Boston Disappointment + Politics

[fabrisse]

My flight was cancelled last night due to the United computer glitch, so no Boston for me this weekend.

Two of my stranded compatriots decided to get to New York or New England by the 3:15 Amtrak departure and were dropped at Union Station just before I was let off.

I did the tourist thing, especially with the woman who lives in Albany but spends a great deal of time in Denver. She's a schoolteacher and the questions she asked about "the bad parts of town" were slightly prejudiced -- though to her credit she didn't know it until I explained and she seemed quite compassionate after I gave her a potted history of the city.

But she also did not know, nor did the other person in the van with us, that the District had no representation in Congress. They both asked a few questions, and I made my usual plea for them to ask their representatives to give me a representative (at least).

I also did some sightseeing spiel for them, since she'd never been to DC before and I included the tidbit that the statue of Freedom on top of the Capitol is actually slightly taller than the one of Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial which is impossible to tell from the angles. I then mentioned that Jefferson Davis when he was Secretary of the Interior was responsible for the change to the headdress (it was originally supposed to be a French style Liberty cap) because he didn't want the slaves who were building the Capitol to get any ideas.

She said, "I don't like to hear about things like that," and shuddered.

It's part of our history. She's tall (at least compared to me), slim, and blue-eyed. How many people don't know because they don't like to hear about it?

It's amazing to me.

Comments

[stlscape.livejournal.com]

Sorry you're missing Boston, Fabrisse, but thanks for the tour guide info. I hadn't heard that before - too much time growing up in the UK and Belgium during "teach the kids American History years". LOL

How many people don't know because they don't like to hear about it?

Too many, unfortunately. My daughter and I call them "Oprah ladies", because when Oprah was doing a show on an unpleasant topic and the camera would pan the audience, you could see the horror and dismay and "I can't believe people *do* that" on the faces of the (mostly female) audience.

[fabrisse.livejournal.com]

When were you in Belgium? UK?

"Oprah ladies" is the perfect term, sadly.

[stlscape.livejournal.com]

Dad was transferred to Scotland in August, 1964. We lived in Doonfoot, south of Ayr.

In February, 1967, he was transferred to Brussels.

We came back to the States in 1969, where he worked in The.Empire.State.Building - which is a very cool thing for your father to do when you're 13! (But I still REALLY miss living overseas! It took me a looong time to learn how to fake being an American again - I didn't know how to do American sports, which is NOT a good thing.)

[fabrisse.livejournal.com]

We moved to London in 1967. Came back to the US in 1969. Moved to Brussels in 1978 and returned in 1982. (I went back from 1987-1989.)

Deeply cool that you know Brussels.

[stlscape.livejournal.com]

Very, very cool that you do, too. What areas of London & Brussels did you live in? We lived in Uccle, near the Chaussee de Waterloo & the Bois de la Cambre.

No one I now know has moved around much, and of those who have, they've never lived outside the US. I learned the hard way after returning to the US that I shouldn't talk about my non-US experiences to anyone that hasn't lived OCONUS. Still, after all these years, I *miss* being able to do that.

[fabrisse.livejournal.com]

I lived in Woluwe Saint Pierre and Etterbeek (two different time periods). In London: Edgeware as a kid, and as an adult East Finchley, Hammersmith, and Kentish Town.

It was my life, so I talk about it. But, yes, there are people who think I'm less of an American because I lived elsewhere and others who don't want to hear about it. *sigh*

[katewallace.livejournal.com]

Far too many "Oprah ladies" (and men) out there. They don't understand something and they're afraid of it, so they resort to "I don't want to hear about it." And retreat back into their little shell until they feel it's safe to come out again.

As for "the bad parts of town". Please. The Mr. has spent the last 39 years working for a major discount retailer. Several of the stores he worked in were in areas that could be considered "bad parts." The only serious injury/threat he ever faced was when he was the manager of a store in a resort town in Western Michigan. He got stabbed three times by a drunken teenage shoplifter. Bad stuff can happen anywhere .

My condolences on Boston. Fingers crossed that you can still get there some time soon.

[fabrisse.livejournal.com]

I do think fear is part of it. There's also just the whole idea that if we don't talk about "bad things" they won't happen or don't exist. I don't understand how we can learn from the past if we won't acknowledge it.

I'm sorry to hear your husband was stabbed, but it CAN happen anywhere.