On August 9, 1974, I walked out of the American Embassy in London and was bombarded by a Camera & Microphone in my face held by TV Reporters. When one Reporter asked what I thought about "Nixon" - for good or bad; that is when I felt "American"!
Living for 3 years on a U.S. Military Base in Stuttgart, W. Germany; this London visit was for my husband's business & my pleasure - but this day was definitely bereft of same.
Not following American Politics at that time; I was too busy being a Jew in Germany. Besides; when the Microphone was shoved in my face - I was struck speechless - not only was I a private person; but my husband was in a security line of work. And wasn't the whole idea of moving Cups/Saucers & Family to another country - even for a brief moment of time - to forget about what was?
I also was preoccupied with school-aged children dealing with their new Counterparts: "Military Brats", coping with a husband sizing up Mademoiselles, Birds & Frauleins & adapting to what I'm used to & to deal with what is!
But the big payoff was my first trek out of my country & traveling to exotic & not so exotic countries - delighting in Visual Candy - enough to last the rest of my life. And no one can take that away from me; except Dementia - and I have that covered - you're taking notes, right?
As brief as my reply was in front of the Embassy to the Reporters; I can only remember that later I picked up every newspaper on the stands to somehow catch-up & assuage my guilt.
"The Break-in 5", "The Watergate 7", "The Smoking Gun" - who wants to catch-up when "The Tower of Pisa" awaits one more "Ugly American" to take a ridiculous Picture!
And the infamous "Watergate Tapes"; where Nixon's Personal Secretary Rose Mary Woods accidently erased the tape - give me a break! Okay, you're right; I bought it! You know; looking at Sarah Palin's emails should be a breeze!
"The Cover-Up" & all the names - John Mitchell, James McCord, Howard Hunt, G. Gordon Liddy, Jeb Magruder, Maurice Stans, H.R. Halderman, John Ehlichman, John Dean, Charles Colson, Daniel Ellsberg & "Deep Throat": William Mark Felt, Sr. And all along; I thought it was Olga in Apt. 3B!
No Job shortage then; Lawyers were "King" - not to mention the lines at the "Confessionals"! Today; we go on Open Salon & call it a day!
Do you blame me for putting "Politics" in a Box & saving it for later? Sure, I'm ashamed I didn't follow it during those years - but today I make up for it - and to tell you the truth - the way it's been going lately - it was better that way!
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V.Corso
OS Weekend Fiction Club
Thoth
Blinddream
Procopius
Rob St. Amant
Salon.com
Comments
Rated.
Also because you made me wonder:
- why feel ashame / why should I blame you
- was it really better that way; or is it always the same song, different orchestration