"A Tarnished Pride" -
Randy Burns
April 30, 2002
Let's begin with the snowfall
in Southern New England. That's where I was born, so I'll be the authority
here. You don't have a problem with that, do you? You sure?.
When I was a lad, winter made sure that we had snow on the ground throughout
the season. It made a promise to us every year. Winter won't talk
anymore.
Sometimes the
snowfall would be up to our waist, or maybe our knees, or just six inches.
Every kid had a sled, a toboggan, or a flying saucer. You remember flying
saucers? They were round and silver with a handle on both sides, so you
could spin madly flying down every wild hill nuts. If your kid had a sled
and a sheer cliff, you had trouble. That's one thing our parents just
plain forgot about! Kids will kill themselves for any kind of fun.
Dangerous makes it better.
No one buys their kid a sled anymore. Winter, my man, what happened?
These days, pictures of Christmas Mornings no longer have sleds in them.
You remember those pictures. The sleds all had big red ribbons tied around
them, leaning upright against the wall next to the tree. Not only did
the sled (with the ribbon wrapped around it) look great, but no one wanted to
wrap a sled anyway. So it worked out well for everyone. I miss that.
I used to ride my bike to Piersalls Drugstore in the center of town. Sundaes,
cherry freezes, chocolate malts, everything tasted great. My friends in
the neighborhood loved that place as much as I did. We would leave our
bikes outside, laying on the sidewalk. Never thought about them being
stolen. We couldn't imagine that happening, and it never did. When
you were done and went back outside - your bike would always be right where
you left it. Where else would it be? It was cool, man. I miss
that too.
Come Halloween,
we'd pillage every neighborhood that young legs could find. No parents
were needed, never! Our bags bulged with candy from streets and places
Columbus never dreamed of. We too traveled far for our treasures.
Once home, when the entire world had turned their porch lights off, we would
commence gobbling. We always scored tons of candy that our parents never
checked. Why should they? Razorblades were for shaving, poison for
rats, and needles pulled from their pin cushions did nothing but sew.
What other way could these things be used?
I miss that, and the trust surrounding us then.
Honesty was a big deal around my house, as it was around the homes of my friends.
I remember only one drawback to that. Kids, being totally honest with
each other, can inflict a devastating blow to another kids self worth.
Still, there was another side to that. Even if a kid that everyone picked
on, did something brave or cool, he would receive full credit for it kid to
kid. It was a good time in America then. Our country didn't spy
on others, others spied on us. Our Presidents never lied. Just the
thought of him, with anyone else but his wife, was preposterous. We were
honest and good.
During my early teens, something happened that changed us all. The world
around us 
turned
different, the moment we realized the truth. Gary Francis Powers was shot
down from the Soviet Sky. The Russians claimed he was an American Spy.
I remember how we waited for our government to deny it. What the hell!
we didn't spy on other countries!
So we waited and we waited, but no denial came. I believe it was then,
with this one, single incident, that Americans asked questions that were never
asked before. ~
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