When New Bern adults smirk
at the fear their youngsters
have of Halloween witches, gob
lins and ghosts, they are in ef
fect wearing a false face them
selves.
All oldsters, whether they
care to admit it or not, are
plagued by their own pet gob-
lins--every day and night ofthe
year. Some of the things they
are afraid of happen to be real.
Many are Imaginary, or will
never catch up with the Intimi
dated mortals who dread them.
These goblins aren’t to be
confused with the skeletons that
all families have in their re
spective and approximately re
spectable closets. New Bern-
ians are conscious of them, but
are most careful not to let
them get out and shake their
scandalized bones under public
scrutiny.
Perhaps no goblin Is more
feared by all of us than the
spectre of 111 health. We may
not be fully grateful for the
amazingly Intricate bodies that
God gave us when He created
us In His own likeness. Usually
we abuse them foolishly, but
lurking In the back of every
one’s mind Is the haunting real
ization that there’s no substi
tute for good health.
As a matter of fact, much
of the advertising aimed at us
by manufacturers makes full
use of this fear complex. One
highly successful toothpaste
peddler found It far more prof
itable to harp on “pink tooth
brush” than to publicize the
cleansing qualities of his pro
duct, and the claim that this or
that cigarette is “less Irri
tating” to the delicate mem
branes of the nose and throat
has paid off handsomely.
“You rarely ever know It,
and your closest friend won’t
tell you.” Maybe he will, and
maybe he won’t. Anyhow, an
ad writer on New York’s Madi
son Avenue spawned these
omnious words, and millions of
bottles of a well known gargle
were sold as a result.
Another of our goblins Is the
fear of economic reversals.
The employee Is afraid that
somewhere along the way he
will lose his job, and fail to
get another one. 'The employer
dreads the possibility that
mounting costs, keen competi
tion and government restric
tions will put him out of busi
ness.
New Bern women who are
pretty, along with those who
aren’t, are fearful of wrinkles,
and gray strands that show up
in their locks. Men don’t shout
for joy either, when a trace of
snow appears on their noggins.
Far more, however, dread bald
ness.
The loss of social prom
inence, or failure to achieve
it, is a goblin for many. They
panic at the thought that they
will be snubbed when Invita
tions are sent out for parties
or functions where the so called
elite are destined to gather.
In this category the most
acute sufferer is the social
climber who has found It impos
sible to crash the Inner circle
on any and all previous
occasions, and Is scared stiff
over the prospect of spending
his or her life on the outside
looking In.
There’s a bit of the pessi
mist In all of us. Day In and
day out. In our secret heart,
we shudder over the thought
of calamities that In most In-
New Bsm Fablio Library
The NEW BERN
The NEW BERN
Si Per Copy
VOLUME 6
NEW BERN, N. C., FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1963
NUMBER 27
THEY WERE TOPS—The years pass swiftly, and the
three young equestrians seen in this photo have prob
ably forgotten the day they and their neatly groomed
steeds won coveted prizes in one of New Bern’s rarest
attractions, an honest to goodness hores show. Nita
Whitty and George Scott, Jr., for want of a better place
to hold them, clenched their ribbons in their teeth
while posing with the third local winner, Aggie Barden.
CHARM WAS LACKING—Chances are the not so stun
ning males impersonating gals in this beauty contest
will be shook up when this picture comes back to haunt
them. The setting was the Masonic Theatre stage, and
lovelies left to right were Edmund Nelson, Robert
Dixon, Roderick Cotten, Alfred Mayo and Gene Mc-
Sorley. The master of ceremonies, holding his script
over Alfred’s head for audience applause, finally deter
mined that Dixon was the winner.
stances never happen. The mis
fortunes that do come usually
weren’t contemplated, and In
sidiously sneak up on our blind
side while we’re worrylngabout
something else.
Back of It all, of course. Is
the age-old animal Instinct that
tells us self preservation is
the first law of nature. We want
to preserve the things that are
near and dear to us. Because
we treasure them to the ut
most, we are constantly looking
over our shoulders for an un
seen robber.
What’s more, we are plagued
by superstitions that far
ouwelgh the notions that cloud
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