Back In The Old Country

Where am I today?

allenrizzi

Many of us have heard the term “back in the old country” when applied by our immigrant parents or grandparents in an attempt to regale us with stories that usually contained morals. “Back in the old country, I had to walk ten miles to school through heavy snow.” This is one of my personal favorites. It was often laid upon me to say, “You really have it good so you shouldn’t complain!” I later employed the same good stuff when speaking to my own son who had to walk a half a block to school but still wanted a ride. I would say (with a twinge of guilt), “When I was a kid I had to walk two miles to school.” The moral imperative was the same.

There are some truisms in such statements. Yes, my father did indeed walk many miles to school, often through deep snows in both…

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