Tin soldiers and Nixon coming
In 1970 the President’s Commission on Campus Unrest concluded that the killing of four unarmed students and the wounding of several more, during a protest of the US involvement in Vietnam on the campus of Kent State was “unwarranted, inexcusable, and unnecessary.” They also felt it was the most divisive time in America since the Civil War.
The memorial on the campus today is covered in snow, but soon will be in daffodils from a look at google images of past commemorations. 50 years ago public opinion blamed the protesters. Today that has flipped, particularly among those younger than 60.
Polls show people think we live in divisive times. Or extreme division. Since Vietnam? Since the Civil War?
On our way to Kent we stopped at an estate sale. The couple that puts them on in Ohio is part of a national company one can hire to handle the disposition of an estate of any kind I’m guessing. Brown furniture doesn’t sell. Mid century lamps do. Pottery, yes. Hummels, no. Anything that was a collectible at one time is not anything that anyone wants to collect today. Farm and yard equipment sell. Culturally inappropriate china figurines were in the 50% off from marked category.
This couple handles thirty or so a year. Some big, some small. Sometimes the small ones make the year for them. This was a mid century house. Mid century lives for sale. Dolls, paper dolls and paper doll clothes. Hot wheels speed track. House dresses in the closets. Record player. Bing Crosby records. Glass Christmas ornaments in their original boxes and strings of Christmas tree lights, the kind that got hot and burned your little kid fingers if you touched them. The good silver plate. The ornamental dishes. Portraits of grandma and grandpa.
And the house; Green shag carpet. Brown linoleum in the kitchen. Pink bathroom. A paneled lower level family room with a brick fireplace on one wall, like the rich kids in my town had. It was that, a home from my childhood, frozen in time in the freezing March of Ohio. A nightmare from the 70’s. While you were out for dinner in the family station wagon someone came in, laid out and priced your entire life for strangers to paw through, half off anything $100 or less.
The occupants have been delivered from this place of course. Launched from this pad to fulfilling lives one hopes. They are likely out of state and the mid century split level will refresh with a new family. You could see this too, walking through, with new paint and carpet. Well sized yard for kids, affordable neighborhood, good schools according to realtor.com.
Tim and I talked about this at dinner last night. We stopped by an open house, small three bedroom just off the downtown in Canton. Ranch, like my parents bought in Burlington, MA in 1964 for $14,000. With 10% down the mortgage on this one would cost just under $600 a month.