Page 28 - january 2022
P. 28

GLEANINGS FROM THE GROVE










       A Backwards Glance





       Paul C. Fanning, DTM







      We are now into January 2022. I am not going            from today’s wall mounted, flat screens in 50”

      to comment on the status of the world thus far          or 70” so that all can see the program from the
      versus last years, nor bore you to death with           couch.
      my “New Year’s Resolutions” which you know I               My favorite spot in those days to watch Yogi
      would try to fulfill (but will not). I won’t look into   Bear, Huckleberry Hound, and other cartoons

      the future and predict that you will be meeting         was lying on the floor, propped up on my elbows
      a tall dark stranger, go on a cruise, and be very,      for the half-hour program just before I went to
      very wealthy (which                                                               bed. Wow! We even had
      would be nice to                                                                  three channels—ABC,

      say but like the                                                                  CBS, and NBC. Even
      resolutions has a                                                                 then the programs were
      slim to no chance of                                                              paused for ads several
      happening). Instead,                                                              times in that half hour.

      I chose for this                                                                  I can still sing a jingle or
      month’s Gleanings                                                                 two from the late 1950’s
      a look backward                                                                   —for Brylcreem, “a little
      to commercials                                                                    dab’l do ya;” Pepsodent,

      on television that I                                                              “you’ll wonder where the
      liked or that spoke                                                               yellow went when you
      to me. (No, I do not                                                              brush your teeth with
      hear little voices                                                                Pepsodent;” “see the

      talking to me in my                                                               USA in your Chevrolet:”
      head.)                                                                            and the unforgettable
          I remember the first television set our family      “Double your pleasure, double your fun, with
      owned. It was a huge cabinet in white oak with          double good, double good, Doublemint Gum.”

      front doors that opened like a cupboard with               Yes, some fifty years or more later those
      the black and white, smallish screen at the very        jingles are still playing in my head along
      top. It was crafted to “hide” the fact you had a        with dozens of others through the years for
      television console in your front room. Far cry          beverages, cars, cigarettes and many, many other




       28     ONE COMMUNITY
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