The Berlin Perspective: 'Am I Old if Roger Moore is my 007?'
Should Daniel Craig be driving the Aston Martin or drink those Martinis? Of course, the man has every right to do so. Still, I insist the late Roger Moore embodied 007 like no other. Does this make me an old geezer? Probably.
Berlin, October 18th, 2021 (The Berlin Spectator) — Am I old because I insist 'Moonraker' with Roger Moore was the most brilliant Bond flick of all time, and because I know the late Richard Kiel was the most convincing villain in any 007 movie? Do I seem like a grandfather if I like 'In the Heat of the Night' with Sidney Poitier and 'Narrow Margin' with Anne Archer and Gene Hackman?
Flying Coffins
Do I seem old if Marillion is a "new band" to me, or because I remember the moment Santana's 'Marathon' album was released in 1979? I can hold one-hour speeches on Earth, Wind & Fire at a moment's notice. Does this make me seem aged, like a good wine or Gouda? Am I old and senile if four-letter words come to my mind when I hear samples of today's Pop music?
Do I look old because I want to fly to New York on a Boeing 747-100 with the PanAm livery again, or because I remember those trans-Atlantic flights on DC-10s, those flying coffins? I remember the times when traveling from Frankfurt to Mexico City required stopovers in London, New York and Houston. Do I look like a geriatric now?
Conscientious Objectors
Am I wrinkled and old because I remember Chancellors other than Angela Merkel, or since I was part of protests against NATO's Pershing II missiles in 1983, which I should not have participated in because we obviously ignored the SS-20s set up by the communist Eastern Bloc?
I still see the Berlin Wall, from both sides, in my memories. Does this make me an old fart? Is this what I am if I remember trips on the transit route from West Germany to West Berlin and class trips to the GDR? Am I a dinosaur if I remember the times when West Berlin was a haven for conscientious objectors who moved here because they did not want to become part of the armed forces or do community service for two years instead?
The Berlin Wall is probably the best litmus test there is. If we remember it, we are senile.
Main photo at top of page (Roger Moore portrait only) by Allen Warren. Photo was edited. View license here.