Meanwhile in America.To their credit, my parents are among that dying breed of senior--uh, maybe I should rephrase re·phrase tr.v. re·phrased, re·phras·ing, re·phras·es To phrase again, especially to state in a new, clearer, or different way. that--who have the courage to call themselves, say, 75 years "old" rather than 75 years "young". WHEN YOUR MOTHER AND I WERE IN OUR 20'S, WE USED TO HOP FROM CAFE TO CAFE... NOW WE HOP FROM CLINIC TO CLINIC. DID YOU REMEMBER TO TAKE YOUR PILL? THE RED ONE? While peppy TV commercials show seniors spelunking or bungi jumping for their Geritol, my parents limit themselves to a little gardening, dozing, and talking about which of their contemporaries is going down the drainpipe. THEY HAD TO AMPUTATE am·pu·tate v. To cut off a part of the body, especially by surgery. HER LEG. IT WAS THE DIABETES. THAT'S ENOUGH SALT IN THERE. DON'T YOU SEE WHAT SALT DID TO ME? (I am temporarily incarcerated incarcerated /in·car·cer·at·ed/ (in-kahr´ser-at?ed) imprisoned; constricted; subjected to incarceration. in·car·cer·at·ed adj. Confined or trapped, as a hernia. at my parents' place in California while I plot my escape to the Pacific Northwest.) One of the unpleasant features of life with the folks is the noise level. Dan Rather is cranked up so loud that even upstairs, with the door closed, I can hear every solemn inanity in·an·i·ty n. pl. in·an·i·ties 1. The condition or quality of being inane. 2. Something empty of meaning or sense. Noun 1. he utters. AND THAT'S PART OUR WORLD TONIGHT... CHRIST, WHEN'S DAD GONNA GET A HEARING AID? But I'm glad my dad watches any news at all. He and my mom are converts to the Jehovah's Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses, Christian group originating in the United States at the end of the 19th cent., organized by Charles Taze Russell, whose doctrine centers on the Second Coming of Christ. , and the Jehovah's Witnesses-- --DON'T GET INVOLVED IN POLITICAL THINGS. WHEN WE GET TOGETHER, WE DON'T TALK ABOUT ANYTHING CONTROVERSIAL. BUT THAT'S SO BORING. IT'S NOT BORING. IT'S NICE. Let's skip what I think of believers of any religion... OKAY, LET'S NOT Let's Not is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov. It was first published in Boston University Graduate Journal in December 1954. It was written for no payment as a favour to the journal, and later appeared in the collection Buy Jupiter. SKIP IT. I THINK THEY'RE ALL OUT OF THEIR MINDS I just don't get how my opinionated o·pin·ion·at·ed adj. Holding stubbornly and often unreasonably to one's own opinions. [Probably from obsolete opinionate : opinion + -ate1. dad, who was a heavy socialist back in the Old Country and who last voted for Reagan (!!) in This One, could temper the political blood that courses through his veins. But he tells me he stopped voting before his religious conversion, that he'd already given up on the process. An example of his disgust: WHAT DO YOU CALL THOSE THINGS THEY PUT ON THE BALLOT? PROPOSITIONS. PREPOSITIONS? PROPOSITIONS. THEY PUT THE PREPOSITION preposition, in English, the part of speech embracing a small number of words used before nouns and pronouns to connect them to the preceding material, e.g., of, in, and about. 187 * ON THE BALLOT, BUT THE JUDGE OVERTURNED IT. THAT'S NOT JUSTICE! I offer my understanding of how a law can be challenged in court and found unconstitutional. TO ME, THE CONSTITUTION IS WHAT THE PEOPLE SAY. There are many reasons my dad wasn't a Founding Father, and I hope you are grateful for all of them. Meanwhile... Let's throw out some more bait! The recall of Governor Davis? You can't ignore that Cecille B. DeMille--scripted spectacular here in California, eh, dad? THEY'RE ALL CROOKS OR INCOMPETENT OR MAFIA PEOPLE. DAVIS IS NO GOOD, BUT THEY PICK ON HIM, AND WHAT ABOUT EVERYONE AROUND HIM? THEY ALL SHOULD BE KICKED OUT. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO'S IN THERE. NOTHING EVER CHANGES. WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT DOESN'T MATTER? OF COURSE IT MATTERS. Okay! We're reeling him in now! But he's still putting up a struggle, reminding me (or himself) that humans can't put this world right; only God can do that. ANY DAY NOW. However, when I bring up national politics that feisty part of dad, who used to deliver party speeches in village squares, takes over. I ONLY HAD ONE THING TO SAY ABOUT BUSH BEFORE THE LAST ELECTION, AND THAT WAS, IF HE'S ELECTED, THIS COUNTRY IS FINISHED. That's my dad! But before my filial filial /fil·i·al/ (fil´e-al) 1. of or pertaining to a son or daughter. 2. in genetics, of or pertaining to those generations following the initial (parental) generation. pride can fully swell, he really starts going at it... Opinions on everything! Avoids controversies, my ass! Then he burrows into my sacred cows--the Middle East! The Palestinians! That's it!! I've given up listening and I'm at his throat! I storm out, leaving the dishes to my mom. Days later and we're still not talking to Noun 1. talking to - a lengthy rebuke; "a good lecture was my father's idea of discipline"; "the teacher gave him a talking to" lecture, speech rebuke, reprehension, reprimand, reproof, reproval - an act or expression of criticism and censure; "he had to each other. But with dad's hearing problem, I'm not sure he notices. I SAID HIS BROTHER-IN-LAW HAD A STROKE. HUNH? It's high time I flew the coop. * WOULD HAVE DENIED UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS MOST SOCIAL SERVICES social services Noun, pl welfare services provided by local authorities or a state agency for people with particular social needs social services npl → servicios mpl sociales . [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] |
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