Milford chronicle., 1953-03-13
No TV? That's
For The Birds
BY CYNTHIA LOWRY
AP Newsfeatures Waiter

ar NeNaleatufed NssstGF
A birdwatcher and chess-player
of my acquaintance, a gentleman
who also occasionally dips into
philosophy and bee-keeping, re-
Gently penned me his prescription
for greater happiness.
What this country needs" he
declared stoutly, "is lower stand
ard OF living. Too many people
work too hard at jobs they don't
like-and get other members Of the
family in the act, TOTO support
autos, televisiOn sets, dishwashing
machines, private schools, Florida
vacations and other things that
they can do without. If they didn't
they would have more time to en-
/ joy things they might like better"
The trouble with the prescrip-
tiOn is it's source-a fellow who
obviously is perfectly contented
with the simple life. He has licked
off, as examples of things-to-do
without, a number of things in
which he personally hasn't much
interest and he presumes that too
many people work too hard at Jobs
they don't like.
AS a gent who apparently likes
to walk and enjoys nature, he
thinks anyone could get along
without an automobile. Personally,
I'd like to see him strolling back
from the super-market with the
weeks groceries in his arms and
see if he still takes the same plea
sure in observing the cross-beaked
titmOuse at nesting time.
1t would be hard to convince me
that millions of televisiOn-set own
ers could be diverted from the en-
tertainment of 81 Love Lucy" or
"Dragnet" for the silent, cerebral
joys of the chessboard or even Chi
nese checkers or anagrams.
AS far as an electric dishwashing
machine is concerned, I'll bet even
money ne didn't let his wife see the
note before he sped it to my eager
hands. Speaking personally, it
would be a pleasure to work too
hard at job / didn't like if the
result was escape from the tedi-
GUS job of dish-washing. Or
does my correspondent think that
washing and, drying dishes is one
OF the chores we might learn to
love? Private schools for kids are
something that adults must want
for their children and maybe graf
lty them as a symbol of something
or other. AS far as Florida vaca-
/ tlOnS are concerned, this fellow
wouldn't be so hOity-tOity about
them if he were a shell-cOllectOr or
even II he were suffering from a
stubborn bronchial cough.
l don't think most people dis
like their jobs, and certainly it's
hard to OverwOrk at anything one
loathes. Finally, we might just as
we'll face the paradox of American
life; our yardstick of success re-
mains pretty much a financial one.
We do lot of talking about mat
ters of the intellect, the spirit and
the soul, but mans position still
is usually gagged by how far
ahead he has gotten in his field
and it usually bOils down to how
much he is able to make and what
he has to show for it. That's one
of the things which keep jewelers.
and furriers i'm business.
What this country needs GER
tainly isn't a lower standard of
living. I'm for all the automobiles.
televisiOn sets, dish-washers, pri-
vate schools and Florida vacations
that we can provide and for every
thing else which makes for more
leisure time, brings more of the
world within the grasp of each of
us.
What this country needs is to
're-examine it's use of these modern
gifts. My friend should use his
car to get his chores done faster
so he can use his time in the plea
surable activities he has selected.
His wife can use her dish-washer
to free her for something enjoy
able to herself whether it's petit
point or PTA. And l think a Flor
ida vacation right now would do
him some good