Luky
ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES HAD A PETER DE VRIES QUOTATION ON HER PINBOARD WHICH ALWAYS GAVE ME FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
It read; "Which of us it mature enough to have children before the children themselves arrive?
The value of marriage is not that adults conceive children but that children turn children into adults."
Every parent of more than one child at times experiences that sense of wonderment.
How can these children all look different, be different, while they had the same parents, background, home, school and were taken to the same church?
Some children are born mature. One minute you are changing their nappies.
The next day they are taking burdens off your shoulders. My youngest child is like that.
She gives a lot of love. When you explain where she has erred, she tries to make amends.
Although my husband and I were aged 27 and 20 when our eldest child was born, we were 43 and 36 when the youngest came along, so she has always had elderly parents.
If this fact ever embarrassed her, she never betrayed it.
She is particularly fond of me because - she says - I provided her with comfortable lodging for nine months.
She says I'm not fat, just well-built. She says my wrinkles don't betray my age but the laughter lines left by a great sense of humour.
I get a lot of comfort from my lastborn.
One time I asked her middle sister to tape a movie for me on M-net.
"Mom", she said, "I saw it and I know you. You won't like it. There are parts in it you'd consider vulgar."
"Right," I said. I hate vulgarity in books and on TV. I feel sometimes one is vulgar because it slips out and you can't take your words back.
But to be vulgar, obscene or blasphemous in print or on screen is to my mind being so on purpose and an act of insolence against the Creator who gave us our writing or acting talents to use for good.
That night I came home. My youngest said: "You'll be glad to hear I taped that movie for you and I censored all the rude parts."
"But it's you I don't want to see the rude parts," I objected.
"I didn't," she explained. "Each time they got that certain look on their faces, I blanked out for a couple of minutes.
What was left I'm sure you'll enjoy. And when they seemed to be saying something rude, I turned the sound off."
So who's educating whom? It seems you don't have to be an adult to be loaded with common sense.
Catherine Nicolette
Censorship. Ah, what a fine concept. I grew up in the generation that was still somewhat sheltered [as Dad put it] from the full blast of the world.
That meant that when I was four and walking with Dad past a pub he placed his hand over my eyes as we looked in at the door.
I caught a glimpse of the fresco on the wall he was attempting to shield my sight from.
To this day I am still somewhat bemused by the painting of a scantily clad young lady with horns and a tail.
Mary Whitehouse
Mary Whitehouse was the watchword of my parents' generation. She was either admired or vilified.
In Casa Whittle, Dad was all for Mary Whitehouse. And Mom said, what was good enough for Mary Whitehouse was good enough for her.
So we [the pre-TV generation] had our radio rationed to Squad Cars on Wednesdays I think it was; and Taxi on Saturdays.
On Sundays we could listen to the Silver Hour, or holy music as we called it.
We were slightly bitter about this, because all the kids in our classes used to talk learnedly about other radio shows. Of which we knew nothing.
Not that we were going to let them know it.
Television advent
Then came the advent of television. The cables were laid, Dad bought a TV out of the box, and we awaited the breathless day.
Our first television show, and we wanted to be hooked. We pleaded to be hooked.
We intended to be hooked. But no go.
We were allowed one wholesome show a week.
We were always allowed to watch David Attenborough's documentaries. I'll never forget his luminous show on Borneo.
If I'm right they had bats in caves. And he stood on cave floors littered with guano. But I digress.
Cliffhanger
When Dallas came along I remember the girls at school told me there was a cliffhanger scene.
The Whittle children must have been the only ones who did not scramble home to see what happened.
On the Monday afterwards, I remember my class excitedly chattering about the denouement.
"So what did you think, Nikki? Did you ever guess it was her?"
"I never had an idea", I answered quite truthfully. To be honest, I still don't. . .
Once a week
To ensure we stuck to the once a week rule [after we had done all our homework, fulfilled all our chores and generally been good children] Dad had locked the television away in an upstairs cupboard and took the key to work with him.
Our plan to sneak peak at a television show was foiled.
Unfettered childhood
The idea - as Dad and Mom patiently explained to our openly rebellious faces - was to allow us to live an unfettered childhood.
Free, carefree, and out in the fresh air. And to allow us to develop our own original thoughts and personality without outside influences.
We didn't want free, carefree or unfettered. We didn't want originality. We wanted to be in front of the box, watching and enjoying.
Cautious reading matter
Added to the list, was the fact that in the local cafes certain magazines had to be carefully covered, and then wrapped in a dust jacket.
And placed on the top shelf of the local supermarket where no kids could accidentally get their hands on them.
So we feasted on reading the Archie comics, the Beano, and on religious comic series.
All children's eye-level stuff in the local cafe where the Greek owner used to let us sit at a table in the corner, sip cooldrinks and read to our heart's content for no charge.
Thank you, Mr Pitsilides RIP. We will never forget your kindness.
Social butterfly
The fact that we never had television led us to enjoy very busy work and social lives.
We had to develop social skills in sheer self-defence or out of boredom.
I have a great network of friends that I am always trying to keep up with.
I just don't have time for television. Which brings me to my point.
Recently I was in the vicinity of a television. While I was waiting, I watched the screen. I was amazed to witness semi nudity, wandering hands and strong language in a daytime show.
All of which made me very thoughtful. Perhaps Dad and Mary Whitehouse had given me a gift by giving me blissful years of unworried childhood.
It seems I am not alone.
Apparently the luminous Julie Walters agrees with campaigner Whitehouse's fights against on-screen obscenity . . . [1]
[1] Mary Whitehouse was right to try to clean up TV after all, says Julie Walters: Actress praises strait-laced campaigner and her fight against on-screen obscenity, Alleged News
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2861552/Mary-Whitehouse-right-try-clean-TV-says-Julie-Walters-Actress-praises-straight-laced-campaigner-fight-against-screen-obscenity.html
With thanks to dailymail.co.uk
No comments:
Post a Comment