Over the past several weeks I have been answering some questions posed to me by a member of my high school class committee. I, innocently, believed that I was helping her out after she had helped me locate a couple of guys from my old working class neighborhood (and the subject of a few entries in this space under the title-A Working Class Saga). Well, as becomes apparent below-silly me. In any case, enjoy this entry- now that we have a hiatus from 'real' politics. Of course, even if you are not an old fogy feel free to answer the poll.
THE BATTLE OF THE SEXES, PART 235
Today's question: Class of 1964-Did you prefer Brenda Lee or Patsy Cline?
Sometimes one cannot win. As my first entry on my bulletin board in this space I asked what I thought was an innocuous question to the Class of 1964; in your callow youth did prefer the Rolling Stones or the Beatles? Innocent, right? Not though when my 'significant other' (known in the old days, in polite society, as my paramour and in impolite society as..., oh well, you can fill in the blank) finished reading my little entry. The gist of her indigent argument centered on my alleged testosterone-driven choices of male Rock and Roll bands to the exclusion of kinder, gentler music- in short, choices that women might prefer. Okay, I take the point. And because March 8th after all is International Women's Day and March is Women¿s History Month here I make amends. Naturally, I need to make a little comment.
Frankly, I do not remember being a fan of either Brenda Lee or Patsy Cline in my youth. I picked those names for the purposes of this 'essay' because they stick out in my memories. Both names are associated in those memories with dreamy school dances or other types of romantic endeavor. It was not until several years ago that I came to appreciate Patsy Cline's work. I have always been a sucker for female torch singers like Billie Holliday and the young Peggy Lee of her Benny Goodman period but Patsy only recently became part of my musical interests as a country 'torch singer'. So there you have it. Make your choice.
One last word. Let me get back to that controversy with my 'significant other' (I prefer 'soulmate' but I will let that pass here). I mentioned in that first entry that in the summer of 2005 I attended a Rolling Stones concert at Fenway Park. Now who do you think was standing beside me at that event shaking, as the kids say, her 'booty' for all she was worth? So much for the testosterone theory. Moreover, who imprisoned me in Fenway Park, practically at gunpoint, until I bought her a sassy little Stones T-shirt as a momento of the ocassion? Enough said.