Feel It in the Era
I finished “The Last Convertible” yesterday. What a great book. It chronicled the lives and adventures of a group of friends who met in the WWII era. Central to their adventures was a 1940 Packard convertible they called “The Empress”. I would recommend reading this book if you like that era as much as I do.
I’ve always liked the WWII era. Grandma Playter and I used to talk all about that time. The war, swing dancing, her and Grandpa, etc. One night I brought my cd player and Swing Kids soundtrack down to Grandma’s house, and she showed me a few swing dance steps. Nothing huge, but it was a nice scene–an amazing woman who had wowed people with her dancing abilities and aerials back in the day, showing her adoring granddaughter just a glimpse of what she used to do. Time and age had of course restricted what she could do, but there we were–standing in her living room, the Flat Foot Floogie playing, and me watching Grandma’s feet.
Reading “The Last Convtible” put me in the right mood, so on my way to my best friend’s house tonight I put in one of my Glenn Miller CDs. He was such a great band leader. He gave us “In the Mood”, “Pennsylvania 6-5000″, “String of Pearls”–the classics. If I ever do find a guy, I hope he can swing dance. I thought back to the USO dance I went to at the Masonic Lodge in Detroit–it was the kind of thing that just made you want to cry with joy. A live 15-piece band, people in uniforms, swing…it let me live the fantasy of being alive in that era.
Is there an era that you love, or would like to have been a part of?
Beth responds:
Posted: February 25th, 2007 at 8:43 am →
I knew you would love it. Now you know why it’s my favorite book, ever.
Oh, but the Empress was a 1938 Packard convertible! Can’t you just see that shade of green? When I worked at the bookstore one of the magazines we sold was called Collectible Automobile and I actually found a picture of an ‘Empress,’ right down to the shade of green! It’s still on my bulletin board, reminding me that if money ever becomes no object I WILL have one.
I love the mental picture of you watching Grandma dance. The ’40s have always been my favorite era!
erin responds:
Posted: February 25th, 2007 at 2:21 pm →
There’s a new CD out by Tony Bennett called Duets. It is Tony singing with many of his friends his old classics. I love that sort of music. Easy listening, singing about how great life is and how wonderful it is to live and choose to live. I love the feel good feeling they give you, reminiding you of a life gone by.
Not sure which era that is… perhaps the 50’s and early 60’s… But I suppose that would be fun… to live in the time the music was created.
Arnold D'Souza responds:
Posted: February 25th, 2007 at 2:41 pm →
I’m totally crazy about the ’60’s.. the “Hippie” era.. alternate lifestyles and all that.. that’s the one era i want to have lived in!
Andrea responds:
Posted: February 25th, 2007 at 4:22 pm →
The Roaring twenties. I think they were so elegant and were starting to get that edge to them. Oh, to wear a flapper dress…
laughingattheslut responds:
Posted: February 25th, 2007 at 5:41 pm →
You’d think that I would be happier some time in the future, on some other planet. But, when I tell the truth, space travel and the transporter and all of that really scares me.
The fifties look nice enough, but then I would have been seriously pressured to have children, which I do not want.
I have always thought that the sixties would have been an exciting time to live in. Space travel was actually starting to happen. The music was cool. And some of those people must have been serious about trying to change the world. Maybe I could have found some who were not into drugs and having sex with everyone that they met. If I could have found a group of people like that, who took baths on a regular basis, I think I would have been very happy.
But, really, I don’t think that I could have lived in a much earlier time. If I didn’t have access to prescription drugs that are now common place, I think I would have killed myself as a teenager.
On the other hand, any era before men started meeting dimwits on the Internet was probably good.
Moonbeam responds:
Posted: February 25th, 2007 at 8:19 pm →
I think I would like to pass thru all era’s….stay longer at some and dash away quickly from others. Time travel would be very cool. There are so many people I would love to talk to, have fun with, be serious with and even wear the clothes they wore. The Wild West era..1800whatevers, for some reason seems sexy-macho to me. Even Deadwood with all the spit and mud. Dunno…the way the men looked in clothes…what a turn on. Shaps, vests, hats, those pants, belts buckles, etc…ya know what I mean. Riding into town on a horse. I would have liked to ware those dresses and the antique jewelry. I imagine the one bath a week would have been the turn off tho. I would like to have been an insect on the cave of the cave man and see what that was like. History fascinates me….especially the people and how they lived.
Andy responds:
Posted: February 25th, 2007 at 10:16 pm →
Several eras have always fascinated me, Roman, Civil War, and WWII. The Romans, documented cataract surgery, and they were one step away from developing steam power.
Civil War, the US literally tearing itself apart, slavery, Abraham Lincoln was still alive, the one historical figure above all others I would love to talk to, especially during those trying times, and keep him from going to the damn theatre. The facial hair of the 1860’s is still the GREATEST EVER!
World War II 40’s-50’s would definitely be the era I’d want to live in if I had to pick. I always preferred Duke Ellington myself, but Benny Goodman, and Glen Miller were good too (the only music my mother and I agree on, she just doesn’t like hard rock, go fig). And Swing Kids is such an underappreciated film! If you haven’t seen it, check it out
laughingattheslut responds:
Posted: February 26th, 2007 at 7:46 am →
If we were just going for a visit, and not actually going to live there, other places and times would be interesting.
I’d love to go back in time and see if the ancient Egyptians really had batteries. My theory is that they did and they used them to electroplate all that jewelry that they wore.
And I’d like to see what WWII was like. Just anywhere in America would be good, but as long as we’ve got the time machine we might as well look at some other places too. We could look at a history book, find out that a certain place is safe until a certain day, and just leave right before then.
Playtah responds:
Posted: February 26th, 2007 at 9:44 am →
Gracie - It was such a good book! It reminded me of The Big Chill, too - stories of friends sticking together throughout life.
And how could I have missed that it was a 1938, not a 1940? Sheesh. Slap my face and call me Sally!
I gotta echo your love of the 40s!
Erin - Tony Bennett…gotta love the classics! Also, I hope he gets to go back to San Francisco someday…I hear he left his heart there.
Arnold - Yay for hippies! That would definitely be an interesting era to have lived in. I think if I had a time machine, I’d travel back to different eras - even the 60s and 70s and buy their awesome clothes!
Andrea - I totally hear you! I have a flapper dress (halloween costume) complete with plastic tommy gun!
laughing - I hear you. When I think about it, I guess I really wouldn’t want to LIVE in any other time period, but just visit. I really wouldn’t want to give up perscription drugs, medical advances, and, well, quite honestly, the Internet. But I’d definitely want to visit the 1940s.
Moonbeam - I agree. There are several eras I’d like to visit. The 1800s, eh? Those were macho times. Of course, on the other hand, you had a bunch of men wearing pointed shoes with heels….
Andy - 1860s facial hair…lol. Were chops in back then? And that’s awesome that you like big band!
Laughing - True…you could bask in the Hawaiian sun until December 6, 1941.
dmarks responds:
Posted: February 26th, 2007 at 10:11 am →
I think a Titanic cruise would be a lot of fun, enjoying the post-Victorian luxury, exhuberance and hubris. As long as I find a way to leave the ship at 11:39 PM on April 14. I suppose I could fill my coat and pockets with souvenir silverware during the process; it’s not like they were going to miss it after that evening.
Otherwise, I would go back to my happiest years of childhood.
Nut responds:
Posted: February 26th, 2007 at 2:46 pm →
I think I’d go with the “It’s a nice place to visit” theory if I ever got to travel to a different era. I’d be interested in going to London around the time Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was alive. I’ve read he was as good at deducing things about people as his creation (Holmes). It’d be interesting to visit around the time Chesterton was alive, too. Then there’s the frontier of America. It’d be cool to see the wilderness when it was still wilderness. It would be interesting in general to actually see history. I’d also love to see some of my relatives when they first came to America.
Woodsy Al responds:
Posted: February 26th, 2007 at 3:11 pm →
My brother-in-law has a’38 Packard Convertable. He collects cars. Only one in the family with enough money. We’re happy for my sister, though, she married above her station. It’s used for family weddings and the such. It’s sky blue though.
I have always been intrigued by 17th century France. You know being a musketeer and all. At least the Alexander Dumas version that is. Care free, light hearted soldiers of fortune. Skilled in the social arena,dance, educated, fashion, poetry, and fine wines, then duels with pistols or rapier(sword), fighting for King, Queen, and country. Getting drunk at night and going wenching, then confessing to a Cardinal and starting all over in the morning. Uh…well, maybe I’ll talk about the 60’s as I was there,…I think I was, at least I was born in the 50’s and I’m still around today. Man, it musta been a good time. Well, ah,…..Where once I was blind now I see. Be blessed.
Playtah responds:
Posted: February 26th, 2007 at 3:59 pm →
dmarks - Good point. Just be sure to leave the ship right at 11:39. And yes, grab that silverware! You’ll make a fortune on eBay!
Nut - Nutter! How are you? That’d be cool to see how much S.A.C. Doyle could deduce! By the way, when you think of England during that time, it’s always raining and foggy, isn’t it?
WoodsyAl - WHAT?! A 38 Packard Convertible? WOW! I’d like to see a picture of that some time!
17th century France would be a cool place to visit. And by the way, my favorite phrase in your description of that time is “going wenching”. LOL!
dmarks responds:
Posted: February 26th, 2007 at 7:02 pm →
17th century France? Yes, it’s good to be the King!
Woodsy Al responds:
Posted: February 27th, 2007 at 8:01 am →
I’ll see if I can get a picture when my sister and brother-in-law get back from Florida. It’s a cool ride.
Nutter responds:
Posted: February 27th, 2007 at 11:59 am →
Hey Wendy! I’m doing good.
Working, eating, sleeping, the usual. 
Good to “see” you’re doing alright. 
Yeah, for some reason whenever I think Sherlock Holmes or London, my mental picture’s always foggy and rainy. I think the cover of The Strand helped spread that image.