No, I’m not angry; nor am I offended.
But I am incredibly sad because I know the Lady knew better.
Of course, she did. Despite her wealth and prestige and pearls and marvelous career achievements in her heart she knew she was behaving badly. I wonder who or what prevailed upon her to do so.
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There was another way. We were all taught how to do that as young girls. The good Sisters of the Holy Cross who took Joan and I under their wings from the playground in Kindegarden to the farewell ceremony in 8th grade mandated a code of behavior neither of us have ever forgotten.
We were taught to maintain poise; become stoic; never grimace or mouth words while another is speaking. And never, never do anything but stare directly ahead despite any provocation by the speaker.
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We were also instructed that there is never an occasion for a moue or eyebrow lifting. Indeed anything close to a display of displeasure was rapidly rewarded with a stiff punishment as well as being kept late after school.
On the few occasions that occurred and we returned home later in the day, both our Mothers would demand an explanation for our late arrival. After confessing, we were reprimanded a second time to reinforce the lesson from the good Sisters.
Oh, I remember so many things I was taught by the nuns in that brown building on West 60th Street including memorizing the Gettysburg Address and the love of poetry and liturgy. Yet I know the one lesson that has lingered was their insistence on good manners.
The lady in question certainly didn’t attend the same school as Joan or I. Now was she taught by the same dedicated Sisters. And while she didn’t grow up in Hells Kitchen, I know she was certainly taught the importance of a lady’s behavior.
That didn’t include or permit the performance I watched tonight on TV.
Her performance made me sad, not because of politics. Instead I was shocked at her concession to something rather alien to the woman I have watched for a long time. Rudeness never described her demeanor; nor did grimacing or eye rolling ever apply to her exquisite appearance.
There are many words that could have been used to describe her before tonight. Unfortunately, they will be overlooked by what we watched on TV this Tuesday night in January.
I am so sorry she allowed it to happen, and perhaps, who knows, she may be, too. Ridicule is always painful even for what once was, a class act.
