Speaking at a meeting of four book clubs in Green Valley yesterday- over fifty attended for a talk and discussion about their current book, Cracks in the Wall.
Here is a portion of a letter I sent to the Green Valley News. (Not sure if it will be published)
Does anyone not love the new phrase, “walking back,” as in, (“so and so)
is walking back the quote directly from his mouth?”
At age thirteen, I took an exotic trip (for the time-1953) all the way to
an uncle’s house in St. Louis from New Jersey. As you know, that’s an age when impressing friends and acquaintances is so vitally important.
When I returned, I told my friends that I had ridden my uncle’s motorcycle all
over town. It was very impressive until a few older friends began to
question my story. I began to walk it back. First, I rode the bike around
the block. (Rode would have been in quotation marks.) That was not good
enough. Next, It was a trip up the driveway. (Trip was in quotation
marks.) They still weren’t buying it. So, finally walking back all the way, I told my friends (who for some reason were calling me a liar) I sat on the bike in the driveway.
The phrase is becoming a cliché. Say something outrageous. If no one
objects, it stands. If someone questions it, walk back a ways. If it
stands then, it is progress. If not, walk a bit further back until the
outrageous thing you said is acceptable or excused.
I sure wish we had “walking back” in 1953. Maybe my friends would have
finally believed that all I did was look at but not touch that beautiful
Harley.
The meanings of some phrases, such as “wire tap,” even in quotes, are difficult to “walk back,”
but apparently it’s working out just fine.
I like “walking back” much better than “lying.”
Hi, haven’t heard from you in a while. Getting much writting done? This rapidly approaching 80 is proving interesting. ’55 is having what they are saying will be our last reunion on June 10 since we will all be 80 or close to it. I’m giving serious thought to flying up from Dallas. More than the classmates I really want to spend a few days at my ocean.
I like telling the truth instead of having to walk anything back. Does that make me out of step with the times?
Or you could give the man the time to prove his accusation before all the hate and name calling. I personally believe Obama wiretapped all of us. I’ll even go further and predict he tries to have our president killed. And many of his ycophant followers will forgive that too.
In lawyer lingo that would be “spinning” the truth. “Walking back” some what acknowledges the lie in the 1st place. Spinning distorts the truth. I prefer the phrase “make me prove it” when someone calls into question my truthfulness. Sometimes my conclusions are based upon speculation but that speculation is based upon facts. Not everyone will agree with my conclusions and not every fact can be proven beyond a doubt, but I welcome the chance to defend my position against those that stay hidden in the shadows. I have lived most of my life avoiding confrontation and flying below radar. The Stacey Burns murder, the Roberta Miller murder and other major life events forced me to abandon my normal position and opens me up to the type of attention I would have preferred to avoid. However uncomfortable this entire process leaves me feeling, I will not back down either. Nor will there be any “walking back” from my written words and/or allegations.
I’m afraid I’m going to have to agree with Jim. In this day and age of technology and as corrupt as the government is a person would be crazy to think that this kind of thing is not happening. I think the subject may have been announced to soon but it will come. Not all things are easily proven but it does not mean it didn’t happen. Case and point..so far it obviously can’t be proven that any one person murdered Stacey yet she’s dead. As in most things in life the truth eventually comes out. Until then we just wait and watch.