Monday, May 1, 2017

LIGHTING OUT FOR THE TERRITORY

Moving from Amherst, MA [well, actually, Pelham] to Chapel Hill, NC was a bit like moving from Brigadoon to Erewhon.  Amherst was comfortably stuck in the sixties, all sandals and candles.  In Chapel Hill, you are more likely to hear a New York accent than a southern drawl.  Now we are about to move to a retirement community, and though it has the same zipcode and is only 5.2 miles away [according to GoogleMaps], we leave the sanctuary of David Price’s securely Democratic Congressional District and enter the 6th CD, which Republican Mark Warner won last November by a 60/40 margin.  I can see I will have my work cut out for me.  Maybe some of the other senior citizens at Carolina Meadows will be interested in forming a Grey Panthers chapter.  Lord, I do hope they are not all country club Republicans!
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5 comments:

  1. s. wallersteinMay 1, 2017 at 10:44 AM

    I'm reading Simone Beauvoir's book on ageing, translated as The Coming of Age.

    I read it many years ago when I was reading most of Simone de Beauvoir's work, but it's very different to reread it now at age 71.

    It's not fun reading, but it seems all too truthful.

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  2. David AuerbachMay 1, 2017 at 10:53 AM

    As the Triangle is an enclave in NC, so Carolina Meadows is with respect its CD. E.g., I know someone there who was in a pro-Palestinian group with me. So, no, not all Republicans.

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  3. CarlMay 1, 2017 at 4:16 PM

    Mark Walker, not Mark Warner.

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  4. Ludwig RichterMay 1, 2017 at 7:41 PM

    No, s. wallerstein, The Coming of Age is not fun reading, but then there is this:

    "There is only one solution if old age is not to be an absurd parody of our former life, and that is to go on pursuing ends that give our existence a meaning—devotion to individuals, to groups or to causes, social, political, intellectual or creative work. In spite of the moralists’ opinion to the contrary, in old age we should wish to have passions strong enough to prevent us turning in upon ourselves. One’s life has value so long as one attributes value to the life of others, by means of love, friendship, indignation, compassion. When this is so, then there are still valid reasons for activity or speech."

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  5. s. wallersteinMay 1, 2017 at 8:42 PM

    David,

    Thank you. Yes, those are wise words, from Simone de Beauvoir, I suppose.

    I found the word to describe the book: "sobering".

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