INTERLUDE FROM COVID

By

Gerry  Niskern

The misters were sending their heavenly cool spray over the coffee area as I emerged from my favorite market.

After “sheltering in” for eight months, (yes, I started in February!), I realized I was way behind on my People Watching. I checked my mask and decided to find a seat far away from everyone, out of the traffic pattern. Of course People Watching involves speculating!

I’m happy to report absolute everyone was wearing a mask. (except for a couple I’ll tell you about later).It was fun to watch the toddlers wearing their teeny, tiny masks trying to catch hold of a pigeon. Pigeons, one million, toddlers zero.

Even though I wasn’t mingling, it did my heart good to be in an area that felt social to me. I watched as four Senior ladies at  a table talked “fifty miles an hour ”.Masks didn’t slow down the gossip one little bit.

The mix of people is amazing. The office girls and “ladies who lunch” were still entertaining with their latest fashion review still on display. And by the way, could the young girls cut their jeans off any shorter? Their cheeks are already flashing as they walk away with their special lattes.

Of course, the little dogs are still raising a racket challenging the big canines.

The couple without masks were not eating or drinking. Just talking for an hour. The guy with salt and pepper hair and a paunch was way too  incredibly happy and excited to hear every word his companion was telling him. She had six inch heels, a thigh high off the shoulder dress and long hair. Trust me, not his wife!

One guy left on his State of the Art bike with his  sandwich and a bottle of beer. Hmmmm….Would that be called drinking while driving?

The maskless couple finally left in separate cars parked nearby after some long, passionate kisses. Definitely not his wife!

It used to be fun to watch the  social dynamics of the high school kids, but that will have to wait for a while. When I heard the first wave of them approaching, I was OUT OF THERE!

Swing State!

By

Gerry Niskern

When our family moved to Phoenix in l942 and an election as coming up, my mother went over to the Arizona State Capitol. The voting and registration was set up in the rotunda of the capitol My mom said she was a Republican an wanted to register and vote. . At that time Arizona was overwhelmingly Democrat and had been for a long time; and all the election  workers were too. They hooted and hollered. “Here’s a Republican. She wants to register.” They directed her to the far end of the area and she walked down quickly amid a lot of laughing and teasing. I remember her telling the family later how embarrassed she was.

Just think, it’s now full speed ahead for the presidential election with a few weeks to go. I don’t know if I can take much more election grind with all the debates and constant challenges from friends and even total strangers.   .

The trouble with allowing political discourse is that people always think that the other person is mistaken and if they will just listen they can convince them to change their minds.

Do you sometimes suspect that political junkies want to show off their newfound knowledge on a particular issue? Hence, the aggressive questioning of others political persuasion has become the norm today.  Sure politics makes for exciting conversation. But, we all need to observe some civility and restraint.

I know a hair stylist friend who is shocked these days by the number of people who plop down in her chair and demand to know, “Well, what are you, Republican or Democrat?”  Everyone needs to remember that others may also be up on the issues and have strong personal opinions.  And that should be their right and privilege to keep their decision private.

Sure we are subject to hateful, derogatory images and dialogue on social media, but that and usually the source, can be easily deleted. Face to face confrontations are another story.

We all realize and dislike how polarized this country has become in the last several years. Let’s don’t take it a step further and become even more polarized within our parties and among our friends and even family. .

Sure we’ll all remember this year of 2020 as an unusual campaign with the excitement  and antagonism seldom seen in recent decades, but let’s lower the temperature..  Friendships weave the strong fabric of our community and nation, but lets also keep in mind the thread of friendship and family is precious and fragile.

“Labor With Love”

By

Gerry Niskern

Labor Day was the signal of the end of the season at my parents business each year.  They started their small manufacturing plant and retail store where they produced evaporative cooler pads and sold new coolers and parts here in the valley in l950.

At that time, the majority of residents used evaporative coolers.

When they opened, my dad, a time study engineer, had everything planned down to the last detail. The retail store was in front and in the large back facility he positioned     work tables, the rolls of cheesecloth and bales of shredded aspen needed. Every motion was planned down to the last detail.

When they placed the first ad for “unskilled” seasonal workers, only women applied. Some were Anglo and one was Mexican, the first of many Mexican women who worked there. No one cared if they were illegal, had green cards, or were born here.They exchanged ideas on life and families as they worked together making the pads, laughing and talking.  Heating and Cooling service men would stop by for parts and pads and kid around with the workers. Of course, they had to keep it quiet down if the Spanish program was broadcasting the daily soap opera.

Ernestina, the original Mexican lady returned to work year after year. In the off season she worked at Phoenix Linen supply. Her husband worked a seasonal job at Anderson-Clayton cotton gin. They were raising four children in a home with a dirt floor and outside shower. All four kids eventually graduated from ASU.

Most of the Anglo women who applied only worked one season for something special they wanted to buy for their home. Nellie, the second Mexican lady,  came the second year. She worked at a bathing suit factory in the off season. She made fresh tortillas every morning for her family and always brought some to share.

One Black lady was their shaker for a few seasons. She shook and fluffed the damp excelsior so the women could grab loose handfuls more easily. They never had another shaker as good.

Mom hurried from the customers up front to the back room helping and supervising the women.  She made them fresh coffee at break time which she served with liberal doses of her views on morals, democracy and whatever she had baked the night before.

As years went by the Anglos went on to better jobs and more Mexicans women answered their ads. Mom eventually learned some Spanish and they learned English.

By Labor Day, the season was over. Come the New Year, the help wanted ad ran again and the chance for honest labor was offered: No matter what your ethnic background or legal status. No one cared.