Connections (Grimm)

I like cultural connections – people, places, weird historical facts – ok, really weird, roadside statue kind-of historical facts.  They roll around in my head like magnets– until I am part of a conversation and BANG - two facts snap with an irresistible force and pop out of my mouth.   

Me: “Did you know that S.I. Hayakawa (US Senator and semanticist) was a founding member of the Anti-Digit Dialing League in the '60s?  The group that attempted to preserve letter phone exchanges?”

Everyone Else:  [silence]

Me: “They even produced a manifesto of sorts – Phones are for People.  I think it is out of print.”

Everyone Else:  [crickets chirping]

Why is that even in my head? 

I blame Daniel Boorstin for introducing me to social history. I love his books.  I especially love his odd (to me) connections across cultures.  

The other day, it happened again.  Watching the news last week – (weren’t we all?) – I learned that a loss of smell and taste could be an early symptom of COVID 19. 

 

Whir.  Click.  BOING!

Me: “That’s just like pickles and mumps.” 

This time, I spoke to no one.  Social distancing and all that.  Also, who really remembers the ways our parents tried to diagnose/protect us from disease before finger pricks and blood tests?  Don’t run around in a wet bathing suit (scarlet fever); wait one hour after eating before going swimming (drowning), and finally if eating a pickle hurts – you have mumps.

Which made me wonder about the evolving culture of COVID. Instead of saying “put on a hat, or you will catch cold” will the phrase be “wear your mask?”  Will parents wave stinky cheese or garlic under children’s noses when they have a fever?  Will children wear garlic necklaces during flu season?  I am not sure what the connections are.

A side note – in 1977, Senator Hayakawa received the Golden Pickle award.

Jacky Grimm was a VP in the security field before taking an early retirement. She volunteers with Lions and other community organizations and school boards and pursues her passions of photography, art, writing, and music.