03/23/11
What does the term 'home' mean to you ? Is it a house, a condo, an R.V., a log cabin ( midst the pines ), an apartment, or a piece of tarp hastily lashed with rope to nearby trees ? Or, does the abstraction of 'home' extend to a couple of shopping carts full of collected dreck, doggedly dragged along the roadside, with newspapers and plastic bags to ward off inclement weather ?
Far distant memories of the fundamental nature of 'home' revealed that the modern home as we know it gathered impetus shortly after WWII, with scores of G.I.'s returning--at last--to their parent's home, though, such compact living arrangements seemed poor payment for four, long years of combat.
Suddenly, nearly every service person wanted a scrap of land to call his own, and an home to put on it; a quiet refuge for newlyweds, and a place to have children, one car, and a dog.
This was their interpretation of the Constitution's mandate of, 'Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness; nothing less, really, than a completely justifiable flight from the horrors of war.
Various government programs made housing and education well within the reach of these returning Veterans. All to fuel and provide a deep yearning which demanded answers.
For the next ten years or so, 'slipper' communities such as the famous Levittown(s), sprang from the soil as if from sown dragon's teeth.
Whenever there is a need, and available housing was but one, and a great need it was, too, the Military and Industrial machines were more than happy to retool from a war economy to a peacetime one.
These--mostly young--returning Veterans wanted everything at once, and it was given to them at once, which--for industry--made for enormous profits.
In photographs taken of the period, the homes were like little doll houses: two bedrooms, one bath, and a carport or a garage. I once read that in these little houses, the flushing of the toilet could be heard 'all over the house'.
But, many featured hardwood floors, over a grid of piped in hot water, which kept the homes cozy and warm.
'Had to have necessities' included new cars ( whose style had remained unchanged during the war years, from 1939-1945), modern furniture, appliances to an extent unimaginable.
These young men and women had had four+ years of war, during which to think and mold a new, 'American Dream', also--by default--launching the new installment payment plan.
Photographs of the time not only show proud mommy with proud baby, but often included the entire front of the house, making the home a more than integral part of the new family; further, should you care to notice, while many of these tract homes had garages, you find the family car parked in the driveway, so that the viewer could not miss it; it was never meant to be missed; even when the photographs taken reduced the human subjects so they were often unrecognizable, the point--however--was clear: these men, weary of war, were--like their ancestors before them--valiantly striking out to make a new and better life for themselves, and for their families.
Part II to follow in due time. All regards, Charles
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Hello all...guess what now ?
Why, my dear readers...what in the world; now, I cannot access any of the personal, or bio information that I labored long and hard at. Where has it gone? Klingon Space? Next door ? The 'Pilars Of Hercules' ? And...can it be retrieved so I won't have to write it all down again ?
Being temperamental ( ninety percent temper, and ten percent mental ), I chafe at the thought of having to again begin at the beginning, as I was s-o-o-o-o clever, butter wouldn't melt in my exposition.
Granted, many blogs are edifying and educational; some--like mine--are strictly ego and desperation both in thought, and in content, but then...aren't they both the same ?
Everyone has--or should have--a life, filled chock-a-block with children, spouses, mortgages, debts, pets, and 'forgets', dinner times and bedtimes, utility bills, and jobs which slowly strangle the soul and paralyze the mind, for ****wages, lousy health care, and no benefits. It is--in fine--the 'American Way'.
Add to that stultifyingly mindless programs on TeeVee, reprehensible relatives, lunatic neighbors, a Legislature that has always lined their own pockets and interests, quite contrary, Mary, with no regard for the common weal.
For those who have to work ( think indentured servitude rather than career ), and purchase food and gasoline, whatever are they to do for 'fun', or has that word gone out of the English language ? Dining out means sitting at a picnic table in your backyard. And movies have of late seemed to become just 'odd'.
What is left, when both parents and children sit in grumpy silence at the dinner table; secretly, I think they loath each other, covered with a fine veneer of love, because--dammit--you're supposed to love each other. That's what Hallmark cards say, and, who can argue with them ?
That leaves the computer, with all its Hydra heads of locked-out sites so the kiddies can't look at porn ( though the parents can ). Hours of after school homework with 'spell check', so the teachers can read it.
I did forget most egregiously to mention the cell phone, which, while it can serve a useful purpose, just makes one too available..no mystery here. Perhaps I shall speak upon that subject another time.
Meanwhile, I have problems of my own.
Are my entries overlong? You betcha. If you cannot bear to scroll down to the next page ( or two ), lighten up on the caffeine ( do you hear that, Starbucks ?), and/or seek sedation. Besides...wait until you see my poetry, or other expositions, or, play-lets, only the brave deserve the fair. Call it a caveat, if you will; I do not whistle as I walk by a graveyard. I scare myself aplenty whenever I make a mistake, and look at myself in any mirror. If that sight doesn't scare children and make dogs bark, nothing will.
If anyone out there can find this dratted blog--and--read it, please let me know.
Only, please be gentle as I bruise as does the peach. Though it is--in the most possible, far outist, abstract concept--still a 'free' country. Or, should I start learning to speak Chinese ?
Regards to all. Please rest easy and well; today is another day already. Thanks, Charles
Being temperamental ( ninety percent temper, and ten percent mental ), I chafe at the thought of having to again begin at the beginning, as I was s-o-o-o-o clever, butter wouldn't melt in my exposition.
Granted, many blogs are edifying and educational; some--like mine--are strictly ego and desperation both in thought, and in content, but then...aren't they both the same ?
Everyone has--or should have--a life, filled chock-a-block with children, spouses, mortgages, debts, pets, and 'forgets', dinner times and bedtimes, utility bills, and jobs which slowly strangle the soul and paralyze the mind, for ****wages, lousy health care, and no benefits. It is--in fine--the 'American Way'.
Add to that stultifyingly mindless programs on TeeVee, reprehensible relatives, lunatic neighbors, a Legislature that has always lined their own pockets and interests, quite contrary, Mary, with no regard for the common weal.
For those who have to work ( think indentured servitude rather than career ), and purchase food and gasoline, whatever are they to do for 'fun', or has that word gone out of the English language ? Dining out means sitting at a picnic table in your backyard. And movies have of late seemed to become just 'odd'.
What is left, when both parents and children sit in grumpy silence at the dinner table; secretly, I think they loath each other, covered with a fine veneer of love, because--dammit--you're supposed to love each other. That's what Hallmark cards say, and, who can argue with them ?
That leaves the computer, with all its Hydra heads of locked-out sites so the kiddies can't look at porn ( though the parents can ). Hours of after school homework with 'spell check', so the teachers can read it.
I did forget most egregiously to mention the cell phone, which, while it can serve a useful purpose, just makes one too available..no mystery here. Perhaps I shall speak upon that subject another time.
Meanwhile, I have problems of my own.
Are my entries overlong? You betcha. If you cannot bear to scroll down to the next page ( or two ), lighten up on the caffeine ( do you hear that, Starbucks ?), and/or seek sedation. Besides...wait until you see my poetry, or other expositions, or, play-lets, only the brave deserve the fair. Call it a caveat, if you will; I do not whistle as I walk by a graveyard. I scare myself aplenty whenever I make a mistake, and look at myself in any mirror. If that sight doesn't scare children and make dogs bark, nothing will.
If anyone out there can find this dratted blog--and--read it, please let me know.
Only, please be gentle as I bruise as does the peach. Though it is--in the most possible, far outist, abstract concept--still a 'free' country. Or, should I start learning to speak Chinese ?
Regards to all. Please rest easy and well; today is another day already. Thanks, Charles
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