My Name

Greetings! Cooper Thurlow here. You notice I didn't include the “J” there at the beginning. That's because that J is precisely what I want to talk about. When I was growing up, heck for most of my life, people have called me either “Cooper” or “Coop.” Mostly “Cooper” because it's more respectful. My parents called my by my proper first name, but I never cared for it. Maybe I was just a big Gary Cooper fan. Maybe my parents were, too, for giving me that name. From time to time, though, people would see me sign my name, when I do use the J. I guess this would be at a bank or a making a sale or something. Anyway, they'd ask me “Hey there Cooper, what's that J stand for?” Well I'll tell you. It stands for “James.”

And that's my thought of the day.

Danny Kaye

You know who no one talks about anymore? Danny Kaye. Now there was an entertainer. I guess there's not a whole lot to that “thought of the day.” That movie he did from medieval times was on the other day and it got me thinking. “You don't see many comedians like that these days. Now it's all n-word this and v-word that. “The box with the fox is the brew that is true” beats 'em all, if you ask me.

J. Cooper Thurlow

My Thoughts

Hello, J. Cooper Thurlow again. I've asked my grandson, Christopher, if anyone is reading these. He says that it's too early to tell right now, that these blog things usually take a little time to get up and running. If you have been reading all along, well, thank you. If you're just joining us here, welcome aboard!

Speaking of Christopher, the other day he said to me that he thinks I do too much complaining on this. He says he's afraid that I'll come off as some old crank and no one will read my thoughts of the day. Believe me, that's not what I want. I guess I can see his point, though, based on my last thought. It's just that when you get to be around my age that most of the things you think about relate back to when you were younger. I've got a lot of years of thoughts stored in this old brain of mine (but not too old!), and not all of them are positive, I guess. Now, I don't think I'm angry, I just call it like I see it. But, and I guess this is my “thought of the day,” I'll try to be more positive from now on.

Television

Hello folks. Coop Thurlow here again giving my thought of the day. Today's thought has been rattling around this old noggin of mine for awhile. I don't like television today. It's either too loud or too confusing or both. Now this isn't one of those “old codger needs to take a nap” things, I'm being serious here. Take the stuff they put on in what used to be called the family hour. Back when I watched television with my family there were some good, funny shows on that we all could enjoy. “Make Room For Daddy” was one. “Andy Griffith” was another. Nowadays it's all married folks screeching at each other and every episode is about how stupid the the husband is. Whatever happened to those shows where the father was listened to with respect? “Make Room For Daddy” was one. “Andy Griffith was another.”

Of course you'd think with more channels there would be at least one channel that has some good programming, but more channels just means more yelling and more stupidity. I guess they don't call it the “idiot box” for nothing, because it has nothing but idiots on it. Even that game show channel, half the game shows on them are all flashing lights and you can't figure out what the heck the contestants are supposed to do. And why is every program geared at “older folks” the same? I appreciate having some “experienced” actors on television. Believe me, Mary Tyler Moore's still got it. But us old guys don't mind seeing some leg from time to time, either. I do like those shows with all the guest stars, though. It's always fun to see your favorite movie people show up as a witness or even a criminal here and there. I remember they used to do that a lot with Columbo, and it was a good time.

Here at the retirement center we each have TVs in our rooms as well as a big TV room for the community. Of course there, it's that food channel almost all day, every day. Unless something big is on like a presidential debate or a big sporting event or 60 Minutes. I do like that one show on the food channel where they talk about how different foods are made. It takes me back to my days as a salesman where you had to know how your product was manufactured, in case the customer had any questions. And that's my thought of the day.

Restaurants

Howdy, J. Cooper Thurlow once again. Today I want to talk to you all about restaurants. What's with all these new restaurants these days? It's not like I'm against trying new cuisines, they just make it so hard for us older folks. A few years ago I wanted to try that Thai restaurant that used to be where that okra store used to be. I can't remember what it's called. Anyway, I went there one night with some friends here at the retirement home, and the music was so loud, and it was that electronic disco or whatever it's called, and the restaurant was so dark you could barely see the food in front of you. I don't know why you have to have music going on in the background anyway. A nice conversation should be entertainment enough. But we didn't want to be rude, so none of us asked the Oriental fellow who was playing the records to stop. I guess we figured maybe it was part of the traditional Thai dining experience, though the fellow playing records looked Chinese to me. It was dark, though, like I said, so I might be mistaken. But then we went to a Japanese restaurant a few months later to try that, and it was the same thing. Dark lights, loud throbbing music, a bad dining experience.

It's not just the Asians, though, I don't want to make it seem like I'm disparaging a whole race. American restaurants are just as crazy. I remember when a nice dinner out meant a nice steak. Now you go to some of these places and order a steak, and you get a small piece that's on top of mashed green beans and something called “saffron” and a potato chip made out of an onion. Whatever happened to those nice places where you could have a quiet meal and a nice conversation with your spouse? You can still find them, I guess, but then people accuse you of not wanting to try new things. There's nothing wrong with an old classic, I say, especially when “trying new things” means having to put up with nonsense.

Until next time,

J. Cooper Thurlow

Colleges

Hello folks, J. Cooper Thurlow here. Today my “thought of the day” is about colleges and how applying to them is a racket. Take my grandson Christopher. He's looking at colleges now, and I can't believe how much mail they get from schools, and how they're expected to go visit every one of them and meet with your professors and go to the bookstore and buy a shirt or some such malarkey. I even heard about one school that makes the students take a test while they're there, even before they've been accepted. And it starts when they're in their second year of high school now. It's so much different even from a few years ago when Christopher's sisters, Cassandra and Allison, were looking at colleges. Allison liked hers so much she's even staying and getting another degree. It's the parents, that's who's responsible. Not all parents of course, but you know those parents who want to make sure their kids go to just the right school, take just the right classes. They put pressure on the schools to make it seem like they're all really exclusive. Well I'll tell you something. If every school is exclusive then how does anyone ever get in to any of them?

I remember back when I was in school, you went wherever your friends were going. That way you had a social circle to take with you. Sure you made new friends, based on who was in your classes and what fraternity or sorority you were in, but the decision was much easier. Of course, I had to wait a few years to go to college because of Korea, but I'm glad I did. I gained a lot of valuable life experience and was proud to serve my country. It helped make me a better salesman later on, which helped me provide for my family. Can these kids who go to whatever school they feel like say that?

J. Cooper Thurlow

Friends

Hi there, J. Cooper Thurlow again. Today I wanted to talk a little more about me. I know, I know, you're not reading this for my thoughts on me, just my thoughts on life! Well, writing about this stuff got me back to thinking about sitting around that Roy Rogers with the fellas just talking about life. We'd usually meet around 11, that's in the morning, and dang it if we wouldn't be there until 3 or 4 or later just “shooting the breeze” as they say – or used to say, like I mentioned last time! Anyway, there were usually five or so of us. Myself, J. Cooper Thurlow, along with Bill Mandell, Walter Franklin, Dave Pullman and Charlie whose last name I don't think I ever knew were the usual core group. Occasionally some other folks would stop by or just listen in. We always kept it respectful, even when we talked about politics. I don't think I ever knew who any of those men voted for, and I'm proud to say that. But that doesn't mean we had boring conversations, no. I remember when the county wanted to put in those cameras that take your picture when you run a red light. We had a good long talk about that. But like I said, I never knew who those men voted for.

You know, it's too bad they don't have places where you can just sit and talk anymore. Those “fast-food” restaurants are all about getting you in and out these days. They won't even hardly let you sit and enjoy your coffee. There's the mall, I guess, but it gets too loud and they don't have any booths and tables next to each other. Plus most places nowadays are worried about loitering, so they play that classical music to scare off the high school kids. That's fine, but I don't want all that music going on while I'm talking, either. I guess that's my “thought of the day.” Why can't you just sit and talk in public anymore?

Yours,

J. Cooper Thurlow

Words

Hello again! J. Cooper Thurlow here with another “thought of the day.” First off I want to thank my grandson, Christopher, for typing these up for me. We only have a few computers here at the retirement home, and those are for communal use. I'm not sure the other folks here would appreciate me taking up too much time, and I don't want to keep signing up for computer time. What if I don't have a thought when I'm scheduled for the computer? What if I think of something while I'm watching a golf match and other people are using the computers? I think you see why this is a better situation. Anyway, it appears that this is called a “blog” and not “blogg,” like I originally wrote it. I guess you really do learn something new every day. Thanks again Christopher. You're growing up into quite the considerate young man, but I wish you were nicer to your mom. But that was yesterday's “thought of the day.” I should also tell you that hopefully these things won't be as long as the last one, though I guess they could be. I just don't know if my “thoughts of the day” are going to be all that complicated.

What I wanted to talk about today was, did you ever notice how certain words aren't used anymore? I'm not just talking about “hip” words that young people use like rad and squadoosh. I'm talking about words that used to describe certain things and feelings that for whatever reason society has replaced with worse words. I'm talking about words like “dreamy” and “stylus” and “soused.” And how come no one ever says “bonkers” anymore? You don't say someone went bonkers now, you just say they're mentally ill. It's like we're dumbing down the English language. There's a man on the news whose name I can't recall who talks about this, and I'd agree with him if he didn't have a large vein on his forehead that makes it hard to trust him. Anyway, that's my “thought of the day.”

See you tomorrow,

J. Cooper Thurlow

Hello There

Hello there! My name is J. Cooper Thurlow, and this is what the kids and news technology reporters today call a “Blog.” To anyone reading this, I'm a 73 year old retiree and a veteran of the U.S. Marines. I proudly served in Korea, and would have served in Vietnam if I didn't have shrapnel in my left leg from proudly serving in Korea. I should tell you that I'm not actually making this internet site so to speak. Instead, I'm writing up these little conversations, and my grandson Christopher types them up and puts them in the internet. You know, I hear on the news all the time about how the internet is a good way to meet people who share your interests, as long as you're not a minor and they're not a pervert, so I thought I'd give it the old college try. After all, it is 2008 already!

Anyway, the reason I wanted to make this page is that, well, I have things I want to say and I think there will be other people interested in them. Some years back, some buddies of mine and I used to meet at the Roy Rogers over on Norwell, you know, over near the old paint store. We would get together, have some coffee, read the paper, and discuss whatever was on our minds. Someone should have filmed that and put it on television instead of these news shows you see nowadays. Anyway, that Roy Rogers isn't there anymore, it's a different paint store now, and I live here in the Pine Oaks Retirement Facility. I guess the Roy Rogers is still there, physically anyway, but it's all boarded up now and I think middle school kids use it to huff paint. I don't know if they get the paint from the new store, or if it's left over from the old store, though. It's probably the new store, because I can't imagine Roger, the old manager, ever letting something like that happen. Then again the old paint store closed when Roger got arrested for tax fraud, so who knows.

I've gotten off track a little bit here. I wanted to write all of my thoughts down now not because I think they're important for posterity, though some of them might be. I'll let the historians decide that. No, I wanted to make this “blog page” because like I said, I had some folks I used to talk to who I don't talk to anymore. I also used to talk more to my daughter Sal (she was named after her grandfather), calling her every day and such, but then she suggested this blog site and said Christopher would be available to help. I went along with it because as Linda, the woman who lives across the hall from me says, “you're only as young as you act.” She also has a bumper sticker on her wall that says “Senior and Sassy” that I don't quite agree with, because when I was growing up children were taught never to sass back, and I've carried that lesson with me though life. I just wish my grandson Christopher followed that. Christopher, if you're reading this, I appreciate you typing this up for me but I think you should be nicer to your mother. I guess that's my “thought of the day.”

That's all for now,

J. Cooper Thurlow