Breather 06/12/2004 Okay, so The Big One is begun and progressing rather better than I'd expected. Six paragraphs done and almost reached the point! Can't be bad.Anyway, I figure I've earned a break. I thought I'd do a bit about blogging and then realized that I like reading comments just as much as any blog. Especially if it's Way doing the commenting...Then I remembered that I've been thinking about doing an occasional piece on American idols. These would be inserted here and there throughout the Journal as relief from my usual drone. So I might as well have a go at the first one. Actually, I've only got one so far - if I never do another, you'll know that my imagination has failed me.American Idols(tadaa)Numero Uno: The Fire HydrantThe first time I saw an American fire hydrant I knew immediately that I had come across something that is more American than apple pie (after all, we have apple pie in England too). That first one stood in all its glory, slightly disappointing in that it was painted blue and yellow instead of the expected red, but undeniable in its bold stance, its funny little conical cap and its stumpy arms stretched out as if testing for spots of rain.I insisted on taking photographs of my new discovery and my American friends laughed and thought me weird. But think about it. If you go to a different country you want to bring back something to prove that you've been there, some immediately identifiable symbol that everyone will recognize. It even helps you to believe that you have really been there and done that. And, in this little fellow, the fire hydrant, there is wrapped up all that is symbolic of America. If I were to show my photographs to anyone, anywhere, they would know, without speaking, that I had been to the states.The rest of the world is saturated with things American. Coca-cola, McDonalds and the stars and stripes are everywhere. But my hero, the fire hydrant, stands solidly in his place and proclaims, through film, cartoon and documentary, "THIS is America." Nowhere else in the world is it possible to see this unassuming little character but he is instantly recognizable from Tahiti to Timbuctoo. He has a minor part in every movie about America, he makes appearances in every cartoon, every magazine. He is truly, beyond question, without doubt, an American icon.Take a bow, little feller (if your stiff little back will allow it). I give you, folks, the American Fire Hydrant!(to see the second American Idol Award, click here)
Clive
wayfareingstranger Now I can better understand the oddest part about fire hydrants, and that is the strange things some people do by decorating these functional spigots with brush and paint, decorating them to resemble little people. No, on second thought, I still don't get it, but I had to post something since I can't find a good brush. Now I shall return to my jog in this...what? Public call box? Date Added: 06/12/2004
Gone Away Ah, my friend, as an American you can never understand what these guardians of the boulevard, these soldiers of the street corner, these fountains of the ghetto, supporters of suburbia, mean to us humble and adoring foreigners. They are too close to you, their true gallantry has been worn by familiarity to the mere humdrum. Date Added: 06/12/2004
Mad Getting adventurous with the HTML there dad! Nesting <em>'s and <strong>'s inside <p>'s, not bad, not bad at all... Date Added: 06/12/2004
Gone Away One tiny mistake, Mad. I forgot the space before the (tadaa). :| You could take out the italics you put in, however... ;) Date Added: 06/12/2004
Mad You put it in em's dad not me, that's italics ;) Date Added: 07/12/2004
Hannah Now I know what to get you for Christmas :P Date Added: 07/12/2004
Gone Away We already have one in our street, Hannah - and it's red! But thank you for the kind thought. :) Date Added: 07/12/2004
Joshua Estell tsk tsk. I never thought of fire hydrants that way. Perhaps it is but one of the many pitfalls of ubiquity, eh? p.s. - was this post written in mid june, or am I just too american to understand your 'fern' dating conventions? :-P Date Added: 07/12/2004
Mad Now I know you're just trying to get a rise from us poor "ferners". Mr Hill is, I'm sure, very aware that the rest of the world use a more logical dating system than his particular abode... Date Added: 07/12/2004
Gone Away Glad that Mad has cleared up that little matter of the dating. Nuthin wrawng with been Amer'can y'all (sorry, I'm learning Texan and it just slips out sometimes. Welcome aboard Joshua, umm, Mr Hill. Date Added: 07/12/2004
Bumpy Beth I love it, the fire hydrant, never thought about it like that. AND... theres nothing wrong with saying Yall... Date Added: 07/12/2004
Gone Away Thank you Beth. :) And I agree about "y'all"! Date Added: 07/12/2004
Katie One of the first things I noticed when I visited England for the first time, there are NO fire hydrants! :O What do you do if there's a house fire?!?!? Have your neighbors bring you buckets of water? *Try's to never set a house on fire* Date Added: 15/12/2004
Gone Away We have fire hydrants Katie; it's just that we put them underground with a square metal cover over them. Sorta like a miniature manhole cover. Flip the cover open and you see the hydrant and can attach the fire hose. Date Added: 09/01/2005
Back to the main blog
You may use HTML in comments. A carriage return is <br />, use two for a new paragraph. For bold text use <strong></strong> and for italic text use <em></em>. If you know what you're doing feel free to use more complex mark-up but please no deprecated tags or JavaScript.
Name * Comment * Email * URL Commenting has closed for this post
