Conventional Wisdom, 1968

It’s Convention time with a capital C, so in honor of the ever-changing, never-changing world of presidential elections, I'm posting excerpts from my memoir-in-progress, Where Is Luv? A Teenager’s Diary of Hope, Passion, and Total Confusion.

August 1968: On the political front, LBJ had dropped out of the race and RFK was gone. McCarthy was challenging Humphrey, and no one wanted Nixon to be president. No one I knew anyway.

On the personal front, my family was on Home Leave for two months, staying with relatives in Connecticut, plus a short visit to Miami to see the grandparents. All family all the time—quel challenge for a 14-year-old continental sophisticate. Or so I fancied myself.

Americans overseas, military or not (we were not), called extended visits to the States "Home Leave." But, after living in Germany for two years, the States was like a foreign country to me. Home was Munich. I’d left Rye, New York, far behind in 1966, and was deeply enmeshed in my life abroad and the politics of adolescence.

August 4, New Haven

Today I got all made up. I looked really good. I could be a model maybe! Mom said so. Cool! I think I'm not that ugly.

Can’t wait for Munich—28 days. Ugh! 4 whole wks. Convention starts tomorrow. Hope it’s Rocky vs. HHH [Nelson Rockefeller vs. Hubert Humphrey] or Rocky vs. LBJ. I doubt LBJ will run. 2 mos. ago Bobby Kennedy was shot. Still can’t believe it. I'm gonna plan my schedule for ninth grade real rigidly and get my homework done and study hard and keep up in Social Studies! I have potential!

August 12, Miami

Watched Convention. Tricky Dicky Nixon won and chose Spiro Agnew (whatta name!) for running mate. Rocky put up a good fite.

August 16, New Haven

Grüss Gott! [Hi!] Back in Connecticut after hectic week in Miami, visiting family and swimming and playing gin rummy, shuffleboard, and going out to dinner and having a gay-all time.

Latest rage! Earrings! Got a whole bunch of pierced-look earrings. I have been wearing them all the time. Mom is considering letting me get my ears pierced.

Latest rage! 35 $$$ to spend any way I please! I would like to buy a fall [faux hair] with it. That’s my latest wild wish. Since London I’ve sort of wanted one.

Latest rage! Spex! I got new pair spex. Also prescrip. sunspex. They really look great and do wonders for my face!! Soften, unangulate!

So now we’re back to nagging and arguments—better than nagging from the grandparents! But I love them dearly. They’re so peppy and alive. Some people their age resign themselves to a secluded life cuz they think they’re not much left for the world.

Saw 2001: A Space Odyssey. Really weird, interesting, wild movie. I’m gonna read the book and find out what it was really all about. I remember when I was at the movies at Family Theater [a Munich hangout] 2 mos. ago today (last time I saw everyone!!) and tried to foretell what real Americans were like. Well, I’ll tell ya! Real Americans are just as cheap as Munich Americans. Curlers, gum, fakey everything, airs, Cadillacs. I don’t really "dig it," as Donnie says. Higher-class "America" appeals to me. Late nites, evening gowns, sophisticated company. I hope I don’t submit to the cheap America later on.

For the plane trip, bought Intimate, a trashy magazine. Interesting to read, tho, and see how some girls (although imaginary) succumb to flattery and sweet talk to be conned into making love with a man. I hope I never make that mistake and then regret it as those girls did.

August 26

Went to Caldor's and got gobs of stuff. Breckset, Pssssst, school stuff, etc. Today, Karen and I went downtown. She got $17 Weejun loafers. I got a free Bonne Bell makeover. It was fun. But we put too much on! Bought $4 worth of the stuff and got free lip gloss. Bought orange and yellow accessories for my room. I wanna redecorate my room when I get back (5 days!!) w/ less clutter and more femininity.

August 30

Well, as Daddy says, it’s down to the wire! We’ll be in the air in 24 hours. Went to Hartsdale, went shopping, bought 2 mobiles and a poster at Giftique. Came back and saw Humphrey get the nomination. He chose Muskie as a running mate. Yeccch, what a choice, HHH or Nixon!!

I’m really nervous about going. I think I’ll really miss it more than if I hadn’t come at all. Visited old house [in Rye]. Nostalgic. TOODLES FROM THE STATES—Land of TV, hamburgers, nice houses, no fences, Alexander’s, violence!! Most everything! Oh well, not of friends.

September 2, Munich

Hello from land of beer, fat, hairy legs, ugly houses and our beautiful house!! The whole house is redone! It’s great! New möbel [furniture] in the living room. Brand new küche [kitchen]. Fantastic!! Rug in hall. Paint all over! My room is really tuff! Painted lite blue. With new stuff that I got it’ll be great! Have already started rearranging.

Left USA on Saturday—sad goodbyes. Then Ma, Pa and I zoomed off to JFK via the dentist (ayayay!). Good 6½-hour flite to London. Slept most of the way. Then 1½-hr. to Munich. Good to be back!

September 5

All I’ve been doing is fixing my room and clothes and the house. It’s taking shape now. Talked with Kathy for 40 minutes last night. I was afraid to tell her that I kind of wanna break away from her and the new kids and not always group together. So she agreed! I solved both our problems! We decided that we both want a new image. Both of us want good grades and popularity, so we figured we'd get good grades and be studious and then people will come to you if you’re generally nice to them w/out plugging for popularity. See? It’s hard to write. But on the first day we’re not gonna pair off and talk and gossip (no, no, no!!) but be more alone. I hope it works out.

I’m gonna really try to work this year. It’s very important to get honors to get into any ½ decent college and get a ½ decent education. So BUCKLE DOWN! In 10 days, school starts. My new "image" should be complete by then. It’ll be hard but I'm trying.

Stay tuned next week: Notes from HAIR in Central Park, August 22, 2008. Long live the '60s!