Hidden among the cobwebs in many family attics are the ghostly remains of Granpa and Granma’s wild past. Now at the average age of many assisted living residents, Granpa John and Granma Mary have many stories of rowdy concerts, Live ins, love-ins, bee-ins, and screw-ins waiting to get told. But, unfortunately, the pallid Netflix documentaries only show a superficial recollection through newsreel clips of protests and concerts.
I don’t think there are too many fireside chats with grandchildren in their laps as they talk about their experiences getting stoned at a Janis Joplin concert, ” and then little Jimmy, the light show STARTED! It was a gas of a trip!” Too much agitation at this age is a bad thing, and besides, your son and daughter-in-law warned you that the next time you snuck out of the house to go to the edibles store, they’d “assist” you into the assisted care so fast that your head would spin.
There is some leeway; however, keep drugs out of it, describe the be-ins and protests as “conferences,” and you’ll be all set. But, politics, let’s not forget that that little red book? Or those Marxist screeds? And those Gene McCarthy for president pins? We have to get rid of that trash …what did you think when you were young…do you have any idea what that would do to our reputation if it got out?
What do you mean “Hell no, we won’t go!”, What do you mean? I should “tune in, turn on and drop out!” Father I’m a Republican!!!
What a fun little tale. I was interested in the fact that you left the ‘d’ out of grandma and grandpa. I’ve never seen it spelt without before.
It’s a USA vernacular form of grandpa and grandma. I don’t know its regional distribution, but I’ve heard it in use frequently in New England and seen it in print.
Thank you for the lesson. Isn’t it fascinating how different areas adopt their own spellings and pronunciations of words.