What Would Jimmy Do?

Eleven years ago today this blog’s entry read in part “…. Emily weighed seven pounds (exactly) and was 21 inches long. If you divide 7 into 21 you 3 which just happens to be the date she was born (and my favorite number.) If you’re one of those people that think numbers mean something (or even if you’re not) I think the meaning here is pretty clear — this is no ordinary baby…..”

Of course today is our Number one granddaughter’s birthday. She’s a lot like me, in that shortly after our birthdays, school starts. This year Emily started to middle school…. another big step

In my first blog about her, I said that the numbers 7, 21 and 3 foretold good fortune for her — and we just keep adding more numbers. Last year we added ten (a perfect ten) and this year eleven (years) and the number six (6th grade.) All good numbers. She was no ordinary baby — and she won’t be any ordinary sixth grader!
Happy Birthday Emily!! Love You!!!
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Yesterday, I mentioned that the month of September appeared in the title of more songs than any other month. I hadn’t thought about it, and don’t know if that’s really true, but there are quite a few “September” songs. 

I do remember a song called “September” by Earth Wind & Fire. That group was popular about the same time as Blood. Sweat & Tears, and I liked both groups. Carole King was another of my favorites around that time and she had a song, “It Might as Well Rain Until September.” I don’t think it was one of her biggest hits, but I do remember it. We went to see Neal Diamond concerts and he always sang “September Morn.” So I guess there is a number of “September” songs…. I’ll have to do some extensive research sometime and come up with songs that mention other months.

Tony Bennet sang “Maybe September’ that became fairly popular and one of Nora Jones’ songs was “September in the Rain.” Some other September Songs are: 
“September Song,” “Wake Me Up When September Ends,” “A Lonely September,” “The 12th of September,” “The September of My Years,” “September Gurls,” “Come September,” “See You in September,” and “September Rain.”
And I just thought of a Johnny Cash/Rosanne Cash song called, “September When It Comes.” 

I think there are probably a lot of songs that don’t have September in the title, but mention the month in the lyrics, like “Try to Remember” by The Brothers Four. Anyhow, I guess I have to agree that among other things it’s noted for, September may be the most musical month of all.
— 30 —

Well, here we are again, summer is behind us as we head into fall. September holidays get started with the Labor Day celebration — coming up this weekend, schools (hopefully) get started and football season gets underway.

The Romans believed that September was looked after by the god of fire, and they always expected fires and volcanic eruptions to occur during this month. September has always been known as the start of the “fire season,” especially in the western states like California. Of course lately, it seems like the entire year is fire season in those locations. 

The full moon of September (the Harvest Moon) is the fullest moon of the year. Even though we typically resign ourselves that it’s fall when September arrives, the actual first day of fall is typically September 22 or 23, when the hours in the day aren almost equal to the hours in the night. 

One day that doesn’t get enough recognition falls in September — Constitution Day, on September 17th. That’s the day the U.S. Constitution was adopted. 

And if all that’s not enough, I read somewhere that there are more pop and classic songs with “September” in the title than any other month. 
It’s shaping up to be a busy month with lots to celebrate, including Talk Like a Pirate Day! So let’s get started — Happy September.
— 30 —

Well, August is pretty much in the books. There are a couple of events that occurred the last day of August that I still remember…. in 1982 an 11-day standoff in Ruby Ridge, Idaho, between government officials and an armed family headed by self-proclaimed white separatist Randy Weaver ended with his surrender. Weaver’s wife, Vicki, his 14-year old son, Sammy, and U.S. Marshal William Degan had been killed during the siege.

And in 1997, Diana The Princess of Wales and her companion Dodi Fayed were killed in a car crash in Paris. The driver of the car, Henri Paul, who was drunk at the time, was also killed.

Today is the 243rd day of the year — only 122 days left in 2021. It’s also the 35th Tuesday of the year. Today is the 72nd day of Summer — 22 days until it’s officially fall. 

All the corn around here is certainly higher than an elephant’s eye… a sure sign of summer’s end and we had to go out last evening and all of a sudden, it’s pitch-black — it’s still summer but….
— 30 —

A few days ago I dropped something off at our church and one of the people in the office said something about being a member of Generation X. I realized that I’ve heard various references to the different “generations” for quite a while, but never gave it much thought and had no idea what generation I was a member of. 

The generation I’ve always heard referred to the most is “The Greatest Generation.” From what I can tell, the name is appropriate. I’ve heard it said that the hardships of life are what form true character. We call the Americans who were born between the two World Wars the Greatest Generation, and they certainly deserve to be referred to as such.

That generation grew up during a time when the world was experiencing great shifts in power. Europe was in upheaval, and the United States had yet to flex its military muscle. That generation lived through the Great Depression, World War II, and then on into one of the most prosperous eras in the history of the United States. The changes that the Greatest Generation witnessed will forever be marked as some of the most pivotal moments in history. The fact that they were born and made it through tough times resulted in a strong work ethic — something that seems to be missing today. I can certainly understand why they’re the Greatest Generation. 

But when I hear of Generation X and Generation Y, etc. I’m not sure I get the connection — and — I’m not even sure what the names mean. So — you guessed it — some extensive research was called for. After checking a number of sources, here’s what I came up with:

Generations in the United States are defined as social groups of people born within a defined time period that share similar cultural traits, values, and preferences. Generational names have existed for years, but their popular use today is a fairly recent occurrence. 

Historians generally agree that generational naming began in the 20th century. Gertrude Stein coined the term “Lost Generation” in her work. In the epigram to Ernest Hemingway’s “The Sun Also Rises,” published in 1926, Stein wrote, “You are all a lost generation.” She was referring to those born around the turn of the 20th century who devoted their lives to service during World I. 

Most of the other 20th century “generations” have been identified and named in a 1991 book titled “Generations” by Neil Howe and William Strauss. A lot of the labels in their book stuck, however the dates that define them are somewhat flexible. 

I couldn’t find any real significance in the names of most generations — certainly nothing like the “Greatest Generation.” Some generations go by two names, and sometimes more. If you look for a list of generational names, in all likelihood you may come up with a different list than I did… my findings are listed below:

People born between 1890 and 1915 are members of The Lost Generation or The Generation of 1914
Those born between 1901 and 1913 are members of The Interbellum Generation
Those born between 1910 and 1924 are members of The Greatest Generation
Being born between 1925 and 1945 makes you a member of The Silent Generation
Birth dates between 1946 and 1964 puts you in the Baby Boomer Generation
People born between 1965 and 1979 are members of Generation X
If you were born between 1975 and 1985, that makes you one of the Xennials
If you were born between 1980 and 1994, you are one of the Millennials, Generation Y or Generation Next
A 1995 to 2012 birth date places you in Generation Z or iGeneration
And to be a Generation Alpha, you have to be born between 2013 and 2015.

Since I was born in 1938, I’m a member of The Silent Generation. That means both my parents were of the Lost Generation. Articles about The Silent Generation made the times seem worse than I remember them, saying that we grew up expecting a hard life. It was an era when a Christmas present might be an orange or a full meal. They earned the Silent Generation name because as a group they were not loud. They did not protest in Washington. There were no major wars to protest.
Maybe I was just lucky, but I don’t remember times being that dire when I was young. 

I guess my general thoughts about these generation names is that no one really likes to be labeled. But people have always been forced into groups — even back in school I remember kids being referred to as nerds, jocks, freaks, etc. Now it seems like we’ve decided that categorizing people based on the year they were born is a good idea. Generational groups are much larger than any of the others, but we’re still labeling people. Even after my extensive research, I’m not certain who, and why, some people get to pick the names of generations — or — why some of the names are chosen.

I don’t know that generational names do any harm, except maybe lead to stereotypes, but labels really don’t do anything to shape our identities — our life experiences are what shapes and defines us.
— 30 —

Pippin is the cat that lives next door. He moved in more than 12 years ago…. I don’t know how old he was when he moved here. Pippin is an “outdoor cat” and a lot of people think he belongs to us because he spends a lot of time on the wall in front of our house and sits on our porch regularly. To say that Pippin is a cat with an attitude would be a gigantic understatement. 

We’ve all heard that “cats have nine lives” — I’m pretty sure Pippin went through more than that the first couple of years he lived here. He has taken on just about every “wild” creature that lives in these parts and has beat-up on a few dogs that live in the neighborhood. Sometimes you see him with big clumps of hair missing and he lost part of one ear during one of his (seemingly) nightly encounters.

So I wonder about that “cats have nine lives” saying…. I always though they really just had one, bur after seeing Pippin in action I’m beginning to think nine is a low number.

But I was curious about the nine lives myth — so — I activated my extensive research mode. Apparently the popular belief — it’s just a myth — has been around for hundreds of years. Most sources I found during my extensive research simply said something like an “old English proverb.” Digging a little deeper, one of the more popular ideas is that the saying came to be because cats are particularly agile and possess great dexterity. Cats are able to twist around very quickly in the air if dropped from high places and land on their feet. This is because they have what is called a “righting reflex.” Cats also have more vertebrae than humans and are extremely flexible, giving them great poise, balance and reflexes. 

A couple of sources I found point to Shakespeare as the one planting the notion in people’s minds. In his play Romeo and Juliet (Act 3, Scene 1) Tybait asks, “What wouldst thous have with me?” And Mercurio replies, “Good king of cats, nothing but one of your nine lives.”

There is an ancient old English proverb that says, “A cat has nine lives for three he plays, for three he strays, and for the last three he stays.” The proverb does not literally mean that a cat really has nine lives but is a statement about the longevity of cats and that they give the most affection when they reach an older age and are too old to chase mice and run away.

One interesting theory behind why cats have ‘nine lives’ comes from the ancient Egyptian reverence of cats…. the God Atum-Ra took the form of a cat when visiting the underworld and give birth to eight other gods. Therefore, Atum unified nine lives in one.

I found one paper that indicated that the nine lives theory could have originated in China. The number nine is considered lucky in China (though not as lucky and six or eight) and is featured heavily in the mythology of Chinese dragons. 

Actually, the myth that cats have multiple lives exists in many countries around the world. However, it isn’t always nine lives and the number varies in different cultures. Some Spanish-speaking regions believe cats have seven lives, and Turkish and Arabic legends claim cats have six lives.

So once again extensive research didn’t come up with a definitive answer… I suppose I should talk to the neighborhood expert, Pippin, to get the real story. 
A friend of mine, that’s not much of a “cat person,” says that if cats really do have nine lives, that makes them ideal for experimentation…..
— 30 —

Monday, Locke started school — first day of grade (elementary) school. Today Emily starts school — first day of middle school.

New school, new challenges, new friends, new phase of her learning experience.
After virtual school last year, I’m sure she’s glad to be back with her friends and even though her new school is just about the same distance from her house as her old school, it’s now consider “walking distance.”
Have a great year Emily!! 
— 30 —

I was with a small group recently, and the term “over the hill” was used. Actually, I hadn’t heard it for a long time…. you may find that surprising, given my age, but I hadn’t heard it for a while.

The expression is used to describe someone that is past their prime, is old beyond usefulness, or is no longer able to perform the way they used to. It apparently originated by someone illustrating their life as a hill where the peak of the hill represented the halfway point of life. Once they had exceeded that halfway point in age, they were said to be “over the hill” of life. 

I guess when you reach a certain age, people start to tell you that you are over the hill. But what is the actual age that qualifies you for being over the hill? I Googled “at what age are you over the hill?” and got a ton of responses between about 25 to 75 — although the number 40 seemed to pop up more than most other ages.

The phrase means to be past your prime — that your best years are now far behind you. I just wonder if this is attributable to a certain age…. I really don’t even know at what age people are considered old. I think it probably depends on the person and certainly what century you were born in. The age that people living today are considered old is getting higher and higher. Due to modern science and technology, the average life expectancy is continually increasing. In ancient Egypt, due to high infant mortality and widespread disease, the average person died at about 19. 
There just doesn’t seem to be a particular number when people are officially “old.”

Actually I don’t think anyone likes to be referred to as old and it seems kind of rude for someone else to tell you when you are old or past your prime. I’ve never really considered life to be a continuous climb until some age and then a slow demise — it’s more like a continuous bumpy road. The idea of it being a hill, doesn’t really make much sense to me. 

Someone said that age is just a number — I guess that’s true, unless you let that “number” define you. Anyhow, I may fit into the category that that idiomatic expression refers to, but I don’t know how I got over the hill without getting to the top….
— 30 —

At the end of his first day in first grade, Locke’s favorite subjects in school are Snacks, Recess and Writing.
He is truly my grandson!!
— 30 —

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Today, the school year started for the first of our grandchildren — Locke is the first back to school this year, the others will follow over the next few days.

This is big deal for Locke — he’s in first grade! We talked to him a few minutes yesterday and he seemed excited — at least as excited as six year olds get about things they’re not sure what they’re getting into.

I think Dave took Lock to school this morning and he indicated that things seemed to go pretty well. It’s probably not surprising that I don’t remember my first day in first grade, but I remember a bit about our kids’ first day. Lots of anxiety for everyone. 

Even thought it’s exciting, it must be tough for kids…. they have to crawl out of a comfort zone that they have been living in all summer — actually their whole life. They have to listen to the teacher all day and focus on subjects that might be new to them and they might not care about…. and learn the “rules.”

I’m no expert on the subject, but I think the start of school might be better if there wasn’t so much emphasis on rules…. sure the kids have to learn school rules and regulations, but how about taking the first day or two and focus on getting the kids excited about learning. I don’t think introducing the rules slowly over the first week or two would create chaos — most kids today have enough basic understanding of social norms to be manageable for the first few days of adjustment. 

But anyhow, I’ve gotten off the subject. The subject is Locke — our first grandson and his first day in first grade. I’m pretty sure Locke is going to have lots of firsts in his life…. who knows, he may even be the first President born at INOVA Fairfax.  
— 30 —