October 17, 2012
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The Things We’ve Seen….
At my anthropological age, that’s now measured in decades as well as Super Bowls, I can attest to have seen a friggin lot. I’ve witnessed sights and events that no Play Station gamer will ever match. There are many who have seen unique and often ‘onetime events’ that the others here at Xanga will never witness. Share a few with us.
I stood by my television on that Friday in November of 1963 as our nation waited moment to moment, to hear if President Kennedy was going to be alright. I’ve stood silent in an Asian jungle and watched the sunrise burn off the night fog. I’ve witnessed horrendous death so close I could hear their final breath. I’ve stared helplessly at starvation, disease, neglect, desolation, hopelessness and greed. I’ve seen the heartache that people endure and the heartache they bring on themselves. I’ve seen love and hate so intense that people killed for both.
I’ve lived long enough to see and endure twelve presidents and forty-five years of Jerry Lewis telethons. I’ve seen the start of AIDS, as I’ve seen the end of polio. I can remember watching the news when most people didn’t even know where the middle east was! I’ve watched dozens of self-righteous organizations mug our Constitution, and then I’ve seen the flag draped coffins of those who died for it. I’ve seen tycoons profit from the ruin of middleclass citizens and then watched those same millionaires rewarded by a protective government. I’ve watched our borders become a world wide joke and an opportunity for our enemies. I’ve watched the leadership of both political parties become power absorbed and over righteous, and I’ve witnessed the decay of national solidarity because of their propagandas lies.
I’ve seen a fat woman skateboard, a skinny guy wrestle a hog and a six year old drive a car. I gawked at a man as he devoured 62 hot dogs in ten minutes and I’ve even seen a 200 pound woman chug down an entire pitcher of beer in 30 seconds. I was there to witness the birth of the internet and the death of intellect. I also saw the advent of the cell phone and the sad demise of the family hour.
I’ve watched me and Wifey get old. Watched my children and now their children take their place in a difficult world. I’ve seen it all….but, maybe not quite all. I still haven’t seem a two headed goat or an honest politician. Snow in June or the Minnesota Vikings win a Super Bowl. I still want to see Big Foot, a Chinese typewriter, the things Clint Eastwood sees and see Congress balance the budget. I would give plenty to see a Native American become President and then I want to see the American people have a national referendum on wars and our military. I need to see the inside of the underground complex where galactic aliens are held captive alone with Jimmy Hoffa in New Mexico. I want to see the end of political correctness and the advancement of personal responsibility, which would be bodacious. But, most of all, I want to see world peace achieved….or maybe a KFC in my neighborhood. Okay, now share what you’ve seen!
I’ll be seeing ya, Charlie
Comments (4)
A nice summary of life!
It snowed in June here once in the ’80s. I remember it clearly because I was detoxing from a binge and when I got up to take a crap the toilet filled up with blood. Since I was not a girl, I was scared. Turns out I had blown a hemorrhoid. I saw an oil storage tank get hit by lightening in the middle of the night and explode. That was awesome. And I saw my second son shoot out of my wife and the doctor caught him like football.
I saw the miracle of the first telephone in Hoquiam, WA put into the corner drug store. It cost on epenny to make a call for three minutes and the clerk timed you. I never had anyone to call because we knew no one with a phone.
I saw the first pay phone installed in Grays Habor College. I remember life before computers, cell phone and phones period.
My brothers and i could get on the bus and ride 125 mile sinto the city for five cents, have a full lunch fr a dime and come back home for a five cents. We had a full days fun for less than a quarter.
I remember when gas was a five cents a gallon, a pack of cigs was eight cents, and I made $95 cents an hour and thought I was rich.
My house payments for a nice house on an acre of land were $52.00 a month and that included insurance. I bought a brand mew Mecury for $300.
A stamp cost a penny and it took almost 2 weeks to get a letter to someone. We went to the supermart to pick out ou rcoffee beans and they ground them up there. Fresh ground coffee beans smelled so good.
I remember the way our boys were treated when they came home from Nam and the shame of America for that treatment.
I remember living ina hippie commune when I was 15 and smoking pot and matching in protest marches.
I remember-well kind of-the original wood stock. I was stoned.
Aww the memories.
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Bichon maltais