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Jewish World Review Nov. 18, 1998 / 29 Mar-Cheshvani, 5759
IN OUR FAMILY, we make up or purloin slogans when we need them, and then they
stick, to be applied at other times.
Ours is not the only family in which this occurs. My friend Margaret, an ex-
nun, has explained to me several times that in her experience, Catholic
mothers and Jewish mothers have a great deal in common. Since she knows both
her mother and mine quite well, I figure she’s on to something. Her mother’s
favorite slogan certainly indicates some similarities in attitude and
approach. Under all circumstances, when ever processes even seem to be coming
to a halt for one reason or another, Margaret’s mother lends comfort to
everyone in ear shot by sighing and saying gustily: "Well, at least we got
this far."
You’d be amazed how often that applies.
The oldest example of handy sloganeering in our family is my father’s
favorite expression, brought into use anytime that getting ready to do
something recreational becomes a burden. For instance, when we are packing up
for a camping trip and the lawn is littered with sleeping bags, tents,
lanterns, coolers and boxes of chow, Dad can be counted upon to say: "Well,
it’s not easy to have a good time."
This is true, of course, but it gets used even when it isn’t, like when were
standing by the side of a highway ten miles south of Disney World waiting for
the AAA guy to come fix our tire.
Recently our eight-year-old son added to the collection of slogans. We were
visiting out of state and ended up spending one evening in the basement
waiting out a tornado watch. When the danger had long since passed and only a
lightening show and thunderstorm remained, our son decided he still wanted to
sleep in the basement. "You know," he said, "When the weather is like this,
the downer the better."
I can see that having future uses, too.
When I was in the magazine business, I worked for many happy years with a
terrific managing editor named Rick. He attracted humor; he couldn’t help it.
One morning, Rick stayed home from work waiting for someone from the cable tv
company to come install his service. When the morning passed, and the guy
still hadn’t come, Rick came on in to work, leaving the office phone number in
a note for the installer in case he showed up. As far as we could figure out
later, the installer came, met with defeat and departed. He didn’t call the
office but he left Rick a poetic but strange note proving, among other things
that English was clearly his third or fourth language. The note mysteriously
read: "Waiting for the phoenician. Somling wrong in the pole."
Since no one had seen a Phoenician since Biblical times, we tried to
interpret the true meaning of this message and arrived at, “Waiting for the
technician. Something is wrong in the pole,” that is, the cable television
wire pole. This was, in fact, the case. But now, at our house (and possibly at
Rick’s; I’ll have to ask), whenever anything requires a repair person’s visit,
we explain that we are, "Waiting for the phoenician." And, naturally, when
anything breaks, our first reaction is that the problem must be, "Somthing
wrong in the pole."
And our second reaction? Hey, at least we got this
The Downer The Better
By Erica Meyer Rauzin
JWR contributor Erica Meyer Rauzin comments on the contemporary
Jewish condition.
