What to write

      Well, let's see. What would be a timely topic for "The Spectator" this week? Certainly one interesting to me, which is one reason us non-professional writers go about the practice, but it must also be something we think we know a little bit about. But those two reasons are not enough, because much of what writers find of interest to themselves, and maybe know a little or even a considerable amount about, could easily bore a reader to death, and that is not the goal of "The Spectator." The article must be of interest to the reader, that's number one!
      As you can imagine, the list of themes to choose from is endless. There's the economic crisis in the U.S., wars in the Middle East, Child abuse, abortion, immigration, gays, racism, drugs, homeless people, global warming, scientific advances in space, hand held communication devices, the topics never seem to end, and new ideas crop up every day. Just read the headlines in your local paper.
      What writers hope for, also, is that readers will have an emotional reaction to their article, good or bad, it wouldn't matter. And it would be a bonus to the writer if the reaction was communicated to them, even if it's total disagreement.
        Here's an idea I have for a story. Most of the newspaper and television coverage of the lives of teenagers and young adults nowadays seems to center on their appearance at rock concerts, or night clubs, or discos, or whatever they call them now, where they shake and wiggle in little or no clothes, smoking and drinking whatever it is they smoke and drink, screaming wildly, and gyrating body-to-body next to some partner or not even connected with anyone in particular. The young folks don't seem to have a care in the world, as long as they can shimmy and shake unfettered by any restraints, in what sometimes seems like some kind of hallucinatory trance. They certainly aren't worrying about the economy or the war in the Middle East. Nor should they, necessarily. But I get the feeling that they are oh so far removed from any notion of what it really means, and what benefits and rights that they have, being a free American, and what sacrifices were made to achieve that end. To me, and maybe it's just my advancing years, the young people are described in the press in such a way that suggests that they feel entitled to freedom and the rights that go with it, with no responsibilities. I know, when we were young, we were very carefree too, not too concerned about the world's political and economic problems, and the old folks probably figured we also didn't care about anything but having fun . And in a way that's fine. It just seems so different to me, like the kids today believe things will and should go on like this forever, and they deserve it, with no strings attached. Moral restraints seem to be a thing of the past. Rather, if it feels good, go for it!
      But I decided not to write about that, because I'm not sure my generation or the generation of my parents was any different, relatively speaking, so why overly criticize today's young people? I'm probably just out of that loop, and I suspect out of most loops.
      Then another thought came to mind for an article, and it concerns the word "couple." Couple? What does that word mean to you? Does it mean simply two, as in "A couple of beers, please?" Or does it mean two people, as in "A couple of my friends dropped over last night?" And is there any implication, in that statement, of the gender of those two friends, or will any combination do? Does the gender of the person, who had friends drop by, influence whether you think the two friends are male or female? And when someone says "They make a nice couple", does that leave the choice of what sex the couples are up in the air, or do you see a specific combination? These questions remind me of the following situations that occurred in a gated golf course community where 900 or so vacation cottages are occupied by part time visitors or full time residents, and these cottages all surround the golf course.
      Every Friday and Sunday The Men's and Ladies Clubs have a joint Couples Day golf tournament. For years, couples, who play as a team, meet on the course and make up fun golf games that allow the golfers to show their skills or to just have a good time. After the matches are over, they all gather in the Clubhouse and have a bite to eat, a cool, refreshing drink, and recap the day's game. Very little money is exchanged, but $5 or $10 can be won if a couple turns in a good score for the day. Didn't you think of a man and wife as the couples?
      Now, in one of these cottages surrounding the course, there are two ladies who claim to be married. In a few other homes, ladies live together that don't claim to be married, but describe their mutual relationship as life partners, or significant others, or other names that mean that the ladies see each other as someone they love and want to spend their lives with. But recently, the "married" ladies have asked to play, as partners, in the Couples Day tournaments. Just like the word "gay" now rings with a different meaning than it used to, and a different definition of "marriage" is widely hoped for by the "gay" community, the two ladies who say they are married want to change the traditional meaning of "couple", at least in this golfing setting, to include two people of the same sex.
       According to the regular, opposite sex golfing couples, they view this situation as incompatible with their tradition and the meaning of a "couple." The Couples Tournament was started so men and their wives could enjoy a round of golf together. Besides, in a regular couples team, the ladies get to play the ball much closer to where they are trying to get the golf ball in the hole than the men do, because most ladies can't hit the ball as far. But in the proposed teams of two ladies, they both want to hit from that closer spot, and, of course, this does not set real well with the regular couples. To the men this seems a contradiction, because if the two ladies are a couple, the men feel that one lady should play the role of a man and the other a woman, and one hit the ball from where the men do. Right or wrong, this is what they feel, and I can't argue with their point. The Ladies seem to want to have their cake and eat it too. To give these Ladies both the right to change the meaning of a golfing "couple", plus allow them to gain an added advantage in scoring, this is seen by the regular couples as ridiculous, and I agree. The fact is, in the eyes of the regular team players, the two ladies do not a couple make. Couples, they feel, are one man, and one woman, period.
      To me, if the tournament organizers say no same sex couples, that should be the end of it. Same sex couples who keep badgering the golf course to let them play anyway, even threatening law suits, are way out of line. If the same sex couples want a "same sex couples" tournament, let them go someplace and have one, or ask for one at this golf course. And those who say "Who really cares, it's only a game of golf", they are too naive to be taken seriously.
      Maybe I'll write an article about that issue some day.