32 Comments

Well-done; and yet, you must admit, that picture of luxury at your "masthead" is lacking only in chickens strutting about.

One of the things about our generation, and admittedly greatly impressed upon by my Rural upbringing, is that I was raised riding mules and horses, and reading Omni magazine; running a trapline and following coonhounds to skin 'coons and such for extra fur money, then listening to heavy metal and new wave to unwind; sitting in a one-room Baptist church with a hand-fan, and thundering over the jungles of Central America in a UH60, carrying the glad tidings from Reagan . A child in the '70s, running amuck in the woods in a culture little changed (in our family) from that of my Battle of the Bulge winning grandfather, sharing the mores of my martial/miner/rancher/farmer/preacher ancestors (and betters) with clear eyes and hope, without irony. We fixed our cars, our houses, our cassette tape, owning skills that we imagined to be universal and perpetual. We were the last generation, IMO, to stand with a foot in two remarkably different eras; not only doing so, but tying them together fairly neatly and with relatively little bloodshed and little loss of temper.

Your words are the song of my people. Thank you.

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Colonel...I love every word of your comment. Thank you for that nostalgic summary of almost my life as well.

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Thank you; I'm glad that I'm not alone in understanding it and missing it.

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Agree with Elizabeth!! Summertime in about 1976: sent outside for 8 hours or more with nothing but our imaginations

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Not until the chores were done! Then the fun could commence.

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Verily verily!

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Ah, 1984. I was 15. Pretty much discovered sex, drugs and booze all at the same time that year. And my grades went from 4.0 to, uh, less. Van Halen officially jumped the shark with the release of their album by the same name, complete with *sigh* keyboards for the first time. I remember the Olympic wrestlers coming up to train at our high school gym because we were in the mountains and they thought they could get an edge training at altitude. That was cool! Football Hell Week(s) during the summer, lived on 3 for 99 cents McDonald hamburgers and big-gulp slurpees, got my first job washing dishes in a restaurant where all my friends worked for $3.35/hr, had a bitchen' BMX bike I rode everywhere, and I rode that bike to Safeway to cash my first check for $146.22. That was freedom. If there were any problems back then I sure don't remember...

That was a fun walk down memory lane. I'm now better prepared for an upcoming mini-HS reunion. Thanks Peachy!

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I must concur 1984 was the best year in human history. The LA Olympics when the USA just bitch slapped the world in every event. I vaguely remember eating a ton of free McDonald’s off those gold medals because of some sort of promo they were running. “When the us wins you win!” I’m pretty sure...so glad I came of age late 70’s early 80’s...

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So maybe it was the best year in US history? Not human history?

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Peachy, love your commentary.

80s v 50s decade is an important question. 80s was a revert decade after the previous 15 years of sex revolution. But, it lacked the nationwide interest in re-embracing Christianity, particularly Catholicism, that the 50s brought (though JPII had some sway in this regard during the 80s.). This was in reaction to the horrors of WWII and the inroads of communism abroad and at home with FDR and Truman. The 50s also enjoyed the blessing of sodomy, abortion, contraception and divorce being generally illegal or seriously frowned upon. You can't overestimate how destabilizing and violence producing these four things have been since the 70s.

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Welcome back!

I just did my first interview! And I end it with a major domestic extremism affirmation, so I hope y’all like it.

It’s on the Radicalky Genuine podcast with Dr McFillin, we talk about the crisis in pediatrics/childhood and I try my best to bring up the saints, the gospel, and the need to have lots of kiddos!

https://www.drmcfillin.com/podcast/

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Thanks for posting! I finished the book and was going to pass my copy to my sisters, but I’ve added a lot of notes and underlined a lot, so I’m just gonna buy them a new one! I loved your infusing Bridget Phetasy.

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Ha ha, interview not infusing. Lack of sleep with 4 kids leads to poor spelling and letting autocorrect lead the way.

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Not bad young lady! I do fault your hubby's only one martini (Assuming saying such wasn't artistic license on your part.), I contend a minimum of 3 necessary lubricant to avoid fisticuffing at most any social gathering these days. ;-)

1984 the best of years? Hum '54 was pretty good, though I'll allow not too many around today experienced that year. 'nother hum, '64, at least from where I was sitting (Lat: 64.8°N, Lon: 147.88°W), wasn't really all that bad either.

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Agreed. I'm old enough to just remember that period from 1952 up to '65. Refer to my '50s v 80s' commentary above for my take.

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Your response on #3 is so painfully true. I'm in among the trad-est of trad subcultures and marriage while spoken of in positive terms is actually in a practical sense routinely discouraged and the other sad truth is that most men and most women would be, because of modern sensibilities and mores, horrifying spouses. I'm late gen x (79) and so many of my friends who came from broken homes are absolute messes in their personal lives. I shudder to think who my son and daughter will marry as most of my peers children are sociopaths or worse. With one teen and a 2nd about to turn at least things will be getting interesting soon.

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get your family to a TLM ideally run by the FSSP. They'll find some marriageable young folks. Also, if their diligent and understand the subtlties Catholicmatch.com has worked for several couples I know.

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Thanks for the thought, I left the Catholic church. I wouldn't support my kids marrying a Catholic.

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You probably never experienced the real Catholic Church since the NO and post-VCII Catholicism has systematically watered it down. Just for the hell of it...or the heaven of it...check out the local FSSP parish.

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For me, best posting yet. Being an independent gal, an athlete and former Wall Streeter, I can’t understand the choices these moronic women are making. I yearn for the 60’s and 70’s- men were men and women were finding their stride.

Thx for all that you do!

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Sometime last year I theorized that the peak of humanity might have been July 1985 during the Queen Performance at Wembly Stadium for Live Aid. Think about it. The technology existed to allow it to be shown worldwide, the musicians, ticket buyers, and doners truly felt the purpose so it was Win-Win for the world. Social media and the Internet didn't exist, so narcissism and all its ill effects was not present. All are "in the moment." Freddy Mercury was created for the role he embraced. Specifically watch his interaction with the crowd at the 7 min mark before "Hammer Will Fall", which ironically fits my theory.

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I love this.

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welcome back Peachy. As always, a lot of fun and insight in your work

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I finished your book last week. It’s marvelous. I shall encourage my 32 year old unmarried daughter, who has lived in South Korea, for eight years to read it. Thank you for the good words you publish.

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Thank you so much Olive!

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I enjoyed this. It reminded me of how much I've missed you Mrs. P.

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We really enjoyed this commentary. My wife and I both read your recent book and agree with most of it as well. We are from the "Silent Generation" so much of what is going on today is hard for us to relate. We have circulated a copy of your Domestic Extremist to two of our five children and two of our six grandchildren. The two older granddaughters are by nature and by the modeling of, we hope their parents and grandparents, the lifestyle you yourself are advocating. And it is not easy in this society they find themselves living. So keep on keeping on! You are on the right course. Congratulations on your success in writing and in life!

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Peachy you may wish to contact Dr. Amy Wax at the University of Pennsylvania. She too wrote about returning to the Bourgeois life style, where people did not have children until they have jobs and graduated HS. She was roundly criticized for it by the U of P faculty. She is a MD and an attorney!

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