A Volvo in 70's suburbia? Were your parents barraged with queries? A sharp neighbor purchased a VW bug at that same. He, the car, and his concern for high gas mileage were all considered Highly Suspect.
Dad had driven VW bugs from 1955 to 1968. The Volvo didn't raise too many question because the neighbors already treated us as the peculiar foreigners.
I recall a woman once asked my Mom why we don't speak English at home. Mom replied, "If you moved to Japan, would you speak Japanese at home with your children?"
One neighbor became livid, when my mother dumped the Fair Housing Act on her race-based house-sale plan. Later, my Impeach Nixon bumper-sticker triggered political road-rage. Some yahoo forced my mother's car to a stop, so that he could administer proper castigation. Our district elected crazy Rep. Phil (Kennedy of the Right) Crane for 36 years.
Given the ignorance and xenophobia of that place and time, I'm relieved - but a bit surprised - that no one reported your parents as Soviet spies. "The poodles are only a cover," I can hear them muttering.
4 comments:
A Volvo in 70's suburbia? Were your parents barraged with queries? A sharp neighbor purchased a VW bug at that same. He, the car, and his concern for high gas mileage were all considered Highly Suspect.
Dad had driven VW bugs from 1955 to 1968. The Volvo didn't raise too many question because the neighbors already treated us as the peculiar foreigners.
I recall a woman once asked my Mom why we don't speak English at home. Mom replied, "If you moved to Japan, would you speak Japanese at home with your children?"
Now there's the suburbia that I recall!
One neighbor became livid, when my mother dumped the Fair Housing Act on her race-based house-sale plan. Later, my Impeach Nixon bumper-sticker triggered political road-rage. Some yahoo forced my mother's car to a stop, so that he could administer proper castigation. Our district elected crazy Rep. Phil (Kennedy of the Right) Crane for 36 years.
Given the ignorance and xenophobia of that place and time, I'm relieved - but a bit surprised - that no one reported your parents as Soviet spies. "The poodles are only a cover," I can hear them muttering.
My Parents were very vocal about their anti-Soviet views, so I think we were safe!
Post a Comment