Thursday, July 31, 2008

Among friends

Has anyone else noticed how the word "community" is everywhere? "Our community." "The gay community." And (my favorite): "The Dead community." Look in any news story. You will see the word "community" at least 10 times.

So why fight it? I am going to say it, too.

I am loving the community feeling of my blog. Just look at yesterday. Ward, that was so nice of you to help me make sense out of that story about Leonard Pennario in the Guardian! And semi-anonymous Mr. Stevens (I am guessing), your analysis was great. I appreciate so much the wisdom and the sympathy! Before, I would have just been wailing and gnashing my teeth in solitude.

And my sister Margie is so nice to get involved all the way from New Jersey. Thanks, Margs!

This feeling of community will give me strength to go about what promises to be a terrible day.

First, the UB libraries sent me a bill for $875! I am not kidding. In the fine print it says if I just return all this stuff I have overdue, I will be charged only late fines. With luck the late fines will total, oh, $20, is what I'm hoping, though I might be hoping too much.

Second, my Water-Pik broke. For the second time! I pay $50 for these things and they keep breaking! I cannot exist without my Water-Pik. I love my Water-Pik like a schoolboy loves his pie. Listen to me singing the blues.

So, big detours to be made today, to UB and to replace my Water-Pik. That on top of being behind the eight ball in every aspect of my life. Well, before I go about my heinous day, time out for one more diversion:

Lastnight at a party at the zoo I noted what could be a new phenomenon: Dressed-up girl with grungy guy.

I saw it over and over! Including in the case of one TV-head, some girl who does weather or something. She was all done up in this beautiful dress, her hair all perfect, great makeup, the works. And her boyfriend was in this sloppy shirt and dirty jeans! What in the world? Dump this guy, TV-head!

Grungy clothes have been everywhere forever and I do not understand it. When I get old I do not want to look back and think I spent my youth looking like homemade sin (a phrase I love). I wonder that so many other people are setting themselves up for such regrets.

Here are things I am starting to lose hope will ever go out of fashion:

1.) T-shirts.
2.) Baseball caps.
3.) Tattoos.
4.) Those empire-waisted tops women wear that flare out over your stomach. Why do I want to make my stomach look fat?
5.) Rap and hip-hop.

Everyone, feel free to add to my list.

I love that community feeling!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Re community + Leonard Pennario + Mr. Stevens:

I very much like Mr. Steven's discography suggestion. I think the recordings sections of Harold Schonberg's Horowitz bio and Harvey Sachs book about Arthur Rubinstein are invaluable and add to the value of both books for the collector and scholar.

Anonymous said...

I like some tattoos....... the beautiful ones, not the angry, aggressive looking ones....

I humbly suggest that you add toupees to your list. Please gentlemen, we (women) DO NOT care whether or not you are bald. Just keep your hair short; or shave it off completely. Fake hair is not sexy. Trust me.

Maggie Mills said...

I just sat here trying to think of something that I worry will never go out of style and my 9 year old son came up with a better one than I ever could. My son worries that girls will never stop wearing shorts that make their butts hang out.