Free to Be...You and Me

[charliesmum]

Sometimes, when I think back on some of the cultural things that went on during my childhood in the 1970's I am amazed the world is in the state it is today. I just recently sent an MP3 of one of the bits on the record "Free to Be You and Me" to dindin, because she wanted to share it with someone, and I had the CD. (and, surprisingly, the software to convert it. Scary)

So now I'm listening to it, and it is, as usual, bringing back all kinds of memories. Carol Channing reads a poem about how housework actually sucks, which probably explains alot about my current philosophy regarding cleaning.

The album by Marlo Thomas and Friends, was all about empowering children, regardless of sex or race, to believe they can do whatever they want to do, and be whatever they want to be. (And because it was the 70's there was a lot of debunking of the 'little lady' image. Rather harshly, one might think. The girl gets eaten by tigers for Pete's sake.) It was about the brave new world of sexual equality, where Football player Rosie Grier sang - sang that it was alright to cry.

Dig, if you will, these words:
I see a land bright and clear, and the time's comin' near
When we'll live in this land, you and me, hand in hand
Take my hand, come along, lend your voice to my song
Come along, take my hand, sing a song

Anyway...thanks in part to this record, I grew up confident that we were, indeed, heading toward the Age of Aquarius, that people, regardless of race or creed, would grasp one and other's hand in friendship and brotherhood, that a woman could bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan and never, ever let you forget you're a man and not collapse in exhaustion by the end of the week.

Maybe I'm pessimestic, thanks to Good ol' Georgie's speech last night, but here it is, *does math in head* 35 years since this record came out, and, well, we haven't come quite as far as I'd imagined. I, for example, never bought Charlie a doll. (see William Wants a Doll (Sung by Alan Alda, another perpetrator of the whole 70's mythos, by the way.)And people, if anything, seem less tolerant.

Nonetheless, I'm listening to the CD, and it's making me smile, and that's something, I suppose. I highly recommend it to everyone who has kids, and everyone who doesn't.

It's still about dreaming, which is important, right?

Comments

[hiddengrotto.livejournal.com]

I. LOVE. THAT. ALBUM.

No, we haven't made as much progress as one could have hoped, but still... just like you said... it can bring a smile to someone's face. And a smile is more important than pretty much everything.

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

What memories this brings back. I had the book and the album.

[jessii-6.livejournal.com]

I had the CD. (and, surprisingly, the software to convert it. Scary) no. Good

we were, indeed, heading toward the Age of Aquarius, that people, regardless of race or creed, would grasp one and other's hand in friendship and brotherhood We are. Of course I read some semi-communistic futuristic sci-fi that claimed it, but I believe in it still.

I, for example, never bought Charlie a doll Not everyone likes dolls. I didn't either. Charlie is smart and kind and gentle. That is the end purpose anyway so who cares if he played with dolls, soldiers or stuffed animals along the way.

[king-duncan.livejournal.com]

I had the book when I was a kid- somehow we never actually got the album. I own it on CD now.

[purplemer3.livejournal.com]

It's not too late to buy Charlie a doll. I played with dolls until I was 11. Buy him a doll or two. Take him to Toys 'r' Us and let him pick one out for himself. My brother had a doll called "Buddy" when he was a kid, and he absolutely adored it.

[charliesmum.livejournal.com]

Well, he does have about 9 million stuff animals he is fond of. That counts, right?

[crossbow1.livejournal.com]

But you would have bought Charlie a doll if he asked for one, I bet.

[charliesmum.livejournal.com]

I like to think so, probably after saying something like, 'don't you want this baseball instead? How about this Ninja Turtle? No? Okay.'

He's quite fond of holding his little cousin Emmeline, so I'm not worried that his paternal instinct won't get developed.

[crossbow1.livejournal.com]

As a kid, I didn't like any gender-specific stuff. I liked stuff you could build with, like Lincoln Logs. I still think building toys are the best kind for kids!