Victorians are (rightly) thought to have been more reserved than we are, and certainly were less ‘expressive’ (or explicit) about expressing their views, feelings, and desires, except among family and close friends.
Even then, proper etiquette and a degree of restraint were prized as virtues and as evidence of a good upbringing.
To paraphrase Winston Churchill, ‘this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.’
Now Mr. Churchill uttered his lapidary sentiment in a very serious context — the growing certainty of an Allied victory in World War II — but as he was a man whom I respect for his tenacity and his stunning linguistic skills, I hope he won’t mind my borrowing his quote today.
Those of us old enough to remember December 31, 1999, may recall doing some thinking at that time about what the twenty-first Century might bring.
I think it’s fair to say that the twentieth was a mixed bag: increasing human prosperity and scientific progress around the world, certainly, but punctuated by spasms of truly horrific violence and inhumanity.
Greetings, I’m Robert Brighton, and I appreciate your coming to spend a few minutes with me. If you’ve not heard of me, you’re not alone. (Though I hope we can change that.) While I’ve been writing most of my life, only recently did I decide to pursue it full-time.
