Thursday, December 11, 2008

I Go to a Wedding

Attend wedding on Tuesday night, where run into Mrs. K, whom I see every morning at my son's bus stop. She says (in rather startled tone) that I look Very Nice; considering my usual morning appearance at bus stop, this is not saying Much.

At table, am witness to debate concerning desirability or otherwise of a broad education. Mrs. X thinks that Our Children should be sheltered from all Harmful Influences; Mrs. Y, on the other hand, while agreeing that we do not want any Harmful Influences (as, indeed, who does?), considers best way to avoid H.I. is to teach a child to Think for itself. Tear myself away from contemplation of salmon on my plate in order to interject that My parents let me read Anything - in fact, very much liked to read Balzac when I was ten - and I turned out All Right.

Mrs. X stares dubiously and says, This may not be for Everyone. Mrs. Y says, There, you see! and we proceed to agree that actual learning in school far preferable to speeches about tznius and future motherhood. Indeed, should have been very depressed to listen to such stuff at age sixteen, as did not particularly like small children and detested conversations about clothing.

Suspect that tznius craze is excuse to talk about sex and clothing, and feel quite righteous about doing so.

5 comments:

SubWife said...

Well, it really isn't for everyone. My parents also didn't censor my reading materials and stopped covering my eyes in the movies at some point. And I can honestly say that if I could give myself a lobotomy to extract certain images (seen in respectable, "classical", "must see for everyone considering themselves well-rounded" movies) or rid self of certain notions, I would.

Dina said...

Oh, movies, I can count on the fingers of one hand how many I watched before I was married. Truth is, real life, including frum life, has turned out to be at least as disturbing as many of the situations I read about. And yes, there are books that are complete tripe; but I think my parents knew that, the way they raised me, I would know to discount the tripe, or, most likely, to put it down after reading the first paragraph.

Sally Hazel said...

" read Balzac when I was ten" <-by far not the worst thing to do at that age...

Ookamikun said...

You turned out all right?!
You're everything that's wrong with this world!

Dina said...

So I'm told, Moshe, so I'm told.