Enga mellom fjella

Statue of Limitations

See my previous entry for the two polls I made: "Reigning cats and DOGS!" 

Each has 9 votes. Any guess who's winning?

Statue of Limitations

They do not bid you salaam,
nor a peaceful leaving.
They bang your butt with their door,
bash your head with my tablet.
How dare you be poor!
So much for my island of welcome mats.
Those who came here first
have burned them instead.
If I could see your misery ...
but they've poked out my eyes
with the crown from my head.
They've told me not to care.
How dared I allow you entry?
You who did not first wash yourselves
clean of your identity; now naked,
you must put on theirs.
But I do wish to know, as you huddle in calm,

"How long can you continue to bid them peace?"

         "Until the break of dawn."

© Kåre Enga 2008 [164.472] 2008-01-17

The above is my answer to the question ... what was injured on September 11th and bleeds green tears?

BLOGVILLE:

Fallser raises a good question on setting a story in a particular time. She mentioned she needed to research 1967.

Which is a great idea, because, although I was there and can actually remember if I fry my brains a bit, it is hard to be 100% accurate. The mind plays tricks and the 60s was a time of great turmoil. Things changed on a daily basis. April 3rd, 1968 was not the same as April 5th. (If you were old enough and in America ... you remember ...)

So she mentioned cars. My edited response:

Mustangs, Camaros?, Pontiac GTO?, I'm not sure. By then there were some used Corvairs on the road used by kids (my friend Ellen had a convertible). Most of the kids in my crowd didn't have cars. Not like today. And when they did they were older, used and showing some rust. Like a '61 Ford Falcon (heaven-forfend ...) or a '62 Lark (as in Studebaker). In the Mid West, where cars lasted longer, they were probably driving old 50s (I remember the '54 Plymouth for some reason ...). You should be able to find them all on-line.

As for music, that should be easy too. I remember "Sweet Pea" from the summer of '66 and "Quinn the Eskimo" and "Alfie" were 60s also. The music changed constantly (weekly) as 'Top 40' was the only way in the burbs. If the setting is backwoods Kentucky or the High Plains, the music would be different. Things were more regional in '67.

California Bay = hippies; but flower power and long hair was NOT cool in Mid America (still isn't in many places, like this university where the priviledged suburban snots have strict rules as to what is cool or not). However, there were still problems at colleges throughout the nation, even here in Kansas, and the country was in turmoil over Viet Nam, Civil Rights, et cetera. MLK and RFK were still alive (both died '68).

Drive-ins were big, so the movies too, especially the summer teenage ones.

The difference between '65 and '70 was palpable. Each season brought new issues to the fore. In '68 they exploded.

Those of you who knew need to read this entry by bugzy is baaaccck!! : "Invalid Entry" 

NEWS:

The death of youth hurts me in ways I cannot adequately express. So Heath Ledger's death (1979-2008) yesterday bothers me. I don't know where I was the day he was born (April 4th), but I know I was in Illinois visiting Kevin's family later that month.

Old age brings the grief of seeing younger folks succeed and fail at living.

Since I really admired his role in Brokeback Mountain and because he defined the character Ennis Del Mar, it is as if Ennis has died too. (First Jack, then Ennis ...)

I don't know the family, but my heart goes out to them.

ME:

Nothing much. Got to the Art Center too late to hear Sara Paretsky speak. She was signing her book, Bleeding Kansas. She's a local that I was able to catch last time around, but this time? Over 300 in the auditorium and they turned people away. Place was packed an hour before they began.

House guests have a place to move to and can do so soon! I'm not as resilient as I used to be and their visit has had some rough spots. Nothing broken though. And if I have been of some help ...

Kansas: 28º and sunny.

1912