Core strengths bring many to their knees
THERE is another birthday looming and a certain lady has suggested we should celebrate it. My own preference is to face the other way and wish it could be overlooked. But contemplating the passing years caused me to muse upon the differences that characterise our three generations – the under-25s, the 25-55s and those between 55 and exit-stage-left.
Most of us are dye-stamped by the teachings, attitudes and usages that marked our early years and the way we were raised. Few ever really transform from the sort of person we were raised to be. And that young person was guided by prevalent attitudes incorporated in common phrases back then. Let me propose four that I recall well and see how they fit in nowadays.
DON’T MAKE A FUSS. Well, that’s gone. Making a fuss is now integral to life. It is expected, even demanded. Stub your toe and it used to be “Sod it” and limp on. Now it is more likely to entail a trip to A&E, a lot of noise, attribution of blame to someone else and perhaps a claim for compensation.
PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER. If uttered nowadays this minor rebuke is a declaration of war. If directed at a sobber with a sore toe it is a hallmark of insensate cruelty and possibly arrestable. Anyone advising this recourse could be seen heading for Belmarsh prison draped in chains. Even parade-ground sergeant-majors nowadays have to be “sensitive” in case their young charges have to be taken away for therapy.
KEEP A STIFF UPPER LIP. Such a facial disfigurement today is a physical malformation and may need surgery. If it doesn’t tremble several times a day it may need reshaping. Upper lips are there to express shock, grief, pity and remorse but never stoicism.
This nasty Greek word was understood in Classical times, perhaps by those who fought at Waterloo or went with Scott to the Antarctic. SAS candidates slogging over the Brecon Beacons may need some but society at large would prefer not to know.
MY COUNTRY RIGHT OR WRONG. Now we are moving into seriously nasty territory.
Everyone knows that we are a horrible people in a horrible country whose horrible ancestors spent centuries doing horrible things.
Any statues to those people must be torn down and replaced by glorious images of vastly overpaid footballers genuflecting to highlight inequality.
There, I’ve said it. A naked
revelation of the generation I come from. Still spouting the aphorisms of 60 years ago.
There is one glimmer of good news.The polls.These foolish forays into what the majority of the British people actually think reveal that a large majority still think much the same thing. It could be the “woke” nightmare is a passing fad – like Covid.
Fads come and fads go but the Brits just seem to go on for ever.