{"id":5197,"date":"2016-10-05T01:10:45","date_gmt":"2016-10-05T01:10:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/?p=5197"},"modified":"2018-07-08T21:04:01","modified_gmt":"2018-07-08T21:04:01","slug":"no-city-for-grouchy-old-white-people","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/?p=5197","title":{"rendered":"“No city for Grouchy Old White People”"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/i>Liberty Enlightening the World<\/a><\/em>\u2026\u201d \u00a0 (Before all the talk about \u201cBuilding a Stinkin\u2019 Wall!\u201d)<\/i><\/p>\n

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

<\/h1>\n

\"NoThe title of this post is a take-off on the film,\u00a0No Country for Old Men<\/a>.<\/p>\n

(Which was \u2013 by far \u2013 the<\/strong> worst\u00a0movie I\u2019ve ever had the displeasure of sitting through. \u00a0I waited \u2013 in vain and what seemed like\u00a0hours<\/strong> \u2013 for the movie to show some glimpse of\u00a0\u201c<\/b>redeeming social value<\/a>.\u201d)<\/em><\/p>\n

And incidentally, the title of that\u00a0furshlugginer<\/a>\u00a0movie came\u00a0from the opening line of\u00a0William Butler Yeats<\/a>\u2018 famous poem, \u201cSailing to Byzantium<\/a>.\u201d \u00a0In turn, one theme of the movie \u2013 according to Wikipedia<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 was that more and more, \u201cthings are out of alignment, that balance and harmony are gone from the land and from the people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Which certainly could describe the dynamics of today\u2019s political scene.<\/p>\n

But \u2013 Wikipedia added \u2013 the movie is also \u201ca lament for the way the young neglect the wisdom of the past and, presumably, of the old.\u201d \u00a0The wisdom of old people that is.<\/p>\n

Of course it might help if more of \u201cthe old\u201d weren\u2019t so ^%#$ grouchy all the time!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Then too, what passes for wisdom \u2013 from way<\/em><\/strong> too many people my age \u2013 is simply a rehash of the cliche that\u2019s been around for millenia: \u00a0That the world is going\u00a0to hell in a handbasket<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Which is ironic. \u00a0That\u2019s because people my age are\u00a0Baby boomers<\/a>, and once upon a time we told ourselves we were going to \u201cchange the world<\/a>.\u201d \u00a0And yet, here we are \u2013 way too many of us \u2013 mouthing the same old \u201cnegative vibes<\/a>, man!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

(Which is itself a negative vibe, but that\u2019s a whole \u2018nother story.)<\/em><\/p>\n

But we digress\u2026<\/em> <\/strong>\u00a0My point is this: \u00a0\u201cNew York City is a refreshing reminder that there\u2019s more to this country than just the right-wing wackos so prevalent back home in \u2018The Bubble.’\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s what I wrote on my Facebook page on September 22. \u00a0That entry also included this:<\/p>\n

Ever since last Saturday, September 17, we\u2019ve been taking the Staten Island ferry into and back from Manhattan Island. So that\u2019s eight times \u2013 twice a day for four days now \u2013 that we\u2019ve seen the Statute of Liberty, off in the distance\u2026 \u00a0And I don\u2019t remember ONCE seeing a sign that said, \u201cthe heck with your tired, your poor,\u201d those \u201cwretched refuse \u2026 yearning to breathe free.\u201d \u00a0WE\u2019RE GONNA BUILD A FRIKKIN WALL!<\/strong>\u201c<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Of course much of the time I did<\/em><\/strong> feel like I was surrounded by a bunch of \u201cfurriners\u201d in the\u00a0Big Apple<\/a>. \u00a0(Not unlike the\u00a0Willie-and-Joe cartoon at left.)<\/em>\u00a0 And they all seemed to be\u00a0speaking every language but English. \u00a0But that brings up another \u2013 ongoing \u2013\u00a0theme<\/a>\u00a0of this blog: \u00a0That unless you\u00a0step out of your comfort zone<\/a>\u00a0on a fairly regular basis, the chances are you\u2019ll wind up as just another GROUCHY OLD PERSON!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

And who wants to be just another clich\u00e9<\/a>?<\/p>\n

And by the way: \u00a0That September 22 Facebook post was also when I wrote that my next offering in this \u201cWasp\u201d blog was going to be titled,\u00a0\u201cNo City for Grumpy Old White People!\u201d\u00a0 (I changed it to \u201c<\/em><\/span>grouchy<\/a><\/em>,\u201d as more fitting.)<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

And finally \u2013 I noted back on Facebook on September 22 \u2013 it had been \u201c<\/span>a long day, but fun. \u00a0And I\u2019ve had my usual one beer at the South Manhattan Terminal,* then another one on the Ferry itself, and I\u2019m now finishing my third of the night, a \u2018Corona Extra.’\u201d<\/p>\n

The point being that \u2013 while it\u2019s healthy to step out of your comfort zone every once in a while \u2013 it\u2019s also nice to have a routine to fall back on\u2026<\/p>\n

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

Which brings up the fact that we\u00a0spent a lot of time on the subway, as well as the Ferry. \u00a0And traveling on either one<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0can be an especially bad idea during rush hour. \u00a0That\u2019s when it seems like everybody in New York City is on the subway (or the Ferry), and in a big rush.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s not to mention being all crowded in \u2013 in to the subway especially \u2013\u00a0and<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>hot, sweaty and disgusting.<\/p>\n

But every once in a while you might catch a break and find one of those\u00a0liminal<\/a>\u00a0moments. \u00a0For example, what caught my eye in the photo above right \u2013 aside from the obvious \u2013 was the separate train running parallel to ours, leading to \u201cmultiple images.\u201d<\/p>\n

I figured there was some kind of symbolic message there.<\/p>\n

Then there was the Saturday night \u2013 September 17, our first night in the city \u2013 when we took a double-decker\u00a0tour bus. \u00a0It was scheduled to head down Sixth Avenue<\/a>\u00a0toward downtown Manhattan, then over to Brooklyn. \u00a0But the bus was late, and so first one line of passengers and then a second \u2013 our line of passengers \u2013 had to wait patiently for our<\/em><\/strong> bus tour to start.<\/p>\n

\"SixthThen we finally got on the bus, and as we rode down the\u00a0\u00a0toward the\u00a0\u00a0district, we heard a lot of sirens. \u00a0\u00a0 Then we passed a street or two that had been blocked off \u2013 as seen at left \u2013 and all kinds of murmuring crowds.Then we finally got on the bus, and as we rode down the\u00a0Avenue\u00a0of the Americas<\/a>\u00a0– seen at left – toward the\u00a0Chelsea<\/a>\u00a0district, we heard a whole<\/em><\/strong> lot of sirens. \u00a0(I mean, even more sirens and louder than usual in the City.)<\/em>\u00a0 Then we passed a street or two that had been blocked off \u2013 as seen at left \u2013 and all kinds of murmuring crowds.<\/p>\n

At the time I was texting my on-and-off-again\u00a0Dulce<\/a>,\u00a0<\/em>back home.\u00a0 <\/em>I was describing to her our progress through town, \u00a0when she texted back, \u201cExplosion reported in New York.. \u00a0be safe.\u201d \u00a0Which <\/span>made me one of the first on the bus to find out about the story, \u201cNew York City explosion rocks Chelsea neighborhood<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

The thing is, when the bombing happened \u2013 apparently \u2013 we were still back in that long line to get on the tour bus. \u00a0And at the time we were kind of disgruntled about the long delay. \u00a0But as it turned out, the delay meant that we DIDN\u2019T<\/em><\/strong> drive by right as the explosion happened.<\/p>\n

From which an\u00a0object lesson<\/a>\u00a0or two might be gleaned\u2026<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll continue this\u00a0travelogue<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0Part II<\/a>. \u00a0But I\u2019ll close out this Part I with an example<\/strong><\/em> of why\u00a0\u2013 it seems to me \u2013 the\u00a0Big Apple<\/a>\u00a0is\u00a0\u201cNo city for Grouchy Old White People:\u201d<\/p>\n

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

Back home this would come under the heading\u00a0TMI<\/a>!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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

I took the photo at the top of the page on our first trip into NYC, via the Staten Island Ferry. \u00a0You can tell it\u2019s Saturday (9\/17) because of all the pleasure boats clogging the harbor. \u00a0For more on the Statue see\u00a0<\/em>Statue of Liberty \u2013 Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Re: \u00a0\u201cChange the world.\u201d \u00a0The song \u2013 written by\u00a0Graham Nash<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 was originally titled \u201cChicago<\/a>.\u201d \u00a0It referred in part to\u00a0the riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention<\/a> in Chicago<\/a>.\u00a0 The \u201c<\/em>chorus contains the lines: \u2018We can change the world.\/ Rearrange the World.’\u201d (See\u00a0<\/em>Wikipedia<\/a>.) \u00a0Which begs the question: \u00a0\u201cIf we were going to \u2018change the world,\u2019 what the hell have we been doing all these years?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The \u201cWillie and Joe\u201d image is courtesy of\u00a0Willie & Joe: Summary-1 \u2013 amyatishkin<\/a>. \u00a0(And of course,\u00a0Bill Mauldin<\/a>.) \u00a0For a larger image, see\u00a0Re: \u201cSo many dang furriners<\/a>,\u201d from August 1, 2016.<\/em><\/p>\n

Re: \u00a0The \u201cSouth Manhattan Terminal.\u201d \u00a0As Wikipedia noted, the formal name is \u201cWhitehall:\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The ferry departs Manhattan from the Staten Island Ferry Whitehall Terminal<\/a> at South Ferry<\/a>, at the southernmost tip of Manhattan near Battery Park<\/a>. \u00a0On Staten Island, the ferry arrives and departs from the St. George Ferry Terminal<\/a> on Richmond Terrace, near Richmond County\u2019s Borough Hall and Supreme Court.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Re:\u00a0\u00a0\u201cLiminal<\/a>\u00a0moments.\u201d \u00a0My first thought was to describe the timing of the subway photo as a \u201csub<\/strong>liminal moment,\u201d but further research led me to\u00a0Liminality \u2013 Wikipedia<\/a>. \u00a0One definition therein described such a moment as a \u201c<\/em>fluid, malleable situation that enables new institutions and customs to become established.\u201d \u00a0Wikipedia added that the term has \u201cpassed into popular usage,\u00a0where it is applied much more broadly, undermining its significance to some extent.\u201d \u00a0 I would define the term \u2013 used here \u2013 as when you see a photo worth taking, with lots of hidden meanings\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

I took the lower-image photo at the \u201cStaten Island Ferry Whitehall Terminal<\/a> at South Ferry<\/a>,\u201d the afternoon of Wednesday, September 21, our last day in the City. \u00a0We left earlier than usual, both to avoid the usual<\/strong> rush-hour\u00a0hubbub<\/a>, and because the hubbub that day was going to be worse than usual. \u00a0See\u00a0Obama, traffic woes arrive in New York for United Nations General Assembly<\/a>:<\/em><\/p>\n

[H]ello actual gridlock. \u00a0President Barack Obama<\/a> left Washington, the city where nobody gets along, and arrived Monday in New York, the city where \u2013 for the next two weeks \u2013 nobody will be able to get around midtown. \u00a0Obama is the headliner at the 68th United Nations General Assembly, an annual gathering that means world-class traffic woes in Manhattan.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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\u201cLiberty Enlightening the World\u2026\u201d \u00a0 (Before all the talk about \u201cBuilding a Stinkin\u2019 Wall!\u201d) * \u00a0 * \u00a0 * \u00a0 * The title of this post is a take-off on the film,\u00a0No Country for Old Men. (Which was \u2013 by far \u2013 the worst\u00a0movie I\u2019ve ever had the displeasure of sitting through. \u00a0I waited \u2013 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5,9],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5197"}],"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=5197"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5197\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7394,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5197\/revisions\/7394"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5197"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5197"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/georgiawasp.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5197"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}