Living
in Black and White
Author:
Yvonne Pierce
“Hey, dude, nice tank! Me?
I’ve got a flip top with a bent eight. Yup, it’ll drag tonight.
One day, I’ll settle down, you know. I’ll get circled, have a few
ankle-biters. Not now, though. I’ve got my eye on Sue and she’s a
dolly! Well, gotta go. And remember: shoot low, they’re
riding Shetlands!”
1950’s talk has gone by the wayside, and in many ways, so
has the persona of the 1950’s. Gone are the quaint little
cottages with a one car garage and a white picket fence.
They’ve been replaced by rap-talk and large homes with multi-car
garages, but with one noticeable absence: occupants. The owners
and residents of these homes are commuting, working, carpooling,
attending PTA meetings, watching youth sporting events, going to
karate and piano lessons.
Life was black and white in the 1950’s, in more ways than
one. Black and white has the implication of simplicity and
decisiveness. It’s either black or white: that’s simple, that’s
decisive. Television was still in black and white in the early
50’s. Ethel and Lucy concocted their plans in black and white and
Father Knew Best in black and white.
Life today is color. Color is quantity, it’s combination
and it’s indecision. Colors are combined to make other colors and
nothing is absolute; you can always add something else to make
another hue. We are too busy. Too busy to really talk to each
other. Too busy to make a home cooked meal and enjoy it as a
family. Too busy to even be at home. Too
busy.
The pendulum has shifted and it doesn’t seem to be swinging
back anytime soon. Fathers aren’t ready to cut their hours and
come in the door at 5:30p.m. with “Honey, I’m home!” Mothers
aren’t ready to stay home with the children and have dinner on the
table for the 6:00 dinner hour. Children aren’t ready to drop
their soccer team and their video games and have
“family time”. Will the pendulum swing back again toward the
lifestyle of the 50’s? Can it start with us? Only time
will tell…
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