LastSundayImadeavisittosomenewneighborsdowntheblock.Nospecificinmindjustanopportunitytositatthekitchentablehavesometeaandchat.AsIdidsoitoccurredtomehowraretheSundayvisithasbecome.
WhenIwasakidinNewJerseyofthe1960sSundayvisitswereroutine.Moststoreswereclosedalmostnobodyworkedandthehighwaysasaresultwerenotdesperatesteeplechases(障碍赛跑)theyhavebecometoday.Myfamilynormallytraveledeightcityblockstothehomeofmygrandmotherwhereadultswouldsitonthefrontporchandchatwhilewechildrenplayedhide-and-seek.
TheSundayvisitwassomethingtodesirestrongly.ItwastherepetitiontochurchourrewardforanhourofdevotionanopportunitytotakeadvantageofthefactthatDadwasnotatworkwewerenotinschoolandtherewasnohouseworkthatcouldn’twaituntilMonday.Sundaywasindeeddifferentfromtheotherdaysoftheweekbecauseeveryoneseemedtobeonthesameschedulewhichmeansthattherewasonedaywheneveryoneseemedtohavetimeforeverybodyelse.
Sundayasadayofrestisorwassodeeplyrootedintheculturethatit’ssurprisingtofindthatinashortspanoftimeithasalmostentirelylostthisassociation.Inmychildhooditwasassumedthateveryonewouldeitherbehomeorvisitingsomeoneelse’shomeonSunday.Butnowthequestionis“WhatdoyouplantoDOthisSunday?”TheanswercanrangefromgoingtothemalltoparticipatinginaroadracetoMontrealforlunch.Ifoneweretorespond“I’mmakingaSundayvisittofamily”suchananswerwouldfeelstrangewhichsoundslikeanechofromanotherera.
IsupposeIshouldbegratefultoliveinMaineastateofsmalltownsabundantlandandtightrelationships.Eventhoughfolksworkashardhereastheydoanywhereelsethestate’spowerfullyruralfeaturestillkeepsatleastremnants(残余部分)ofthemoralofyesterday’sAmericawherepeoplehadtodependononeanotherinthefaceofeconomicvagaries(反复无常的情况)andachallengingenvironment.
小题1:Thewriter’sgeneralimpressionoftheSundayinthepastwasadaywhen＿＿.
