SOMETIMES YOU have to be glad you’re as old as you are. I mean, how can we, all of us brought up on a well- defined pattern of how-to-get-along-in-life, negotiate with a world that has discarded the need for learning men- tal arithmetic? To say nothing of long division? And this genetics-bank thing, where people are classified when they’re born and funneled into the appropriate stream — expectations evaporate along with ambition. What a soul-less system. Not to mention how kids dress these days. Toddlers in clown suits, pied as the piper; adoles- cents in outrageous color-com- binations, hair streaming in the wind. Which are boys? Which are girls? We always thought one should be able to tell. Actually, when we sniff at what’s going on, it’s partly ap- prehension, but a big part of it is jealousy. Remember our drab childhood? We were supposed to be little ladies and gentlemen. And that demanded seen-but-not-heard deportment and clothing both modest and with good wearing qualities. Color was rarely a consideration — things came in brown, green, maroon or navy blue. Long ribbed stockings, even for boys, who wore short pants and ironed shirts. Girls had ‘‘middies” and pleated skirts and a barrette to keep hair under control. Some were envied for hair- bows, some suffered rags all night for morning corkscrews. We sat “in position’’ in the schooiroom. The teacher actually said that, ‘Sit in position."’ It meant we put our hands behind our backs and leaning against then to corral them, allowing no freedom for hanky-panky. When the bell rang for release, we left soberly and in order, the boys through their door, the girls JUICE mA 1 litre ¢ Apple - Orange - Tropical | | SEAWAVE | PINK #SALMON | 212g I 4 fitre FLOWER POWER DRINKS Energy Thirst Quencher Eleanor Godley THE VINTAGE YEARS ‘through theirs, same way we'd got in. Homework was a fact of life, as were the physical chores we faced at home. When we lived in the Peace River country, that included shovelling clean snow into the wash tub and then skidding it over to fill the oil-barrel by the kitchen stove. That would be our drinking- washing-cooking water so it took quite a few wash-tubs-full to guarantee our mother’s daily sup- ply. And darkness fell early so the evenings were long. Homework done, we might read, or play a few games of Parcheesi, or draw, or practise the violin Mr. Eaton had sent us. We sang, too, out of the raggedy old song-book, **Camp Town Races” and ‘‘Just a Song at Twilight.’’ We all knew the words. In Kelowna, just now, teenagers are reported to be in crisis over lack of attention to their recre- ation needs. Of course they mean something that has wheels, makes a lot of noise, involves screaming and reaches high speeds. We’ve obviously come a long way, you and I, and have learned to roli with the punches when we hear the language children use on the bus, and listen to their recitals of the movies and TV shows they’ve watched. We used to think Wallace Beery was a tough sort of guy, like Jimmy Cagney, used to the under side, the seamy side. At their toughest, neither of them would have dared what is nowadays Sunday, May 31, 1992 — North Shore News - 24 We look on with apprehension and jealousy average fare. Try to imagine Fred Astaire us- ing language like that, though I admit Clark Gable did say ‘‘sdamn"’ once. Think of Norma Shearer showing off her underwear a la Madonna! The Last of the Fuddie-Dud- dies, that’s us. Everyone's going to be plugged in, tuned-up and on target. We look on it, listen to it, and still think we’ve had the best part. Postscripts: The B.C. Automobile Association has prepared a special video for show- ing street safety to seniors. They used a bunch of clever amateur actors who call themselves ‘‘Still Young at Heart,’ and it’s avail- able to be shown at a seniors’ centre near you soon. Arrange for time to watch it. The situations it illustrates are all ordinary to us, but all dangerous. And on Friday of this week the Community Care Association is having an extensive be-in in the city, during which an expert is go- ing to elucidate seniors’ problems with memory. I'm making a special trip to get the dope on that for you — if I don’t forget! But seriously, | was next in line at the supermarket to a lady wan- ting her groceries delivered who simply couldn't recall her address. She’s lived there for 25 years! We all know such situations. If there are measures we can take to jack it up, I want to know them, and I’m sure you do too. Photo submitted THE HARRY Jerome Track Classic will take place today at 1 p.m. at Swangard Stadium In Bur- naby. The North Shore's Charmaine Crooks who has been pre-selected to join the Canadian team at the Barcelona Olympics will take part in the event. A selected number of high school championship finalists will be staging an exhibiton meet at Swangard an hour before the Jezome Track Classic. Limbering up for the meet are West Vancouver high school students James Leishman (left), Dian Van Drimmelen, Charmaine Crooks, Geralei Chen and Amie Gib- bins. The late Harry Jerome was a North Vancouver resident who won a bronze medal in the 1964 Olympics’ 100m dash. 1VENICE BAKERY COUNTRY GOOD 5709 BREAD TWININGS TEA Earl Grey, Orange Pekoe, English Breakfast. 25's “AEE? NORTH VANCOUVER 986-3712 SALE STARTS TUESDAY, JUNE 2- SATURDAY, JUNE 6 « We reserve the right to limit quantities. © While quantities last. m = ore TOILET TISSUE 8 rolls NABOB SUMMIT or TRADITION DECAF. e STORE HOURS « Monday - Wednesday 9:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. Thursday & Friday 9:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. Saturday 9:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Sunday 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.