My "I Was Not Aware of That Moment"

[easysurfer]

Almost embarrassed to admit, I was not aware until watching the morning news that "Teddy Roosevelt" and "Franklin Roosevelt" are cousins.

I had always assumed they were totally separate and having the same name was use pure coincidence.

 

[ERD50]

Well, I was aware of that, but I imagine we all have knowledge lapses in areas others might assume are common knowledge. Maybe you skipped school that day?

But this brings up an interesting issue. I sometimes get in trouble, as I've learned I really can't assume what someone does or does not know. But if I spell it out, I might get that "What, do you think I'm stupid?" look or comment. But then if I skip it, maybe they don't know and they don't get my point, or have to ask (and then I look like some kind of 'know-it-all' as I explain it). It seems like lose-lose.

An experience from a few years ago - DW was with one of the kids, and the kid parked the car. They called me and said they couldn't get the key to turn in the ignition. Here I'm figuring the lock is jammed up, something is over-riding the switch, all sorts of possibilities are going through my head. Then, timidly, I said "Did you try turning the steering whhel a little to the left and right while turning the key? Sometimes there's some pressure against it and it keeps the key from turning." - and then I grimaced while I expected the "What, do you think I'm stupid? Of course I tried that!", but no, I hear "Hey! That did it!".

I couldn't believe a driver wouldn't know that, but you never know what others don't know.

-ERD50

 

[ProspectiveBum]

My "I was not aware of that" moment was while visiting relatives in Chicago. They were talking about how low water rates are where they live. I commented that they do get plenty of rain there.

My cousin said "well sure, plus water from the Lake" (meaning Lake Michigan). I asked if they had built a desalination plant somewhere?

I had no idea that the Great Lakes were freshwater.

 

[SumDay]

I'm really looking forward to that PBS Roosevelt series. I always like Ken Burns work.

And, I also didn't know they were cousins, nor that Eleanor was Teddy's niece.

 

[athena53]

And, I also didn't know they were cousins, nor that Eleanor was Teddy's niece.

And that Eleanor didn't have to change her name when she married because she already WAS a Roosevelt!

 

[easysurfer]

I'm really looking forward to that PBS Roosevelt series. I always like Ken Burns work.

And, I also didn't know they were cousins, nor that Eleanor was Teddy's niece.

Ken Burns was a guest of the CBS morning news and talked about the Roosevelt special which is how the subject came up mentioning that often Teddy and FDR are thought of separately coming from different parties.

 

[ChainsBeGone]

Anyone interested in Teddy Roosevelt should read The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt and Theodore Rex, both written by Edmund Morris. If there was ever a true Renaissance Man, it was Teddy Roosevelt.

 

[pb4uski]

....An experience from a few years ago - DW was with one of the kids, and the kid parked the car. They called me and said they couldn't get the key to turn in the ignition. Here I'm figuring the lock is jammed up, something is over-riding the switch, all sorts of possibilities are going through my head. Then, timidly, I said "Did you try turning the steering whhel a little to the left and right while turning the key? Sometimes there's some pressure against it and it keeps the key from turning." - and then I grimaced while I expected the "What, do you think I'm stupid? Of course I tried that!", but no, I hear "Hey! That did it!". ...

DD did the exact thing as a novice driver on her first day with her car.

 

[pb4uski]

....I had no idea that the Great Lakes were freshwater.

 

[Car-Guy]

Plus


John Quincy Adams was the son of John Adams
Benjamin Harrison was a grandson of William Henry Harrison

and of course everyone should know that: George W. Bush is the son of George H Bush

I've read that several others are related (distantly) by blood and some by marriage.

 

[easysurfer]

Well, I was aware of that, but I imagine we all have knowledge lapses in areas others might assume are common knowledge. Maybe you skipped school that day?

...

The Roosevelts are pretty much before my time. All I remember in class about FDR and The New Deal. Teddy and The Rough Riders.


Watching news last night, there was a mention that the kids starting college now, when 9/11 happened, they were in kindergarten.

Think about all the facts we assume and this generation is probably not aware of.

 

[easysurfer]

My "I was not aware of that" moment was while visiting relatives in Chicago. They were talking about how low water rates are where they live. I commented that they do get plenty of rain there.

My cousin said "well sure, plus water from the Lake" (meaning Lake Michigan). I asked if they had built a desalination plant somewhere?

I had no idea that the Great Lakes were freshwater.

Is it true that the Great Lakes supply about 90% of the drinking water of the country?

 

[ERD50]

The Roosevelts are pretty much before my time. All I remember in class about FDR and The New Deal. Teddy and The Rough Riders.


Watching news last night, there was a mention that the kids starting college now, when 9/11 happened, they were in kindergarten.

Think about all the facts we assume and this generation is probably not aware of.

Yep. I always thought that recent history was overlooked in school. It was like they hadn't got around to writing the textbooks yet, or it was too recent to be looked at independently. But I think we learned up through WWII, and that was it. So there was a big gap in my 50's and early 60's knowledge. Adults assumed we knew it, because they lived it?

My oldest son can already tell 'luxury' stories to the younger generation. 'We used to stand at the bus stop, we needed a jacket with big pockets to hold our CD player (look it up!), that held one disk, with maybe 10 songs on it. If you wanted another 10 songs, you had to stop, open the cover, replace the disk with another from a separate case you carried. And then you could only listen to those ten songs, if the batteries held out that long, driving an actual physical motor. You kids have it so good with your fancy flash drives!

-ERD50

 

[razztazz]

Someone mentioned on another thread that Switzerland is a direct democracy with an essentially weak federal government.

I always assumed:

1) That the way they kept the Cantons together to be Switzerland was by having a powerful central government that the "tribes" at some point hundreds of years ago agreed to acquiese to

2) Were just as densely bureaucratic and -full of government- as it were, as every other society in Europe

 

[Katsmeow]

But this brings up an interesting issue. I sometimes get in trouble, as I've learned I really can't assume what someone does or does not know. But if I spell it out, I might get that "What, do you think I'm stupid?" look or comment. But then if I skip it, maybe they don't know and they don't get my point, or have to ask (and then I look like some kind of 'know-it-all' as I explain it). It seems like lose-lose.

This happens to me all the time.

An experience from a few years ago - DW was with one of the kids, and the kid parked the car. They called me and said they couldn't get the key to turn in the ignition. Here I'm figuring the lock is jammed up, something is over-riding the switch, all sorts of possibilities are going through my head. Then, timidly, I said "Did you try turning the steering whhel a little to the left and right while turning the key? Sometimes there's some pressure against it and it keeps the key from turning." - and then I grimaced while I expected the "What, do you think I'm stupid? Of course I tried that!", but no, I hear "Hey! That did it!".

I couldn't believe a driver wouldn't know that, but you never know what others don't know.

I just realized that I don't think my two youngest kids (the youngest is 18) have ever driven a car that had a key that you put in the ignition. The cars they regularly drive both have the keyless operation.

Actually, I guess I take that back. They had driver's ed so probably they drove cars with a regular key. Not sure if they ever had to deal with the key themselves or not.

I also realize that while all I have is the fob that starts the car and there is no physical key that goes in the ignition (there is just a button in the car), DH and I still talk about the key to the car. He was driving my car somewhere tonight and came in and asked me for the key even though there isn't actually any physical key to put in the ignition. I wonder what the proper term really should be.

 

[EastWest Gal]

My "I was not aware of that" moment was while visiting relatives in Chicago. They were talking about how low water rates are where they live. I commented that they do get plenty of rain there.

My cousin said "well sure, plus water from the Lake" (meaning Lake Michigan). I asked if they had built a desalination plant somewhere?

I had no idea that the Great Lakes were freshwater.

Been to Chicago once. From the shore it does look like a huge bay. But I did know it was fresh all along. An embarrassing moment for you, I'm sure. Oh well. Live and learn.


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

 

[chilkoot]

Just to delve a little more deeply than anyone cares into the Roosevelt trivia...
TR and FDR were cousins, yes, but each subscribed to a different pronunciation of the family name. Teddy pronounced the "oo" sound, just like it was spelled, but FDR elected to use the long "o" as in "rose".

 

[aja8888]

Is it true that the Great Lakes supply about 90% of the drinking water of the country?

Geographically, I can't believe that (I have not done 'net research, though). Here in Texas, we get our water from subsurface aquifers and large lakes. (and we know how BIG Texas is )

 

[ERD50]

Is it true that the Great Lakes supply about 90% of the drinking water of the country?

Maybe this is what you are thinking of (from wiki):

they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth, containing 21% of the world's surface fresh water and 54% of the world's liquid fresh water by volume.

But also....

The Great Lakes are used to supply drinking water to tens of millions of people in bordering areas.

So I don't think the 'tens' of millions is a big % of the country.

-ERD50

 

[easysurfer]

Glad you looked it up. I was too lazy to

Don't know where I heard the 90% from.

 

[Rick_Head]

An experience from a few years ago - DW was with one of the kids, and the kid parked the car. They called me and said they couldn't get the key to turn in the ignition. Here I'm figuring the lock is jammed up, something is over-riding the switch, all sorts of possibilities are going through my head. Then, timidly, I said "Did you try turning the steering whhel a little to the left and right while turning the key? Sometimes there's some pressure against it and it keeps the key from turning." - and then I grimaced while I expected the "What, do you think I'm stupid? Of course I tried that!", but no, I hear "Hey! That did it!".

I couldn't believe a driver wouldn't know that, but you never know what others don't know.

-ERD50

My bold. This goes back to ~1970. I was a "car guy" but couldn't afford a "nice one". I was attending a convention in my town and had bussed to work and walked to the location. I had invited another out-of-towner to stay at my place. When we left, she borrowed a colleague's car for the night so we could get home. It was a GTO convertible 4-speed. When we got there we couldn't get the key out. Finally, we parked in my driveway and I put my car behind it so that even if someone saw the key and tried to steal it, it was going nowhere. Next morning I stayed with the car while she went in and found her colleague. He came out and showed us, you have to have it in reverse to remove the key. My car was a Japanese 4-speed at the time.

 

[RunningBum]

Just to delve a little more deeply than anyone cares into the Roosevelt trivia...
TR and FDR were cousins, yes, but each subscribed to a different pronunciation of the family name. Teddy pronounced the "oo" sound, just like it was spelled, but FDR elected to use the long "o" as in "rose".

A facebook friend of mine just posted something about how she hoped people would pronounce Roosevelt's name correctly, with the Burns series coming out. I was all set to drop this little fact on her when I thought I should google it, and found that Teddy also pronounced it as "Rose".

TR Center - How do you pronounce Roosevelt

 

[razztazz]

Thank you so much for finding this. One of my degrees is in History and I have been looking for something like this for 45 yrs. Have always heard of the "Roos" vs "Rose" story but every "Authority" on the subject, including people I knew decades ago who lived through both Roosevelts, contradicted each other.

Reminds me of Stephen COLE-bert vs Stephen Cole-BEAR

 

[BTravlin]

Anyone interested in Teddy Roosevelt should read The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt and Theodore Rex, both written by Edmund Morris. If there was ever a true Renaissance Man, it was Teddy Roosevelt.

I read Theodore Rex and really enjoyed it. Teddy was a fascinating person and one of my favorite presidents.

 

[easysurfer]

Thank you so much for finding this. One of my degrees is in History and I have been looking for something like this for 45 yrs. Have always heard of the "Roos" vs "Rose" story but every "Authority" on the subject, including people I knew decades ago who lived through both Roosevelts, contradicted each other.

Reminds me of Stephen COLE-bert vs Stephen Cole-BEAR

Or Brett Fa-RVE vs Brett Fa-VRE