BETWEEN US
Robert Love EDITOR IN CHIEF
Spring 2024—It’s Upon Us
TAKE A LOOK AROUND. It’s that season, when, as William Shakespeare noted, “Birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding.” Or was it Frank Sinatra who uttered those immortal syllables? Google it, friends; I’m too busy laying plans for picnics and concerts and road trips and travel—and feeling young at heart. (OK, that one’s definitely Frank.) Amid April showers and May’s floral fusillades, it’s time to get off the couch and hit the road. A few possibilities: a day at the ballpark, the Kentucky Derby, the Rolling Stones’ “Hackney Diamonds” tour (sponsored by AARP!), flower shows, bluegrass festivals.... The world awaits.
Speaking of hitting the road, in this issue, you’ll find a touching story we’re calling “American Pilgrimages,” which we’re thinking of as a travel story with a little extra heart—travel that connects us to our history, its highs and lows, from the personal to our shared national history. Ellis Island, Graceland, the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the Stonewall Inn and the 9/11 Memorial & Museum: Take your pick, pilgrims, and book your flights before the door plug blows off again and we’re all grounded. Seriously, read all about these historic and spiritual American destinations, starting on “American Pilgrimages.” Then buckle up for some time travel: Set the Wayback Machine to 1974 (and turn to “1974 A year to remember”) to remember a year when ABBA went viral with “Waterloo,” Good Times and Little House premiered in prime time and Richard Nixon made history in not really a good way. (Hint to the youngsters: He resigned.)
And let’s not waste a moment in worry about aging. Sir Michael Philip Jagger is out there touring at 80 (along with his mate Keith, also 80), Penélope Cruz is turning 50, and don’t they wear it well?
