My own sad feelings about Queen Elizabeth, re: WWII

[Thtwudbeme]

I was born in 1964- in Virginia. A volatile time for the Civil Rights movement. My folks were both Dems, and that was unpopular then.

All of my grandparents were alive and well, as were their brothers and sisters (lots of great aunts and uncles for me). Several of my great grandparents were alive, and would live long enough for me to get to spend time with them and know them well.

There were many stories- I very well knew folks that knew my famiily members that fought (yep- on the wrong side) of the Civil War. My stories of those people are only second hand.

But! All four of my grandparents that lived/ served during WWII lived until I was in my thirties. My last grandfather- who had a Purple Heart- died several years ago at the age of 101. My parents are in their mid-eighties- they remember WWII as children.

Through all of this- the ONE public Head of State and Church was Queen Elizabeth (for me- my folks remember her father). She was a public touchstone for me of that era that was so important to my family memories.

So, now I am watching and waiting for people to die. My folks are the oldest left in my family, and they are not doing well. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip are gone. That's a real loss historically no matter how you feel about monarchies.

I hate the idea of monarchies. Philisophically and politically, they rub me the wrong way. But, I didn't realize how much it meant to me that Elizabeth was out walking her corgi's- and listening to bagpipes- until she died.

I HOPE the British monarchy ends with William. I hope I live long enough to watch it. Their family will be fine- although I suspect the grandchildren of William and Harry and the others will be pretty upper middle class for a couple of generations. I hope it ends gently- just like I hope my own ending is gentle and quiet.

I hope we start worrying more about climate change and poverty- and less about Buckingham Palace. I hope we go quietly and confidantly into the next era.