From time to time my grandchildren ask my mother who just celebrated her 94th birthday if she could remember a time when there were no TV’s or computers.?They listen incredulously as we talk about radio as our prime source of home entertainment in addition to records and reading.
Before long young people will ask was there a different lifestyle before security concerns mandated body and bag searches in airports and subways.?In Israel opening the trunk of your car before you enter a garage is SOP ,and is now being used in the US.
So it was a breath of fresh air to attend the Tanglewood concerts of the Boston Pops in an outdoor setting. The atmosphere was relaxed, with families bringing in large baskets that contained wine,drinks,cheese with cutting knives and sitting in the great lawn prior to the concert. Parking was across the road, and aside from a few deputies directing traffic decorum was maintained by a myriad of senior citizen ushers who pointed you to your section and seat. The 15,000 people who came to enjoy an evening of music were not disappointed. Indeed the problems of a world gone mad seemed far-far away.
Sadly this portrait of America at its very best represents an era that will soon be forgotten. Why Tanglewood has such faith in the human environment I don’t know. I pray they don’t have to change.
.For us we can only hope that the war on terror will be victorious to the point that we will feel comfortable enough to relax our terror alerts and enjoy our lives without body scans and searches.
