I always felt bad about missing the '60s. Obviously as a Woman Facing 50, I was born in 1960, which means I spent most of that pivotal decade absorbed in such trivialities as learning how to walk, talk, use the potty, read, write, and roller skate. By the time I came to political consciousness, well, there wasn't much worth being conscious about. Disco? Detente?
Actually, Saturday Night Fever is truly a great movie and detente an enormous step forward in international cooperation. But it just doesn't have the same zingggg as having danced at Woodstock, now does it?
And then there's the clothing issue. I've got good upper arms, small boobs, and unruly hair. I was born for fringe and frizz and long swirling Indian skirts and braless vests. But no, no, I came of age in the 70s. My hair never conformed to the mandated Farrah Fawcett feathering (by the way, there's a website on "How to Have Farrah Fawcett Hair." Complete with step-by-step blowdrying and curling instructions. ) and I fell off my platform shoes with dismal regularity. The tube top, however. . . oh, the tube top. I was good at the tube top.
But still, being good at the tube top--it's not on par with hearing Martin Luther King give the "I Have a Dream" speech on the Mall or joining the March against Vietnam or Going Clean for Gene, is it?
My '60s inferiority complex explains why, in the early 80s, I felt implicated, indicted, no dammit, downright guilty, when my history professor exploded in frustration and fury one day because I couldn't remember where I was when John F. Kennedy was shot. "But, umm, I was only three," I stammered apologetically. He tore at his hair, yelled, "Augggghhh!! I can't stand it!" and left the room for several minutes. The rest of the class shrugged. What a weirdo. What are you doing this weekend? Anyone got the notes for the next book review? But I, I sat there, knowing I had failed an essential test, one that I desperately wanted to ace, one that I could never pass no matter how hard I studied.
So I'm lecturing on the Revolutions of 1989. And I'm telling my students that the American version of this story, that "Ronald Reagan won the Cold War," is completely parochial, ahistorical, and well, just plain incorrect. We need to focus on the actions and intentions of Mikhael Gorbachev, as well as eastern European activists like Vaclav Havel. And a student raises his hand: "Sorry. But what was the "Cold War"? You mean, like, something in Finland or Norway?"
Augggghh!! I can't stand it!!
TOPS is so awesome, eh?
ReplyDeleteBut really, your student was probably born in 1991 so he wasn't even alive for the Cold War.
Just to be clear-- I remember that I was at my Grandma's house when the Berlin Wall fell. I think my parents were on a cruise? No one was being born in 1989, so I'm not sure why I was staying at Grandma's house, but I have a very clear memory of that day in November. I was 11.
Ok, I must admit I am not much of a history buff at all. Some might even think of me as, well, stupid. My husband on the other hand knows it all and loves it. So when I made the remark some years ago about the "damn wall they always mention" he wanted to cry because I said I didn't care about a stupid wall, yatta, yatta, yatta. He stared at me disturbed and said "do you know the signifigance of this event?" I replied,"No I don't but who would build a freakin wall like that?" I can tell you that I was in my mom's tummy when JFK was killed. When the wall came down I have no clue. Apparently I have failed a test as well. The sad thing is I am 45 and should know all about this wall, right? Was it wallpapered? I love your blog!!!
ReplyDeletedid we really "win" the cold war? when two people are playing a useless and destructive game; and, one of the two walks away from the game, did the other one really win?
ReplyDeletealso, i would argue that the final outcome of the "cold war" is yet to be known. given for a moment that the USSR lost, is it possible that the final outcome isn't known for the USA? the USA has accumulated piles of debt (first by Reagan, to fight the Cold War, then by Bush I and Bush II to maintain an artificially high standard of living).
this debt could well sink the ship some day.... and then, the cold war has two losers.... the only difference is timing...