Before television or the internet, we just had radio. It offered entertainment, comedy, music, and soap operas, but most important, news and weather, and we paid attention to that. My daughter says if you grew upon the prairie, you shut up when the weather came on. We didn’t have maps and long-range forecasts, explanations about fronts and clipper systems, or any scientific mumbo jumbo. What we had was someone’s best guess. Our livelihood, and sometimes our very lives, depended on paying attention to the sky and animal behavior as much as the radio guy, but we took all information into account when making decisions about our day.
Most prominent in my early memories was the war. I learned to read from the Blucher Boot catalog and a little pamphlet about medals like the Purple Heart and Bronze Star. My uncle was a pilot and my grandmother proudly wore his wings on her lapel. I understood why we didn’t have new shoes, sugar, or gas and tires. The last two weren’t much sacrifice because we didn’t have a car. I got true explanations about the need for blackout curtains in the city where my grandparents lived, but I wasn’t scared. Family made me feel safe.
Very few readers will recall Walter Winchell or Gabriel Heatter but I still hear their voices in my head. Winchell: “Good evening Mr. and Mrs. America and all the ships at sea…” Heatter: “There’s good news tonight…” Even at age 4 and 5, I knew to be quiet when those newscasts came on.
On the ranch, all work was planned around dinner at noon because that was when Paul Harvey was on the radio. There was no conversation during the part of the meal when Paul was speaking and, afterward, the discussion often centered on his message.
What I’m saying here is that we learned early to know what was important, and to pay attention when that was being communicated. Mary Oliver said, “To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work.” My uncle stayed in the Air Force Reserves until he aged out. We left the church after his funeral to the strains of “Off we go, into the wild blue yonder…” He had no children and both of his wives preceded him in death, but someone was paying attention and made that decision.
I wonder what early memories our youth of today will carry. Pictures of violent protests, obscenity and ridicule? Will this foster pride in family and country and make them feel safe?
Nowadays, we have a barrage of information available around the clock; not all of it accurate and much of it based on opinion rather than fact. That makes it more important than ever to do our own research and not just take someone’s word for anything. Critical thinking isn’t taught or encouraged much anymore.
We trusted our sources back in the day. They reported on events that could be substantiated and if an opinion was expressed, we were told. Opening statement for Harvey’s broadcasts: “Paul Harvey; news and comments.”
Much of what passes for news today is simply gossip. Learn to tell the difference, and don’t pass along what you can’t find proof for. If the weatherman says partly cloudy, check out the window to see if it’s raining.
Meet me here next week and do your best to pay attention. Somebody might like it.