you did a great job of addressing the role of fundamentalist religion vs. the "modern" world. I am religious, but I also am a scientist. They don't conflict unless I want (permit) them to.
My fundamentalists were respectful of science because they came from farm people and farm people must deal with the real physical world, not the ideal one.
"Unsubscribe" is also a favorite word of mine though I often feel the unsubscription choice is often more bark than bite. Sometimes it seems to only encourage more correspondence. Always amazes me that the ANTIFA and BLM thugs that roamed our streets in the recent past always seem to be a noteworthy ommision in your patheon of bad actors. The fairness of that escapes me completely.
I am happy leading a small quiet domestic life in the midst of the plague and frankly I've never met any Antifa people. I knew one BLM supporter but he became disenchanted. I'm an old man and it's not my responsibility to solve our national dilemmas. My ambition is to disseminate a cheerful vision of aging, which happens to be my experience.
Fair enough but you are pretty quick to take jabs at conservative people that you do not like. I read your stuff because it is good and I suppose the term caveat emptor applies. I just happen to believe that being fair is important. You don’t need to have met an Antifa person to know they are the lowest of the low.
I know quite a few right-wingers, some of them personal relatives, others close friends, and I hear them out. They live in a fascinating conspiratorial world that strikes me as fictional but so long as they're not armed, I don't worry about them. They seem a little lost to me. My nieces and nephews and my friends' children who've found good careers, developed xome expertise, love their work, seem not to have fallen into the right-wing camp. That tells me something.
We see things very differently and that is OK. How about the fantasy that Antifa and BLM where conducting peaceful protests in my city of Portland, Oregon. How about the fantasy that law enforcement folks are primarily bad. Like I said, a little fairness goes a long way. Not trying to change the world, merely trying to create a little common sense dialogue. Thanks.
I heard somewhere that Antifa was responsible for the January 6 attack on the Capitol and managed to masquerade as thousnds of Trumpers. Quite a feat, if true.
Free on YouTube currently is the film BASKETS, which supports Garrison’s suggestion that basketball is a positive thing.
What you depict here is a "backpack," not a "book bag." As a former book bag carrier myself, I envy schoolkids these days because the backpack is easier to tote, though it also allows them to lug much heavier loads.
I like the idea of building hockey rinks. I think you have something there. After the war has been declared over, leave behind baseball, rugby, soccer fields and basketball courts plus the equipment. It's certainly cheaper than leaving behind armaments. Then the people left to their own country will say, "All they left behind were these sports fields, but the kids like them."
It is a crazy world we live in but as you have mentioned many times before it has always been one. I just finished Ken Burns's documentary " The Roosevelts" which was a great eye-opener for me on the extent of craziness this world can have. I hope we aren't destined to relive an era that extreme. Thanks for your writings, I find much comfort in them.
Post to the Host, with the best joke of this year (unattributed): "I didn't pay my dues to the Scrabble Club and now I'm getting threatening letters."
Thank you GK for nailing it....with a belly laugh in the beginning and mixed tears at the end.
I really liked your observations about women and hockey. It really goes beyond the game, doesn't it? We've been acculturated to the idea that "Men are aggressive" and "Women are the gentle sex." I doubt if that was ever that clearly defined in reality. Take Hillary Clinton in her presidential campaign, for example. In her debates, she probably wasn't any more "aggressive" than most male political candidates. The problem was, she was "female" and if she "attacked" her opponent, many people saw her as simply "Unladylike!" Angela Merkel, Margaret Thatcher, Aung Sun Suu Kyi have all "broken the glass ceiling," and I imagine all of them have labored hard to balance statesmanship with societal expectations for women.
We're in a time of social flux. Women's basketball is doing well, bit it's a "no contact" sport. At Cornell in 1969, I sat in the stands to watch Ken Dryden wield his hockey stick against Denver for the collegiate championship. I simply couldn't believe the amount of aggression displayed in that game! What struck me even more, was how blind the referees appeared to be. "It's all part of the game," a fellow in front of me said blasély, in response to my horror.
Even with all that padding, players could, and did get hurt. Apparently, these women on the ice "played like a man." I'm not sure that's a compliment to either gender! But on the larger scale, if we really expect to reach a point of near gender equality one of these days, we'll probably have to revise our standards concerning aggression. Hopefully, we might move away from being "Cave Men" and become more like "Gentle Minnesotans!"
They tell me that there are women wrestlers in the "professional" wrestling world. That would be a contact sport. Best wishes.
The title of your essay calls to mind the old song: "This world is not my home, I'm just a passing thorough, My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue, The angels beckon me from Heaven's open door, And I can't feel at home in this world anymore." Garrison and company probably did that one on PHC.
When I was growing up in the rural South, I liked to go to church because that and school were the only places that we went to where people sang. And I love be in a big group of people who are singing good old hymns and gospel songs. Of course, I mean a big group of people who know how to sing and know how to sing four part harmony.
Church has always been a central cultural and social organization in the South. But church has changed quit a bit over the years. In my youth churches had the dinner on the grounds once or twice a year and probably would have a big "singing" to go with said dinner. But back then churches did not have food often. Now many churches have a meal every Wednesday evening along with their mid-week programs and many churches have breakfast on Sunday morning. Every time one turns around now churches are eating or selling food to fund raise. Many modern churches think a lot about eating and fund raising.
Music in church has changed in many places also. Congregational and big group singing is out; praise bands and praise music are in. Pianos and organs are loosing out to guitars in many places.
In general, Southern churches now are more cultural/religious/political places. Around where we live, most church people are devoted watchers of Fox and other right wing media and many are devoted followers Donald.
Everyone thinks that Southerners are very religious. Southerners probably go to church much more than others but as to whether they are really religious I can't say. I know many sincere church people who study the scriptures; I also know many church people who seldom or never opened a Bible. Some people go to church for business, political, and social reasons. Church is so central to social life in much of the South that anyone who wants to be active in business, a profession, politics, social life, etc. really needs to go to church because that is such a good place to meet people in the community. In many places the best bets would be the First Methodist or First Baptist in terms of meeting the "right" people.
Church is like football and other sports. I am too restless to sit and watch sports whether live or on television. And I have never understood football. But football and other sports are wonderful because they give millions of people something to do. They are like church. Church is a good thing to do -- on balance it probably does more good than harm and it gives people something to do.
When I was young I loved to go to church for the singing; but I pretty much hated the sermons.
I love a good sermon, but many ministers are poor preachers.
Best wishes to one and all.
Thanks for this account of your church experience. I'm lucky to go to a church formed many years ago by a merger of Episco and African Methodist and the music reflects this and for Communion we often sing a spiritual or a familiar old Prot hymn familiar from my childhood and everyone knows the words and we stand in line for communion singing and weeping. It's beautiful. I agree that the Spirit is not always active in sermon inspiration, but the sermon has never been the main feature for me. The idea of going to church to hear a band perform is utterly alien.
When I left home to go off to college I started attending an Episcopal Church and was a member of the Episcopal Church for many years. That was in the pre-1979 days when they used the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. The Morning Prayer service using the 1928 Book is beautiful if you have good hymns and the congregation knows the Anglican Chants to do the Venite, etc. I don't think that is done much anymore. The Episcopal Communion service is very nice if you have a good group who will do the responses and participate in the service and the singing. The Episcopal Communion service is designed for participation by the congregation. I like the Episcopal Church although I am no longer a member for family reasons.
Preachers are missing a golden opportunity when they flub their sermon. The minister gets up and has about 20 minutes to explain to a room of people why we are here. One would think that the minster would make good use of that time; but they often don't.
Well enough for now. Kindest regards.
I came to the church too late for the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. My fundamentalist forebears revolted against Anglicanism back in the 19th century, maybe because they didn't like men wearing gowns, and I'm trying to make my way back.
Consult your dictionary for the definition of "Liberalism" and you should read of concepts including "willingness to respect opinions different from one's own" and "promoting individual rights and free enterprise." So-called "Progressives" have commandeered the word "Liberalism" and turned it on its head.
For example, would you say that corporate boycotts of Georgia due to its new voting law (which is undeniably more lenient that those of Progressive strongholds such as Massachusetts and New York), imposition of "safe spaces" designed to protect sensitive ears against criticism, and de-platforming commentators who dare challenge the Progressive orthodoxy on issues such as global warming, defunding the police, mandatory vaccination, and indoctrination of federal and military employees on "Critical Race Theory" are good examples of respecting opinions different than one's own?
Would you say that the Progressive's imposition of massive federal and state regulations on small businesses is a good example of promoting individual rights and free enterprise? I could go on and on.
Republicans, Libertarians, and other conservatives are not the would-be despots seeking to suppress and punish dissension, impose suffocating federal control over state matters, restrain free enterprise, and coerce all citizens to suckle from the public teat. Rather, look to your left to see the true enemy of classical Liberalism.
It wasn't an award I was trying to win and I'm a little confused as to which were the straw men but it's early morning and I'm not feeling all that bright.
Thank you for writing. It's been years and years since I've heard that phrase "suckle from the public teat." It's the sort of phrase only an old dairy farmer would use. I expect you're referring to Social Security and Medicare and if so, you are a brave man indeed.
It would be a great idea to stop people and corporations from "suckling from the public teat." I assume that we can start with Exxon, Big Pharma, Big defense contractors, etc.
Some people think that those of us who receive Social Security and Medicare are "suckling from the public teat." But I and many other people worked for many years and contributed to Social Security and Medicare. We are just getting back what we paid into.
When people around here (rural Alabama) mention "suffocating federal control over state matters" they often mean that they are miffed because the feds told Alabama that we have to let everyone vote regardless of race. I hope that is not what you have in mind; everyone should be able to vote, serve on juries, and be treated fairly and honestly by the law and courts. Don't you agree?
Best wishes.
Hear Hear!
I loved school, too. And here I am along with you, after all this time since schooldays ended!
Great column. I think you did a great job of addressing the role of fundamentalist religion vs. the "modern" world. I am religious, but I also am a scientist. They don't conflict unless I want (permit) them to.
My fundamentalists were respectful of science because they came from farm people and farm people must deal with the real physical world, not the ideal one.
"Unsubscribe" is also a favorite word of mine though I often feel the unsubscription choice is often more bark than bite. Sometimes it seems to only encourage more correspondence. Always amazes me that the ANTIFA and BLM thugs that roamed our streets in the recent past always seem to be a noteworthy ommision in your patheon of bad actors. The fairness of that escapes me completely.
I am happy leading a small quiet domestic life in the midst of the plague and frankly I've never met any Antifa people. I knew one BLM supporter but he became disenchanted. I'm an old man and it's not my responsibility to solve our national dilemmas. My ambition is to disseminate a cheerful vision of aging, which happens to be my experience.
Fair enough but you are pretty quick to take jabs at conservative people that you do not like. I read your stuff because it is good and I suppose the term caveat emptor applies. I just happen to believe that being fair is important. You don’t need to have met an Antifa person to know they are the lowest of the low.
I know quite a few right-wingers, some of them personal relatives, others close friends, and I hear them out. They live in a fascinating conspiratorial world that strikes me as fictional but so long as they're not armed, I don't worry about them. They seem a little lost to me. My nieces and nephews and my friends' children who've found good careers, developed xome expertise, love their work, seem not to have fallen into the right-wing camp. That tells me something.
We see things very differently and that is OK. How about the fantasy that Antifa and BLM where conducting peaceful protests in my city of Portland, Oregon. How about the fantasy that law enforcement folks are primarily bad. Like I said, a little fairness goes a long way. Not trying to change the world, merely trying to create a little common sense dialogue. Thanks.
I heard somewhere that Antifa was responsible for the January 6 attack on the Capitol and managed to masquerade as thousnds of Trumpers. Quite a feat, if true.
That would be quite a feat, right up there with the Clintons convincing people that their Foundation was philanthropic.