August 17, 2011
When I was Young
When I was young,
how narrow minded
the world then seemed then
and now.
In just about everything
in my world,
it was a black and white world,
looking back.
I couldn’t understand how
people couldn’t just like and
enjoy each other
and find the contrasts interesting,
not dividing.
.
There was a right and wrong
“side of the tracks”
that I didn’t understand.
The tracks of contrast existed
in school,
homes,
churches,
religions,
politics,
white and blue collar jobs
and how we dressed
who we married
and raised our children.
.
There was a right and wrong morality,
but it wasn’t about
right and wrong morals,
but contrasts in beliefs,
as to who to socialize with,
we could/should marry,
where we should live
and work,
buy our clothes…
basically where to shop
for everything
on our side of the tracks.
.
The contrasts between
the neighborhoods,
where their ancestors
came from,
towns,
stood large in some peoples
minds.
There seemed to be a contrast
everywhere that was judged
as right or wrong.
.
My parents were a city mouse
and country mouse.
Fine china, so thin you could see thru it,
a must for my mother,
and silverware, not tableware
of stainless steel.
Fine crystal glasses to drink from
were a must.
.
A white cup was a white cup to
my father.
Dishes were dishes,
glasses could be jelly jars
as far as he was concerned.
The forks, knives and spoons
were for function, not beauty….
except that the steak knives, butcher knives
must be kept sharp and cut with ease.
Function versus form.
.
The city mouse family,
one’s ancestors came over on the Mayflower,
(married to an immigrant from the
“right old country”).
They loved fine china,
crystal chandeliers,
oriental rugs and fine furniture,
of excellent quality.
There’s nothing wrong with that.
.
The country mouse family
came over on a boat
from the same “old country”
(different from that
of the city mouse’s parent)
separately,
to find a better life.
They met in a small mid-west town,
and married and raised a family,
that turned out businessmen,
teachers, farm workers.
Hard workers.
But they were “first generation”
versus “from the beginning”
at Plymouth Rock.
Is there anything wrong with that?
.
There were other contrasts,
as I could go on and on,
but as a young child,
contrasts puzzled me…
I found them interesting,
wanting to know why
they did what they did,
ate what they ate,
wore what they wore,
and why their homes were so
different.
Others found these things
reasons to disagree
and to ignore and stay
away from.
.
Contrasts.
Made me who I am today.
Some people call me a “hippie”…
or “the black sheep.”
I think that’s good.
A blend of contrasts,
forms a third contrast.
A blend.
.
When I was young
I wondered why all the fuss
in the differences I saw.
When I was young,
how narrow minded
the world seemed then
and now.
.
Posted by siggiofmaine in Memoir, Poetry, Self Discovery Tags: ancestors counted in where you stood, child rearing, city mice, contrasts in life styles, contrasts in opinions, country mice, dressing, friends, heritage formed values ... china cup vs dinnerware, immigrant vs met by the native Indians, judgmental world, morality, right side of the tracks/street, the world black and white, white and blue collar jobs, who we married, wrong side of the tracks/street
siggiofmaine 