Share Your World 21st November

As a child, did you prefer to watch TV, play games outside on a nice day, or read?

We weren’t allowed to watch TV except on Friday and Saturday nights, although by the time my sister was born, Mom had given up and she could watch all day. I think I was improved by the absence of TV in my life. Anyway, everyone else had a TV, so I could always find a friend and watch there.

Generally, I’d read if I could, but mom loved sports. At some point, she’d toss me out saying “It’s a beautiful day. Get some exercise.” I never got involved in sports (mom played ice hockey and was a killer at tennis), much to her disappointment, but I became an enthusiastic bicyclist.

What would you rather do now, read a book, watch a movie at home, dine out with friends, or go down the pub?

Living out here in the northeastern boonies, pubs are not a realistic option. Not only are they expensive — you need an income to go drinking these days — and we don’t drink. I never drank and Garry long since rehabbed out of that life as has almost everyone with whom he used to drink — those who are still alive. They all seem to enjoy talking about it though. I used to go with Garry to his pubs to be sociable, but that’s not a “thing” out here.

Mostly, I read, write, and take pictures. When we actually go somewhere, there’s always a camera involved.

Are you fashion conscious?

The only time I was in style was in the late 1960s and very early 1970s when everything had fringes and jeans were floppy bell-bottoms. By the mid-1970s, I was back to being completely out of fashion. I have always been unfashionable. When I was working, I had “office clothing.” Office gear wasn’t fashionable, but it was a notch classier than the sweat pants, jeans, and baggy sweaters I wear now.

Also, when both of us were working, we went places. I had some expensive dress clothing and Garry owned two tuxedos and needed them. He worked a lot of fundraisers. It was part of his job, but he also enjoyed them, especially those related to helping people with vision and hearing loss. I got to be Garry’s plus one so I met interesting people.

We still get invitations but we almost never go. All the people we used to meet at those shindigs have died, are too old to travel, or won’t attend because like us, they are long retired and don’t know any of the “new” people. Garry misses his old friends, even the pols. He didn’t like many of them or their politics — except for Bill Weld (they both liked Pink Floyd), Tip O’Neill with whom he was friends and Ray Flynn with whom he is still friends. Ray doesn’t travel anymore, but if Garry can get it together to trek all the way from Uxbridge to Southie, they spend afternoons remembering the old days when they were trying to fix the world because that was their job.

Do you wear slippers, clogs or go barefoot indoors?

I used to go barefoot. Now, I wear socks. Even out on the deck it’s socks. Bombas makes them with little rubber things on the bottom so you don’t slide and they are really comfortable.

I’m one of the people for whom they used to hang signs saying: “Shoes are required.”

Categories: #gallery, #Photography, #SYW, Anecdote, Humor, Share My World

Tags: #Photography, #SYW, humor, Marilyn Armstrong, Share My World