DRAWING A LINE

When I was a kid during WW II we lived at 120 Sumner Avenue in Forest Hills, Pa. Prior to that we lived at 119 Sumner and 23 Sumner. Yeah, that was us Sullivans- just crazy devil- may- care nomads. The street was two short blocks long.

The homes were fairly close together in this Norman Rockwell community.

Facing our home from the street, the neighbors to the left were separated from us by a tiny lot. It was unoccupied except for a fruitful Peach tree whose carcasses helped to fertilize the soil. Neither neighbor seemed to feel they had the responsibility to clean it up.

The lot to the right supported a house occupied by the Dicoskey's and was almost within reaching distance of our house.

Because the homes were so close together, the unoccupied lot also served as the main route from Sumner Ave and Lennox Avenue to get to the Atlantic Avenue School and the various sports we all pursued. When I was a kid, quite a few future college athletes traversed the steep slope up to the alley behind our home and then on to the playground.

The next door neighbor to our left had two young kids close in age to that of my brother Jim and myself. My brother Tom was a baby.

The neighbor kids and Jim & I had a number of scrapes and arguments. I fought often with the oldest who was about a head shorter than I was. He got even later in life when he became a highly respected ENT doctor in Harrisburg, PA, and I was referred to him to have my earwax removed.

All of us played in the lot between our respective homes. But, our first love wasn't playing together. It was arguing.

Our biggest - or at least - most consistent argument as kids - was that pertaining to the location of the true property line that separated one home from the other. We would stand nose to nose, outside their home while they argued that we were standing on their property. We argued just as strongly it was they who were the offending party. Neither side seemed willing to "forgive their trespassers".

Eventually, one or both groups drew a line in the dirt that was meant to serve as the true and unquestionable boundary measurement.

Of course, neither side had any idea who was right or wrong. It really wasn't important. We probably just enjoyed the noise and the right to bicker about something on those hot summer days. Besides, we were kids and we weren't expected to be responsible.

Sunday was another hot summer day as I was reading about the latest childish spat between the Democrats and the Republicans. The subject was whether or not Congressional leaders were sufficiently well informed about the 'proposed' CIA counterterrorism program after 911.

These two groups are also noisy, but, they sure aren't kids, unless youth is starting to bald extremely early.

USA Today devoted a quarter page to the current argument on Page A-4 of this Monday's issue. I'm sure had this been a slow news day it would have led off Page one. When you're not selling many ads, failing to include the scores of night games in the home delivery edition, and cutting down the number of pages in your paper while raising the price of same, you got to fill those front pages with something.

USA does not publish a paper on Saturday or Sunday, therefore, I received broader advanced coverage of the issue via the Sunday's St. Petersburg Times.

The Times had the lead on Page 1. It followed on 10-A and went on for what could have been a full page rather than the two columns it utilized. Fortunately, the Times still has the ability to sell advertising space and that occupied the rest of 10-A.

The two columns - one atop the other - expressed conflicting views as to which side was telling the truth. The Republican argument was on top - in my opinion, one of the few times they have been on top of anything in the past two years plus - and I'm a lifelong registered Republican.

Both sides made good use of the space allotted for their opposing opinions.
My point is; however, when - if ever, will these two political parties get it?

Most of the public they are supposed to be representing doesn't give a rat's rearend as to who wins one more specious foolish argument in their continous jousting for position. What the citizens truly want is for them to do that for which they are being paid - help legislate us out of this mess.

I would say to them, "for once, folks, put your country's huge 'needs' to re-establish our lives in front of your own tiny insignificant 'wants' that have to deal with whether or not you are re-elected".

Many, many years ago I had taken over a rural office when it was announced my assistant had just been promoted. Full of myself and my new position I sat her down to give her what I felt was the requisite advice and wisdom she sought as to how to carry out her new duties. After three minutes, at most, she got up and said, "Barry, I already got the job."

It was a great response. I know today she can't possibly be a Democrat.

When I was a child, I remember asking one of my parents, "Where does the sound of talking, crying, and music go?" It must have been a foolish question as I don't recall the answer.

I still think about the question. I'm convinced global warming may not be solely the result of gases that no one took the time to cap. My thinking is that the biggest component is loud and persistent rhetoric that accomplishes little and, like a birthday balloon that strayed, must find a resting place somewhere.

We can only pray that nobody is reading the contents of my blog out loud. That's the place to draw the line.