So What Means This "House Of Old-School?"

    Greetings!:

 

I bid such as already share the basic proposition of this blog a _MOST_-hearty welcome to the House of Old-School!  To such as do not, do not necessarily, or who would consider it, may whatever visits you might make to this cyber-house cause you to at least think upon it.  Further, when matters which do not necessarily relate to it are being discussed (and they indeed _SHALL_ be), may all find, when variously intended, edification, inspiration, and, yes, _ENTERTAINMENT_ in its hopefully-best form! 

 

So what exactly, to be avowedly unoriginal in my phraseology, is this basic premise of which I write?  As you saw when you arrived, it runs thus:

 

"Dedicated to the basic proposition that dignity, decency and deference need not die."  Again being avowedly unoriginal, let us consider each of these three virtues (as I would call them) in order. 

 

DIGNITY--A point, made by the woman who was most kind to set up this blog for me, and by others before and alongside her, that the English Language has changed significantly over the years, must be conceded.  After all, we do not now speak nor write in the English spoken and written from the Language's origins in the first millennium of the Christian (or, if you would have it, Common) Era, nor in the language of Chaucer's time, nor, in the main, in that of Shakespeare's.  Yet, I ask you, is there not something _BEAUTIFUL_ at the core of this English Language, even after all the changes through which it has passed?  In all honesty, I do not care personally for much American slang and colloquialism (though I suppose most of us use at least a little of it), and regret the influence it is increasingly having upon the United Kingdom, particularly England.  If only the UK, being the older culture, could retain its old-world dignity, leaving the US, if it wishes, to follow a more casual course, then one, and I in particular, could have a clear choice as to the culture in which one would wish to live.  I personally would connect what I believe to be a deterioration of the language to what I believe to be a deterioration in the cultural, moral and social aspects of our modern society, further manifestations being in dress and personal appearance (if we both spoke and looked like gentlemen and ladies, might there not be more of a chance that we would _ACT_ like such as well?).  So let us look now at our second virtue, and find out if we can tie it in with the first toward a greater whole! 

 

DECENCY--I need to be honest here.  One day in late July of 1995 I was tuning around on my little radio, and came upon the one television channel I could pick up on it.  And there, it being the early afternoon, was what is politely called a daytime drama, yes, what is generally just called a soap.  I was drawn to a court case being covered that day, returned for some subsequent episodes, and, as is said, became hooked on _The_ _Young_ _And_ _The_ _Restless_ (_The_ _Bold_ _And_ _The_ _Beautiful_ would follow in 1998 if memory serves)!  This type of programme often runs _COMPLETELY_ contrary to what had been, and hopefully still remain, my views on decency and morality, but sometimes that is the way matters play out as it were, and I may indulge this indeed-guilty pleasure of mine in this house from time to time.  Yet I still, in the face of presumed charges of gross hypocrisy which are obviously not without merit at _VERY_ least, wish that, in the real world, we could embrace the concept of one man for one woman within the bounds of matrimony for one life, and be quit of all this divorce, re-marriage and pre-marital sex!  As for the controversial issue of homosexuality, I have been hitherto opposed to it, but a book I recently read, _The_ _Good_ _Book_, written about the _Bible_ by Professor Peter J. Gomes of Harvard University, a man I have come to admire (he can be colloquial/slangy when he wishes to be, but, in the main, he has a dignity in his speaking style which I find _MOST_ refreshing!), has me _AT_ _LEAST_ re-thinking this position, though I do not presently recall him covering one or more seemingly-clear passages in the Old Testament where we are told that a man should not lie with mankind as with womankind.  Yet he is right in observing that the Lord Jesus never mentions this issue, though we must look long, hard, and hopefully perceptively, at those passages where St. Paul speaks of it.  But we must move on, possibly to return to this at a later time.  Decency can and should have many manifestations, but one in particular has re-engaged me of late as it did in my early adulthood if I am not misrecalling.  We return to the matter of language, but a specific sort, what is commonly called profanity.  I recall someone recently suggesting to me that the, in my opinion at least, ever-increasing use of this nowadays is yet another manifestation of our seemingly-ever-growing casualization of the language.  This may be so, and people who are not of an old-line Christian or other conservative religious tradition may give no, or little at very least, thought to the meaning of what they are saying when using such language.  Yet is it good to speak of placing a curse on someone (what the moderns might call the "D word,"), speaking of things, and sometimes things that are good, as "a h--- of a thing" and otherwise using that ubiquitous word which should, at least in some opinions, strike real fear into the heart, etc., speaking of things as if they were bodily waste, making one's rear end more ugly than it would need to be, an ugly sexual act, or, in some ways worst of all to those who value reverence, light, or sometimes cursing, references to the Deity.  And as for that guilty pleasure of mine, it must be reluctantly admitted that a certain amount of that language features prominently thereon, but _PLEASE_, when we are discussing these programmes on message boards, in blogs, and indeed in person-to-person conversation, can we not somehow rise above that seemingly-lower plain to try to bring the best we can to not-always-good situations?  Though, once again in my view, the relative lack of certain decency in our modern world stems ultimately from our attitude, etc., toward the Higher Power, I feel that it, no matter how legitimately gained, would make for a more civilized world, and that an atmosphere of decency should contribute to one of dignity and vice versa!  Yet there is one more piece to this tri-partite puzzle as it were. 

 

DEFERENCE--This is something about which I feel _PASSIONATELY_!  Yes, we now live in a world where at least certain elements are trying to break down barriers that divide.  To a certain extent, I expect we all must agree that such is desirable.  Yet, when it comes to personal relationships, I still feel that being allowed to address one by one's first name should be an earned privilege, not an assumed right as is, most regretably in my opinion, the all-too-prevalent and trendy practice nowadays!  What, I ask, is wrong with some good, old-fashioned courtesy, and should not people get to know one another somewhat to determine, to the extent possible, if each individual is someone with whom one might wish to be in full friendship and with whom one shares sufficient interests, etc., for such?  At such time, should it come, as one has actually _EARNED_ the privilege of being on closer terms with another, might not one feel a sense of accomplishment, that one has, as it were, won a valuable privilege, and might not one, as a result, feel it desirable to maintain that privilege by maintaining good character, etc.?  I for one would like to think so!  So one, while maintaining deference, has earned a greater privilege by decency, and all has hopefully been done with dignity!  Further as per deference, we indeed now live in a more egalitarian world than our forebearers, and yet, when it comes to professional relationships in particular, there still is what one could call a chain of command, and does not one owe one's superiors, whether in professional or family contexts, yes, obedience to lawful authority and orders, and ought this not to be done in an atmosphere of respect and deference?  To be personal for a moment, I get most annoyed by radio and television news reporters in particular who first-name virtually everyone (to be sure, if one is to use a name publically nowadays, one must avoid giving information that might get into the wrong hands to the hurt of any whose names have become known) and, on another subject entirely, seeming to spend more time jesting around instead of doing what one is there to do, report on the news, traffic and/or weather.  While the occasional tasteful jest can hopefully be tolerated, if not embraced by some, I wish it were not such a regular feature of our broadcast media as I feel it gets in the way of what one is supposedly trying to get from one's newscasts, etc.  I wish to feel _RESPECT_ for, and give _DEFERENCE_ to, those I hear on the radio/television due to their professionalism, etc., not necessarily feeling that they are such with whom I would wish to go straightaway to the nearest watering hole and put down a few or more brews with them, etc.!  But, as is said, I digress.  So, returning to the matter of deference, superiors should also earn this deference and respect as well by their good qualities, their knowlege of and hoped-for expertise in the areas over which they bear lawful authority, and by the care and concern they exhibit for those committed to their charge!  Here in the House of Old-School, as in my other writing, I will generally, if not entirely, refer to individuals, whether fictional or real, by title and last name. 

 

Thus, again in my view, dignity, decency and deference need not die--they should be _ALIVE_ and _THRIVING_! 

 

Despite my advocacy here for often-untrendy practices in our contemporary world, I admit to engaging in some of them myself from time to time, one of these being frequent (Perhaps even more frequent than usual) use of underlining, full capitalization and tripple exclamation points to add emphasis to what I am saying (in place of smilies, etc., which I do not use, partly due to legal blindness and partly because I personally do not prefer such).  Yet, this being the House of Old-School, I have, at least in this initial post, decided to use these more selectively than I now often do so as to give this house more of its intended touch.  Hopefully this will not be construed as a lack of passion for the subjects concerning which I have written here. 

 

Yet, to use full capitalization, underlining and tripple exclamations right here, _MANY_ thanks are due to Mrs. Suzanne Lanoue, Owner of the TV Megasite, etc., for proposing that I establish a blog and for initially setting this one up for me!!!  She may not necessarily share its full vision, and she and I are opposites in a number of ways, and yet somehow we manage, at least from my perspective, to get on quite well!  And strangely, the matter of deference was _NEVER_ an issue between us, and _NEVER_, even when presumably she did not know of my preference for old-fashioned etiquette, was she _EVER_ unduly familiar with me!!! 

 

Once again greeting such as have seen fit to pay this House of Old-School a visit at the outset of its existence, or who are visiting later and beginning said visit with this initial post, hoping you share its basic premise discussed here, and further hoping you will see fit to return often for our mutual good, I am

 

Respectfully and sincerely,

 

J. V.