None Dare Call It Digression…

Speaking of the Staff…well, back when I was alive, Monday was called, officially, Diversion Day, and the rules were a lot different. We were expected to pursue our normal proselytizing activities in the morning, and if we hit noon without afternoon and evening appointments, we had the rest of the day and evening free for “Diversion”: cleaning our apartment,¹ taking care of our clothes and our conveyances, writing letters and journal entries, and so forth. If we chose to take in a concert or even a movie, that was OK, within the limits of propriety: this was before ratings.

¹Never as big a time-occupier as the Mission President’s wife wished and advocated.

These days, the official jargon is “Preparation Day;” music and movies are strictly verboten, and I’m not really current on the latest constraints in the Rules.

In late 1967, touch football was obviously OK. And this taffy-pull, with Elder Dave and ex-Elder Brent right in the middle, and with Mammy looking on, apparently reflect the festive season, about which we were never particularly reticent.