opinion
,TI^^
First kiss savored
sixty years later
If there is such a phenomenon
as a perfect day, Marion and I
had it. We had gone hiking in the
hills overlooking Lake St. Croix
in northern Wisconsin. With no
special destination or purpose, we
trudged up the paths that took us
to the viewpoints, and finally
reached a level stretch where the
going was easy. We sat on a
fallen tree, looked out over the
lake, the panoramic surroun
dings: Crownheart Island, the
beaches, part of the town, Solon
Springs, which serviced the
resorts and summer cottagers.
The laugh
clinic ®
Marion and I had been sum
mering on the lake for over ten
years. Our families were next
door neighbors there among the
typical houses that nestled among
the trees along the shoreline of
the lake. Her family was con
nected with the University at
Madison, where her father taught
18 languages and dialects. They
spent June, July and August
every year roughing it in their
jerry-built cottage, a hodge
podge of add-on rooms and por
ches. Most of the summer homes
on the lake were like that. An
idea that started with one room
for all purposes, and expanded
each summer to accomodate the
family as it grew. The Lee cottage
was the same. As was the
Arnold’s place, on the other side
of ours. Rustic would be a good
all around description for the
whole community.
High up, Marion and I tried to
spot the location of our cottages.
The tall pines made it impossible
to actually see them, but we
figured out their location in rela
tion to a tall tamarack which had
turned a golden brown, making it
stand out dramatically among the
green of the pines. We had notic
ed it shortly after we started up
the hill behind our cottages.
The year before we hiked this
same way, but had not reached
the summit. Now we moved on
up the path through the trees to
an area new to us.
Suddenly, we were on the edge
of a meadow. Acres of daisies
grown to full height, spread out
before us, waving in the slight
breeze, as though to welcome us.
We gasped at the beauty of it all.
Our senses drank the ambrosial
scene, savoring its flavors blend
ed divinely, exclusively for
Marion and me. A meadowlark
sent its cheery message out for all
the world to hear. We walked to
the middle of the field and stret
ched out among the daisies. We
lay on our backs looking at the
Hue dome above, speaking in low
voices as though we were at
church.
Marion remarked that the
lark’s trill reminded her of a short
passage in a Liszt rhapsody. I
suggested a flute solo in some of
the bucolic orchestral pieces
popular in the 19th century. So,
there we were talking of our
mutual love, music. My hand
brushed over hers, and she
grasped it, squeezing. I felt a
marvelous wave of emotion
sweep over me. I wanted to kiss
her, then and there, but my in
nate shyness froze me. I must
have transmitted a message by
tightening my grasp on her hand.
Marion, bless her, made proper
use of the moment. In the most
natural manner imaginable, she
leaned over and kissed me tender
ly on the lips. My eyes closed like
valves to contain the feeling of
pleasure that moved through me,
corpuscle by corpuscle. I tingled
all over. I was immobilized. The
lark sounded gloriously. Marion
stood up and suggested we go
home.
All the way down the path, we
talked glowingly about the day
and vowed to come back again,
soon.
Sixty years later, I still see the
meadow, the daisies, listen to the
lark, and savor that first kiss. Fif
teen in those days spelled in
nocence. Believe me.
Columnist responds to ‘skinnies’...
Learn to recognize satire
It seems that my column
several weeks ago, hit a very sen
sitive nerve among the
“skinnies” on campus. Some
people became very upset at what
they thought I had said. First, let
me inform my dear readers that
the article that has caused all this
commotion and ill will was never
intended to put down the thin
people or to promote obesity. It
was satire and meant to be read
as satire. But since so many of
you took it at face value, you’ve
left me no choice but to respond.
So here I am writing my real opi
nions on the matter.
yourself into something that’s too
small.
First let me respond to “Skin
ny Minny.” Dare I suggest that
you were probably a healthier
person at a size 11 then you are at
a size five? There is no virtue in
being underweight or skinny.
You will not sprout wings or get
to heaven quicker than the size
11. As for clothes not fitting, let
me kindly suggest to my readers
that if they wear the right size of
clothes, such as a size 11 for a size
11 body their clothes will fit as
comfortably as a size five on a
size five. If your clothes are not
comfortable at bigger sizes it’s
not because you’re heavy. It’s
because you’re trying to squeeze
by Tammy
Swartzendruber
Columnist
Your size has nothing to do
with your worth as a person. I
smiled to myself when I read and
listened to the feedback I got
from people. How irate they
were! I will say, however, that
there were some skinny people
who were intellectual enough to
understand this was satire and
find humor in it themselves.
But here are these people all
upset about a little satirical col
CCC holds community forums
on March levy election
College President John Keyser, and the local Board
member, will present facts about the levy and the college in
upcoming community forums.
Oregon City
Larry Sowa
Tues. Feb. 23,
7:30p.m.
Oregon City Senior Center
615 Fifth St.
Canby
Larry Wright
Wed., Feb. 24,
7:30p.m.
Old Town Hall
225 N.E. Second St.
Thurs., Feb. 25,
Wilsonville
7:30p.m.
John Keyser
Bonnie Robertson
Gladstone
Roger Rock
Mon., Feb. 29,
7:30p.m.
North Clackamas Mon., Feb 29,
Estle Harlan
8:30p.m.
Bonnie Robertson
Estacada
Ross Smith
Tues., March 1,
7p.m.
Wed., March 2,
West Linn
Bonnie Robertson 7:30p.m.
Molalla
Larry Wright
Thurs., March 10,
noon
Wilsonville Comm. Center
Wilsonville Road and the
Town Center Loop
Gladstone High Library
18800 Portland Ave.
Milwaukie Senior Center
5440 S.E. Kellogg Creek
Milwaukie
City Hall
475 S.E Main St.
McLean House
5350 River St.
Stagecoach Inn
504 Grange St.
umn, when for years the fat per
son has been attacked on all
sides, yet they’ve suffered silent
ly. They’ve been made fun of and
laughed at for being fat.
I want you all to know that it
isn’t this way all over the world.
In some places, being fat is a sign
of health and wealth. In the Song
of Solomon, we read that
Solomon’s lover, who is thought
to have been the Queen of Sheba,
had a belly “as a mound of
wheat.” And she was thought to
be the most beautiful woman
around. Indeed, no rack of bones
laid in Solomon’s bed at night.
Instead he cuddled up to the soft
roundness of his lover’s belly.
And, by the way, Solomon is said
to have been the wisest man that
ever lived.
So, my advice to all my readers
is to be content with who you are,
and don’t judge others by some
silly standard of your own. Eat
healthy, get plenty of excercise,
and don’t starve yourself. Wear
clothes that fit. This will keep the
pancreas and liver where God in
tended them to be. Above all take
Writing 122 and learn how to
recognize satire. So long, and I
love you all!
PRINT
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partial newspaper covering the col
lege community. Opinions expressed
in The Print do not necessarily
reflect those of the College ad
ministration, faculty, Associated
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publication distributed each Wednes
day except for Finals Week.
Clackamas Community College,
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