{"id":4328,"date":"2016-06-23T02:21:39","date_gmt":"2016-06-23T02:21:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/?p=4328"},"modified":"2017-06-23T01:44:59","modified_gmt":"2017-06-23T01:44:59","slug":"the-sweetest-place-on-earth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/?p=4328","title":{"rendered":"“The Sweetest Place on Earth?”"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Washington<\/p>\n

“Washington and Lafayette at\u00a0Valley Forge<\/a>,” during the long, cold winter of 1777-78…<\/em><\/p>\n

* \u00a0 * \u00a0 * \u00a0 * \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Right now I’m in between summer-vacation trips.<\/p>\n

On Wednesday, June 1, I went back into the Okefenokee<\/a>\u00a0Swamp,\u00a0on an overnight kayaking trip. (As detailed in \u201cThere he goes again<\/a>…”)<\/em> \u00a0Then on the weekend of Saturday, June 11, I drove up to North Carolina for a grandson’s high-school graduation \u00a0(I described that trip in\u00a0On \u201clatitude, attitude,\u201d and other life changes<\/a><\/em>, in my companion blog.) \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"Next up<\/em><\/strong> is\u00a0a family trip north: \u00a0Three cars, carrying five adults and seven younger folk, ranging in age from 10 to 22. \u00a0Among other places, we’ll be visiting\u00a0Valley Forge<\/a>, the Liberty Bell<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Philadelphia<\/a>\u00a0in general. \u00a0(Seen at right, back in the 1910s.)<\/em>\u00a0 Last but not least we’ll see\u00a0Hershey, PA … “The Sweetest Place On Earth<\/a>.”<\/p>\n

Which makes this the perfect time to do a review.<\/p>\n

So here it is: \u00a0This time last year I posted\u00a0On RABBIT \u2013 and \u201c60 is the new 30<\/a>,”\u00a0Part I<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Part II<\/a>. (Both dated June 20, 2015.) \u00a0<\/em>And on June 12, 2015, I posted \u201cGreat politicians sell hope<\/a>.”<\/p>\n

And by the way, that part about politicians selling hope<\/em><\/strong> seems especially appropriate in view of the\u00a02016 presidential election<\/a>\u00a0now \u00a0underway. \u00a0(See also “More honored in the breach<\/a><\/em>.”)<\/p>\n

There were two key points of\u00a0\u201cGreat politicians<\/a>.” \u00a0(From two separate books I’d just read.) \u00a0<\/em>One was\u00a0that \u2013 generally speaking \u2013 the presidents who’ve occupied the White House have been \u2013 overall \u2013 decent, honorable and capable. \u00a0Then second was that “maybe the same applies to [today’s] politicians in general.\u00a0 (Gasp!<\/em>)” \u00a0 Those points gave rise to a\u00a0third thought:<\/p>\n

Maybe today\u2019s<\/em><\/strong> politicians seem especially nasty because many voters they\u2019re trying to woo<\/a> are just that way. \u00a0Maybe today\u2019s politicians are simply a reflection of the nastiness that seems to have taken hold of a large part of our population.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

All of which brought up the difference in those who can work with others to come up with viable solutions to our problems, as opposed to those who just “curse the darkness.”<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

In other words, the difference between\u00a0doers and complainers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

On a more positive note, the two\u00a0RABBIT<\/a>\u00a0posts –\u00a0Part I<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Part II<\/a>\u00a0– started off about\u00a0John Updike<\/a>\u00a0and his\u00a0“Rabbit” series. \u00a0(Five fiction-books on “the life of the middle-class everyman Harry ‘Rabbit’ Angstrom<\/a> over the course of several decades, from young adulthood to death.”) <\/em>\u00a0But then\u00a0Part II<\/a>\u00a0turned to the topic of both nostalgia and more<\/em><\/strong> hope for the future.<\/p>\n

The “nostalgia” went back to 1969, a time when\u00a0you could go into a bar, pay 40 cents for a beer and leave a dime for the tip. \u00a0“And not<\/em><\/strong> get thrown out or insulted.”<\/p>\n

The “more hope for the future” was about\u00a0\u201c60 is the new 30<\/a>,\u201d and \u201cWhy<\/em><\/strong> 60 Is The New 30<\/a>:\u201d<\/p>\n

Increasingly, people over 60 feel more like 40, and now they have the science to back them up\u2026\u00a0\u00a0 The new research argues that since life expectancy continues to rise, age 60 should not be considered old.\u00a0 It\u2019s more \u201cmiddle age,\u201d because for many, there\u2019s a lot of living left to do after age 60, even embarking on second or third careers.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I added, “you might say of the Christie Brinkley image below: \u00a0‘Now that\u2019s<\/strong> turning 60!<\/em>‘”<\/p>\n

Did I mention that I turn 65 this summer, and have already gotten my Medicare card? \u00a0Which means that I too “have a lot of living left to do,” and now don’t have to worry – so much – about those danged medical bills. \u00a0For my part, later this summer – in August – my plans include\u00a0hiking on the\u00a0Chilkoot Trail<\/a>. \u00a0(\u201cThe meanest 33 miles in history.\u201d) \u00a0And<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0taking a 16-day, 500-and-some-mile, canoe trip \u201cdown\u201d the Yukon<\/a>. \u00a0(See\u00a0\u201cThere he goes again\u2026\u201d<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n

But first<\/em> <\/strong>I’ll have some extended quality time with my seven great-nieces and great-nephews.<\/p>\n

As noted, the trip will include a visit to\u00a0Philadelphia<\/a>, a city whose “importance and central location in the colonies made it a natural center for America’s revolutionaries<\/a>.” \u00a0(Sounds interesting.) <\/em>\u00a0In other words, a city known as the\u00a0Birthplace of American Democracy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Which arguably makes it<\/em> <\/strong>“the sweetest place on earth.” \u00a0But just to make sure, I’ll check out\u00a0Hershey<\/a>, home of the “well-known Hershey Bar<\/a> and Hershey’s Kisses<\/a>.”<\/p>\n

And maybe do some sampling of my own. \u00a0(It’s nice<\/strong> being “65 as the new 35.”)<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Christie<\/p>\n

What was that about the “sweetest place on earth?”\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

* \u00a0 * \u00a0 * \u00a0 *<\/p>\n

The upper image is courtesy of\u00a0Valley Forge \u2013 Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

The image of\u00a0Philadelphia<\/a>\u00a0is courtesy of\u00a0<\/em>Wikipedia<\/a><\/em>. \u00a0The caption: \u00a0“8th and Market Street, showing the\u00a0Strawbridge and Clothier<\/a> department store, [in the] 1910s.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Re: \u00a0The places “we” will visit on the upcoming road trip. \u00a0See also\u00a0Liberty Bell – Wikipedia<\/a>, and\u00a0Hershey, Pennsylvania – Wikipedia<\/a>. \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Re:\u00a0Doers and complainers<\/a>. \u00a0The “Christadelphian” cited Justice\u00a0Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., as saying,\u00a0\u201cThe human race is divided into two classes – those who go ahead and do something, and those who sit still and inquire” – or complain<\/strong> – “Why wasn\u2019t it done the other way?\u201d \u00a0For more posts on the topic, just\u00a0<\/em>Google<\/a><\/em>\u00a0“doers and complainers.”<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n

Re: The “Rabbit” series. \u00a0Those are Updike’s “novels<\/em> Rabbit, Run<\/a><\/i>; Rabbit Redux<\/a><\/i>; Rabbit Is Rich<\/a><\/i>; Rabbit at Rest<\/a><\/i>; and the novella<\/em> Rabbit Remembered<\/a><\/i>.”<\/p>\n

The lower image is courtesy of\u00a0People\u00a0<\/strong>magazine,\u00a0people.com\/people\/article\/0,,20780764,00.html<\/a>. \u00a0I included the image in\u00a0On RABBIT \u2013 and \u201c60 is the new 30\u201d \u2013 (Part II)<\/a><\/em>, with the caption:<\/em> \u00a0“A good argument for ’60 is the new 30\u2026’\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

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“Washington and Lafayette at\u00a0Valley Forge,” during the long, cold winter of 1777-78… * \u00a0 * \u00a0 * \u00a0 * \u00a0 Right now I’m in between summer-vacation trips. On Wednesday, June 1, I went back into the Okefenokee\u00a0Swamp,\u00a0on an overnight kayaking trip. (As detailed in \u201cThere he goes again…”) \u00a0Then on the weekend of Saturday, June […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4328"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4328"}],"version-history":[{"count":33,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4328\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6256,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4328\/revisions\/6256"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4328"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4328"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4328"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}