Grocery shopping this morning brought back memories of a conversation I had back in the 1990s. I was chatting with a woman at a coffee shop who was a Baby Boomer and she was fondly recalling the late 1960s/early 1970s here in Madison. She was complaining that people weren't politically motivated at the close of the 20th century. Back when she was in college, politics was in the air. Everyone was talking about the Vietnam War, Dick Nixon, etc. all the time and everywhere. She missed those days.
I was grocery shopping this morning and there were a couple fire fighters doing the same for their station. One of them was an older gentleman while the other was younger, probably in his late 20s/early 30s. Needing some ham for jambalaya I headed to the meat aisle and saw the older guy in conversation with a senior couple. He was talking about how Governor Walker's bill would screw over the teachers and he said that a family member of his stood to lose his or her job. The couple patiently listened.
Passing by the younger fellow who was waiting for his co-worker to finish chatting, I asked him if a lot of people like me stop and chat him up about the protests. He said that people do. He wasn't going to make it today because he was on duty but those in his squad (are fire fighters organized into squads?) would be there.
If that woman I talked to in the 90s is still around, then I'm sure she's happy because the issues of the day are seemingly on everyone's lips now.
On another note, I hear on pretty good authority that the union workers at the Kohler factory in Sheboygan are supportive of the protests here. I won't repeat the exact words I was told, but let's hope the National Guard doesn't get involved.
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