Stiff Upper Lip - 67

Stiff Upper Lip - 67 British citizens died in the World Trade Center.

As we close in on July 4, Bill McGurn writes about a British family whose father died in the attack, and their British perspective on America and its Americans.

There are many great quotes - the whole thing is short and worth a read - but I liked this part:

Not that her English sensitivities have entirely adjusted to an American exuberance that inclines less to a stiff upper lip than to the full-throated versions of Lee Greenwood's "proud to be an American" belted out at the school's recent spring concert. Yet maybe, Mrs. Napier allows, there is something to be said for expressing one's feelings.

Alex certainly thought so: Though he was determined that he and his family would return to England one day to raise their children, a major reason that Alex extended their stay here was so that their children might imbibe something of the spirit and optimism he so associated with America.

Here's the part that I love; can you imagine anyone, at least anyone in the major media, referring to America as "optimistic" in, say, 1975? When I was 12, the sense of pessimism was thick enough to cut with a blowtorch.

I'm much happier with the America my kids are inheriting than with the one I had at their age.

Status - It's been one of those weeks that's been frenetically busy...doing nothing much in particular.

My daughter, whom I used to have to drag to bagpipe practice with much wailing and moaning on evenings when her mother couldn't watch her, fell in love with highland Tenor Drums. If you've ever watched a bagpipe band, the tenors are the drummers that twirl the fuzzy-headed sticks as they march. I think it sort of satisfies her female inner urge to be a baton-twirler, but without having to wear the baton-twirler outfits. I haven't told her about kilts yet.

I hate this part of the job hunt. I'm currently:

• Waiting to hear if I got a second interview with the company with which I had such a great first interview on Tuesday. I hate waiting.
• Waiting, still, to hear back from the company with whom I'm in the "final three".
• Waiting to hear from two companies with contracting jobs that'd make the here and now a whole lot more endurable.

So, cross your fingers for me, OK? All four of those jobs would hit the spot right now.

Maybe even simultaneously.

On top of that - it's 10AM, and still no Bleat!. Say it ain't so, James!

UPDATE: Second Interview! Woo Hoo! Tuesday!

Posted by Mitch at June 27, 2003 08:19 AM