My Rolex is five minutes slow
But whether future or past
Now is all you can know
I found a copy of Franny and Zooey in the basement and wondered how it would read after , say, 30 years. It's about New York City uberchildren having spiritual crises, something I know rather more about now than I did when I was 20, having grown up in the burbs. But I wonder whether in the development of any person, there aren't certain marks you have to hit, some sooner, some later. Marks like the spiritual crisis, the hedonistic period, the idealistic era, the arty infatuation, the materialistic phase, the analysis and ensuing rejection of family of origin, the illicit love affair—and all the rest. That's just up to age 25. And nobody seems to be able to learn by experience, alas. Certainly nothing much seems to have changed since 1955, when the book was written. Actually, i noticed the same thing when I recently reread The Group. Also that the types had not changed. So I'm left with be here now, and now, and now.
there's always chinese
I recently have gone through a big spate of reading People and Us magazine. So now I know, for the first time in years, who all these celebrities are. Can't say I find it very edifying, but whatever!
ReplyDeleteFor example: Three weeks ago I had no idea who Kevin Felterline was. In fact, I still don't, really. But I know who Paris Hilton is!
The reason I started reading these rags is, for about ten years I have been seriously aggravated by endless images of Jennifer Anniston. Having never seen an episode of Friends, I like, really don't know who she is. And Brad Pitt was on my hit list, too. Just because he was cute in Thelma and Louise, doesn't mean he has a right to be such a bad actor in everything else since.
And I find endless stories about "Jennifer and Brad's Baby Anguish" really...what's the word? Oh, never mind. Anyway, having never read anything about them while they were married, I was so relieved that they were, at last, getting a divorce that I began reading everything in sight. But now I suppose I'm in for at least a year of "Life Without Brad" and "Jennifer's Separation Anguish". Oh God! Spare me.
Anyway, there is a point to all this. This morning while I was driving Woo to work...She is working weekends in my friend's antique store..(another aside: I just learned that legally, she can't work untill she's fourteen. So we were rehearsing what she would say if someone questions her age. I said "Now, if a little old lady comes in a pinches your cheek, and says 'Aren't you cute? How old are you, honey?', what do you say? So Woo says "If she pinches my cheek, I'll punch her in the face." Nice going, kiddo! Have I done a good job as a mother, or what?
So as we were driving up to Keith's, she was reading this teen magazine, TJ4, or something. And there was a picture of Gwen Stephanie or Stefanie, whatever, who I know now, thanks to In Touch magazine, looks just like Madonna. So Woo said " Gwen Stephanie is just a wannabee." And I said. "Honey, she ain't no wannabee. She's an isabee!" My new term for celebrity wannabees who have made it big! Pretty clever, huh?
...I am now the only one in this family with a working cell phone. B dropped and broke his...(way to go, B) and Woo lost hers.
All those phases we go through before the age of 25 and for the reminder of our lives we replay the same themes with enough variation that it makes us feel it is something new. I think the only thing that changes after 25 is we become aware that we are not immortal. Even our culture has 20 year repeat loops. I was born in the 60's but was too young to participate...but the 80's came and I was able to relive the 60's.
ReplyDeleteDisco thankfully has come and come back and left again...I have always had flannel so I will be ready for 90's repeat. The more things change..the more they stay the same..everything old is new again..
I have always hated those sayings
maybe because they had a point.