European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 07, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Families Are every teens secret shame Joe Murray Cox news service i guess this is As Good a time As any to come clean. As a teen Ager i was ashamed of our Bathtub. It was one of those cast Iron claw footed monstrosities deep and wide indoor plumbing As big As All outdoors and a big embarrassment for me whenever i had a buddy spending the night. Everybody else i knew so it seemed had new and modern facilities in their Homes squared off built in and Down sized bathtubs that were not so much tubs As they were. Well new and modern As opposed to old and old fashioned. Of course none of my friends Ever made mention of it. At the time i figured it was because they were As embarrassed for me As i was for myself. In be since come to realize that i was wrong. True most Likely they were As embarrassed As i was but not because of my secret shame. They had their own reasons to be ashamed each in their own Way. We All had this much in common though every teen agers secret shame had something to do with his or her family. I ask you what could be As ridiculous As being ashamed of your Bathtub Well As a matter of fact in be asked lots of people Over the years. Almost without exception theirs were equally As ridiculous As mine. For instance a a fellow told me that nothing embarrassed him More than to bring a Friend Home and be greeted by of All things a Watermelon in the living room. His parents made it a practice to set a Watermelon in front of the window air conditioner so that it would stay Cool. To his Way of thinking it was anything but Cool. A a Young woman still remembers the fear and shame that were with her throughout her teen age years whenever a Friend was visiting. She knew a somehow someway someday a the afghan Blanket folded neatly across the Arm of the love seat would slip to the floor revealing the family a secret shame the love seat had a spot so worn that the stuffing had begun to show through. A a buddy in be known most of my life confessed that the key to his secret shame was nothing More than the key to his House. He was always deeply embarrassed that their House key was a Skeleton Type key. A i done to know Why we even bothered to lock up. Anybody could buy the same key for a Nickel in any variety  a a woman now in her 40s, admitted she was never so relieved As the Day a neighbors Home burned. Her parents gave the family her Bedstead the headboard consisting of a Mammoth Oak panel that reached Halfway to the ceiling. A fall my friends had Bookcase Beds and that a what i finally  except that now she would give anything to have one of those Oaken bedsteads a they re All but priceless. I know How she feels. What it was that got me to remembering All these things was what i saw at a Lions club Home show in the civic Center. There it was the newest most modern Bathtub Money can buy. Not that i could buy it a not when the Price tag attached to one of the claw feet says $3,300. Which is exactly what i told my wife when she asked if we could afford it. A a that a a shame a she said. Joe Murray is editor publisher emeritus of the Lufkin Texas daily  something new notice anything different beginning this week the stars and stripes sunday magazines have a new look. The two magazines sunday and to plus have been merged under a single cover and a single name. The 24-Page Magazine continues to carry Tele vision and movie schedules video summaries and entertainment news plus Book reviews science shorts and humor and guest columns. The revised Magazine also has four pages of classified advertisements for All those who want to buy and sell items look for jobs make personal announcements and More. If you need help finding anything Check the Index below. A itt \ to a con itn1s a the jct sons the movies debuts on the cafes film circuit. Page 8.on the cover Roseanne Barr and John Goodman return to an to in a a Roseanne on wednesday observations. 3 a Leader Worth following what will you do upon return from Gulf to briefs.4 Quot night line is getting Competition Hollywood shoptalk 6 its already Christmas in Hollywood on videos .7 spicier videos in the shops this weeks films 8-9 Complete cafes circuit listings review of a men at work on tv.10 baseball plays havoc with to schedules television listings 11-14 local Cable and satellite schedules Home front.15 making music from Light and pits pointers on photography books.16-17 Kurt Vonnegut sounds familiar warning Van Winkle was he upped not asleep science and the world 18 getting closer to volcanoes secrets at a glance Sweden Odds amp ends.19 Job Security not what it once was miss manners and Horoscope last laugh .24 Dave Barry cartoons from around the world a designer colors in one of the gnomes used in the Maine Mannchen cartoons seen on German television. Page 5.tv plus is a weekly supplement of the stars and stripes editors John Taylor Sarah Bottorff Art director Sharon Kilday production Lisa William Denise Adams editorial assistance Louis Pierce Marian Hamilton c to plus sunday october 7,1990