It's wonderful to have you back, Bill. Thanks for persisting. Happily, Harlene Soper Brown Washington State ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bill" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, September 26, 2004 5:22 PM Subject: [ILJOHNSO] Little Egypt Heritage, 26 September 2004, Vol 3 #29 > Little Egypt Heritage Articles > Stories of Southern Illinois > (c) Bill Oliver > > 1 August 2004/26 September 2004 > Vol 3 Issue: #29 > ISBN: pending > > Osiyo, Good Evening Ladies and Gentlemen of Little Egypt, > > My Octogenarian Father nearly out lived that distinction. He was asked > one time by a person who observed that his birthday was the thirtieth of > November, “ ... what year?” His answer: “Every year!” > > Recently I was interviewed by a reporter from my Alumni Association’s > Newsletter. During and as a result of that interview, the reporter and I > discussed the concept of animate and inanimate objects being alive vs > having spirit. In the mythology of Native American Culture that I’ve > been privileged to hear and read, it is believed that the Spirit of the > Maker is not given to humans alone, but rather the whole created > universe shares in the immortal perfection of the Maker. This included > inanimate elements, such as rocks, and the majestic forces of nature, > such as wind, water, fire, lightning, etc. .......... > > Wham .... Bang ..... and at the above moment, the SPIRIT of Lightning > struck near my computer and it [the computer] decided to leave this > world for more favorable territory ... “south”. Though I am not sure at > this time that those who live in the south are appreciative. > > The new date of today is: 26 September 2004, seven weeks since the great > “blow”. So, it has been a while between articles, while I rebuilt a > computer, salvage what data I ccould from the old hard-drive, travel, > celebrate life with family, and prepare to retire for the [?]th time, > .. thus, getting back to the writing I do enjoy. > > It is always my pleasure to read and I cram as much of it in as I can. > My Parents were readers. So were my Grandparents. And, so were my Aunts. > Due to our reading habits, our children and grandchildren are also > “readers.” One of our granddaughters can write a report on “Star Wars” > without going to a library [except her own]. > > One of my Father’s High School Teachers was a family friend and she did > travel a lot. She never failed to bring back at least one book for me. > All this was not dependent upon our economic status or the quality of > the education in the school districts I attended ... my family saw to it > that I had reading material. > > My Parents, Grandmothers, and several of my Aunts read to me daily > before I entered school and though I had difficulty in learning to read, > I never developed a dislike of it. During my recent absence, I read > James Mooney’s “Myths of the Cherokee” and a couple of related others. > This morning, while enjoying my first cup of coffee, I read the Sunday > paper. Several things when put together evoked sadness and raucous > laughter. > > The first was a picture of an Iraqi Father carrying his wounded child > .. this evoked the thought of how tired I am of seeing such pictures. > The laugh that followed, however, came spontaneously when I then read > the political cartoon by Rogers of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, in > today’s paper. It was our President asking Mr Putin where he got some of > his ideas about stripping rights from citizens. Mr Putin, with a light > bulb over his head, is holding a copy of the USA Patriot Act. > > Further into today’s newspaper was an article about a new wave of books > on the subject of etiquette. Well, I have suffered “road rage” and even > “web rage”. A “gentleman” gave out more than his opinion of my driving > because I stopped for a red light and he apparently didn’t want this. > Some folks in writing e-mails are as rude as I ever experienced. My > Folks taught me courtesy and respect. I “yes, sired” and “Yes, Mam’d” > all adults. Children did not use the Christian names of adults ... it > was always “Mr” or “Mrs”, and sometimes “Miss”. If I forgot, my ears > became red as beets, but not from embarrassment. <BG> > > Not so long ago, ediquette books were ridiculed as relics ... antiques. > There has been a grand informality which has increased to the point > where rudeness became the new norm and was to be overlooked. People wear > shorts to cocktail parties, denims to Church, spam their friends with > e-mail [pass-it-ons]. They gossip about their friends in chat rooms and > use the foulest of language in all walks of their lives. > > Well, what goes ‘round, comes ‘round, I guess. One might think that some > folks are becoming a bit tired of this behavior. Emily Post is no longer > lonely on the Bookstore and Library shelves. Her book, now updated by a > great granddaughter is in its 16th edition. There are possibly more than > 100 titles keeping her book company on shelves, all published within the > last five years. There is “Mr Social Grace”, “Doyenne of Decorum”, “The > Fabulous Girls”, and even “The Edequette Girls” on their shelves. > > E-mail correspondence has evolved without any greetings or salutations, > and absolutely no signature; and, few, if any thank you’s. Our > technology has evolved so rapidly, and so has our desire for guides in > how to respond to various situations. > > So, along with matching our fast paced living we have also made fast > paced changes in our dealings with people, some for the better and some > for the worse. Well, these books are telling folks how they should act, > and inject a bit of common coutesy and “decent” dress into their lives. > For me, I like to visit Kentucky ... there I’m always “Sir’d” and Barb > is always “Mam’d”. > > e-la-di-e-das-di ha-wi nv-wa-do-hi-ya nv-wa-to-hi-ya-da. (May you walk > in peace and harmony) > > Wado, > > > Bill > -=- > > PostScript: > > = = = = > http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/SOIL > http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/ILMASSAC > http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ne/state/BillsArticles/LittleEgypt/intro.html > > > > > ==== ILJOHNSO Mailing List ==== > Visit the Official Johnson Co IL ILGenWeb Site! > http://www.rootsweb.com/~iljohnso/ >