He Was Just Like Anybody Else
Found this superb video of The Who performing their magnificent anthem of resistance. The Who are performing live at Kilburn in 1977. They are in their prime. The issue comes down to what we will do with the “life force.” Will we individually and collectively utilize the energy, our heritage of elan from Nature, from the nurture of parents, of friends, and culture for violent, self aggrandizing projects? Or will we decide to shape reality in ways that are inclusive of others, and deepen the meaning of life? Its complicated.
It is easy to conclude that all of us are slowly going mad, our humanity eroded by each days quotient of negativity: grieving for the dead of Las Vegas, suffering random tweets of bombast by our cartoonish President, and uncertainty about the viability of our essential institutions.
With this background, the productive force of this tune, and the truth of the lyric may be just the therapy that is called for.
“He was just like anybody else,” was the description given by a Nevada gunsmith of Stephen Paddock.