Wednesday, May 12, 2004

The New Grandmas Club

For a former weekend Peace and Freedom loving sixties generation baby
boomer hippy to become a grandma is, well, heartstopping. When I was
demonstrating against the war in Viet Nam I at least had the good sense
to ignore Jerry Rubin's advice to distrust anyone over 30. Even back
then I had great hopes of someday being over 30. But being a Grandma
was not on my agenda until, say, 5 or 6 years ago. I am in love in a
way I have never been before. This is the most beautiful, wonderful
little person in the world. And I find that most new Grandmas agree
with me. As well as those who have been around for a while. It gives
you a different perspective on the world.

You begin to worry about what the world is going to like long after you
have ceased breathing. Some would say these feelings are simply
biological. My DNA wants to replicate itself. Grandchildren are our
promise of eternal life in the here and now. But you can't help
thinking about long term consequences.

I look back on my participation in the anti-Viet Nam rallies and I am
sorry. Millions of peoplein Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia died because
the U. S. pulled out of Viet Nam. The conservatives of that day
warned us that all of southeast Asia would succumb to communism and we
didn't believe the warnings. They were right and we were wrong. I
guess they weren't completely right. Thailand survived. Of course,
that is the only Southeast Asian country where we had a base. HMMMM.
And think of all the good that came of it-- I have a VietNamese dentist
who probably would have grown up there if we had not pulled out.
Hmmm.

We cannot make that mistake again. This is the most important election
in my life time and I am 60 years old. We cannot cut and run again. I
want my grandson to grow up in a free country.