These days, a regret of mine is that Helen Nordstrom has little or nothing to contribute to the politics of 2019.
Most of the Helen story was written in the mid 1900s, when the major topics were gay marriage, and other issues of alternate lifestyles. Today, we grapple with mainstream economic and social justice issues, and Helen is handicapped by her loss of memory and experience. I must have wanted to make her purely a musician, and I succeeded too well.
I wonder whether it would be interesting to have Helen give an interview for a magazine that explored political views?
Magazine: Miss Nordstrom, you're a millionaire. What do you feel about your financial resources, at a time when poverty is rampant, and income disparity is so extreme?
Helen: I think I'm probably the poorest millionaire in the millionaire club! As you know,--and I was told!--that I announced my retirement some years ago . . .
Magazine: Yes, when you were going through a particularly difficult time.
Helen: Exactly. But I kept working with Galaxy Studios, at that time, and . . . I think the bookshop . . .
Magazine: BNB Inc.
Helen: Yes, they have made steady money, and of course that brings in some revenue. But I support several charities, as well as, you know, extended family, so the money is put to good use! But when I hear about wealth inequity, I understand, and I support steps to reduce it, generally!
Magazine: For the record, are you still a millionaire? There's a possibility that you might not be, anymore!
Helen: I might not, actually. I could find out from Becky Singer, who knows all about that! Oh, and also, we have a subsidiary, that is LMN Records, which makes steady money, and there's also an instrument workshop, that is losing money, so it's hard to keep track of. At tax time we find out!
Magazine: And you're also performing again, now, so that must bring money. And royalties, and stuff.
Helen: Oh, yes, I forgot.
Magazine: Let's change the direction of our conversation. What are your thoughts about the administration, and the upcoming elections!
Helen: Well, until about the beginning of this year, I took the point of view that . . . our president is the one the people wanted, and it was a good lesson for all of us to be careful whom we select. We just could not be backtracking every decision; we have to suffer through this . . .
Magazine: . . . Term . . .
Helen: . . . Right, and do better next time. I was very unhappy with the public humiliation that the President was being put through.
Magazine: But now?
Helen: Now, I still feel the same. But I have been cringing increasingly more frequently, at seeing mean and unreasonable actions being taken in the name of the US, and thinking that the World thinks of these actions as American actions, and not just the actions of the President.
Magazine: But you still stand by the President?
Helen: Stand by is too strong a phrase of support. I'm unhappily tolerating what he does, and we will have a lot of work to build back the goodwill and the--I don't know what the word is; I don't think it is appropriate to seek approval, but the confidence, I guess, is the word I want. We need to earn the confidence of the world out there.
Magazine: What do you think of Twitter?
Helen: You know, we can't treat the population as though they were children. There are naive adults who are easily manipulated by, you know, Facebook, and Twitter, and other social media, but I think it is inappropriate to pass laws that say: people are foolish; we have to save them from themselves! We just can't do that. At least, that's my point of view.
Magazine: This has been very interesting! You know that your views are very much more conservative than those of the mainstream Democrats of today!
Helen: I think that's how elections work. I think we should make sure that elections are fair, but once the results are in, we're stuck with them.
Kay