Scandinavia

     When Greek meets Greek. Dwight Peterson writes:
     Isn't life wonderful and sobering! I never in a million years thought I would agree with Linda Nyquist (Nyqvist) over anything because our politics are diametrically opposed but she is so very, very right about Scandinavia!! The Danish statistics do not tell the whole story. My background is Danish & Norwegian and I was married to a woman from Sweden for 30 years. My ex wife's cousin, a successful psychologist in Sweden, and his companion never married and have three grown children who are intelligent and productive individuals with no hang ups about their parents' marital status. My ex-wife's best friend in Sweden also has a marvelous family with children who are successful and continue to receive love from the parents who live background is Danish & Norwegian and I was married to a woman from Sweden for 30 years. My ex-wife's cousin, a successful psychologist in Sweden, and his companion never married and have three grown children who are intelligent and productive individuals with no hang ups about their parents' marital status. My ex-wife's best friend in Sweden also has a marvelous family with children who are successful and continue to receive love from the parents who live together but who have never married. I do not know why this situation exists nor what started it. However, it fortifies Linda's point that statistics are not telling the true story because unmarried and wonderfully committed parents are involved in a lot of the documented births termed "out of wedlock".


     My comment: I repeat, why? Does it affect the legal status of all concerned? What´s wrong with getting married? Are you telling me that all the children born out of wedlock have loving parents? Are there no single mothers, with all the implications?
     Let me boast that I am an honorary Swede. WAISers may not remember that famous evangelist Amie Semple MacPherson ran the Four-Square Gospel Temple in Los Angeles in the 30s. She was one of the most famous people in the United States.
     When I was at Berkeley as a Commonwealth Fund Fellow in the 30s, for some reason I was often taken for a Swede. (Why? A dumb Swede?). Three of us from England went to Los Angeles and attended the guest night at the Four Square Gospel Temple. Amie invited the guests to the stage to meet her personally, so well all lined up. Each guest was given a flower. She was fat and bathed in sweat. When our turn came, she asked the first: "Where are you from?" "Berkeley," he said shyly. He got small flower, and little applause. The second replied "Oxford, England." He got a medium-sized flower and applause. When my turn came, I replied "Sweden." She shouted "He's from Sweden!" and gave me a huge flower. All the Swedes in the audience stood up and applauded wildly. I bowed in gratitude.

Ronald Hilton - 11/2/99