In the “Good old days” family members lived closer together, with the younger generations settling down not far from the old homestead. Back then a mother or father might say to the kids, “I’ll get home a little late today so go over to Grandma’s after school. It’s Friday so she’ll be baking cookies.”
It’s very different now with the modern family’s tendency to spread out geographically. A parent’s morning instructions to the kids might be : “Give these “late pick up” notes to your home room teachers. I have to work overtime today. If you get lonesome, text Grandma in Las Vegas, but keep it brief. She’ll be dealing blackjack at the Mirage.”
My forgetful Uncle Fred’s situation is complicated. In the old days he’d borrow my tools and completely forget where he got them. That was okay back then. I’d just walk down the block, go into his garage and point to any of my tools I needed. But Uncle Fred moved far away, with every tool he’d borrowed from me. I’ll Email him soon: ” You’re welcome to my tools, Uncle Fred, but what the heck are you going to do with my snowblower in Sarasota?”
And then there’s Dad and Grandpa. They have so many imaginative yarns to tell with their latest exaggerations and no young gullible grandkids to bedazzle.
We’re coping with this family diaspora, but cell phoning just doesn’t replace the old-fashioned get togethers. Back then, we’d have debates about politics, religion and the Brooklyn Dodgers with arm-waving and table pounding. Now our cell phone shouts can be muted and vigorous button-pushing has no dramatic effect.
There should be relief available, especially during the holidays to give the host family a chance to have something more than a dull cyber reunion even if it’s not completely real. A commercial enterprise, something like Hollywood’s Central Casting would be useful.
Lonesome Mom and Dad could arrange a “family” get together : “Hello, Holiday Family Rentals? We’d like to place an order for delivery on Independence Day. Send us one garrulous Grandpa, a sweet old Grandma and a younger couple with a precocious 10-year old boy or girl, whatever you have in your troupe. Also, please throw in a mixed bag of cousins and a forgetful uncle.
“I’d like the script to have the cast members divided between steadfast conservatives and flaming liberals. The 10-year old should lean toward anarchism .
What a great Fourth of July family picnic and debate that would be, probably with verbal fireworks. But we’d all sing a family favorite, “Hail, Hail, the Gang’s all Here” and end with “God Bless America!”
Imagine That 