Plague Journal, You Can Try
Friday! A sense of accomplishment to reach the final day of the workweek with my sense of self intact, given all the events swirling around. It goes without saying it is my choice to be aware of events, political, economic, and social that happen. Dumb and happy is a live option. There is the consolation of ignorant bliss — until the moment one is overrun, crushed by the change you wanted to ignore. One must chose. Red pill or blue? Take the red pill, and see how deep the rabbit hole goes. Or the blue and believe what you want.
The song Beautiful Loser by Bob Seeger came up on the radio play list yesterday. I listened, captivated by the sharp-edged lyric. How could Seeger have known me so well, had such insight into what we American’s always have wanted? The beauty, the quest for a gorgeous visual effect is due to the care that we take to adjust our lives to coincide with the ideal of “having it all.” There have been other song lyrics about this approach to life. I remember a tune by Simon and Garfunkel, Richard Corey, about the son of a banker, who owned half of the town. He was quite the bon vivant, displaying power, grace and style. Richard Cory’s life did not end well.
That is how it has been with us Americans in general from our very beginnings as a nation. We desired to have it all, even if it meant enslaving other human beings imported from Africa to work the fields. The foundation of the wealth and lifestyle of the South was — slave labor. The Civil War ended legalized slavery. The story did not end with the end of the war however. Wide spread destruction, the wholesale murder enshrined by war, inflamed and stoked a racial hatred toward Blacks that has continued until today, throughout this nation.
This is what we have to deal with. This is what thousands of Americans are saying in the streets for these many days and nights: “We will not live under these conditions any more!” The system spoken of, is one that extracts value from the poor, largely from non white population by a mechanism of extremely low paying jobs, unaffordable/inaccessible health care, education that is underfunded and broken. Slavery by another name. The system must be changed in the name of justice. The change will come about by the application of force, hopefully by means of the ballot box.
Well I’ve had my say. It’s time for music and a video. If you are inclined to listen to Seeger’s provocative tune, you will think to yourself, why on earth did he chose that video? Like a competitor on a race track, this is no time for half measures, for a timid response to the challenge of our time. One must “go all in,” pedal-to-the-metal, taking it to the limit for one last time. We win or we lose, but let it not be said that we did not cast every resource that we had forward, in the cause to make a more just nation.
Joe Biden is about to chose a vice presidential running partner. I hope that he chooses Stacey Abrams. He will need her experience as a street fighter against racialized injustice, and the influence which she wields with people of color and white professionals in the South.
Beautiful Loser
By Bob Seger
He wants to dream like a young man
With the wisdom of an old man
He wants his home and security
He wants to live like a sailor at sea
Beautiful loser
Where you gonna fall?
When you realize, you just can’t have it all
He’s your oldest and your best friend
If you need him, he’ll be there again
He’s always willing to be second-best
A perfect lodger, a perfect guest
Beautiful loser
Read it on the wall
And realize
You just can’t have it all
You just can’t have it all
You just can’t have it all
Ohh, ohh, can’t have it all
You can try, you can try, but you can’t have it all
oh yeah
He’ll never make any enemies, enemies, no
He won’t complain if he’s caught in a freeze
He’ll always ask, he’ll always say please
Beautiful loser
Never take it all
‘Cause it’s easier
And faster when you fall
You just don’t need it all
You just don’t need it all
You just don’t need it all
Just don’t need it all
4 thoughts on “Plague Journal, You Can Try”
Wonderful album, by Simon and Garfunkel, titled; ‘Parsley, Sage , Rosemary and Thyme’. This was a ‘no song skipped’ album (of course, in those days the laborious task of walking over to the turntable and with the utmost care, repositioning the arm – whew! Those were tough days).
I particularly enjoyed one of the tracks titled something pertaining to the evening news. I could get up and find the album but just the remembrance of the effort involved in selecting another track has left me quite tired and very uneasy, in the consideration of just how difficult things were.
The track had ‘Silent Night’ (I’m pretty sure) playing in the background while a typical newscast of the day was being rendered. The volumes of both were gradually diminishing and one of the last bits of news (after the body count of mostly DRAFTED servicemen was given) was a spot reporting on the death of Lenny Bruce – something like; “In Los Angeles today, the body of comedian, Lenny Bruce was found dead, apparently of a drug overdose…….(fade)”/ I saw the photos taken at the scene: he was slumped over, on the ‘can’ with his girlfriend Honey’s nylon still wrapped around his arm and the ‘gimmicks’ still hanging in his vein.
My purpose in bringing this up is actually two-fold; it is a very moving piece and I actually did a ‘paper’ on Lenny Bruce in an Eng. Comp. course titled; ‘Who killed Lenny Bruce?” It was an indictment on society for having driven him to his recklessness that mournful day with his on-going heroin habit. He had by then taken a very severe bust in ‘Catholic’ Chicago’ and it looked like he was actually going to wind up doing time, and too he was bust, having to spend all his money on several charges ‘here and there’. Lenny was a great comedian and an even greater observer/spokesperson ( he would have loved that word ) and I encourage folks to find his work; to discover a forthright and unique perspective of the times, during which he was an open crusader for truth and gave you a heluva good laugh in so doing.
BTW: I agree that Abrams would be a good pick; she’s a street fighter and an excellent choice in a battle that will be very messy. Historically, the VP candidate has been the one to do the heavy lifting – she’ll take on ‘the mutts’ lies until he’ll want the 82nd Airborne encircling her. Warren wouldn’t be a good pick I think; between the two of them one foot will wind up in somebody’s mouth. I also feel (as if I have a right to) Harris might seem a little to ‘oreo’ for the targeted constituency. President Obama’s former advisor Susan Rice would be an interesting choice – she was, and still looks like she belongs in the WH, with the added benefit of who could begrudge President Obama’s commenting on a former employee?
Blessings
Blessings
Al, Some interesting, and thoughtful comments. Those Simon and Garfunkel tunes got me though many tough days as I was a very young adult when they were popular. Lenny Bruce. I will see if I can find some written material from him on the net. To take a Hegelian angle on his death, since life entails its contrary, — everything that lives, dies. That is not a trivial, throw away statement. To live, to be human, is to be aware of and to create meaning. Meaning is the contrast between figure and ground. Bruce was extraordinary alive, and perceived a great deal of darkness as background to light in the times of his life. He still speaks.
As to the Biden VP pick, whenever I have heard Harris speak, I’d never guess that she is a Black woman. As you also pointed out.
The Buddha asked his followers to recite ‘The Five Remembrances’ every day :
I am of the nature to grow old, there is no way
to escape growing old.
I am of the nature to have ill health, there is no way to escape having ill health.
I am of the nature to die, there is no way to escape dying.
All that is dear to me and everyone I love are of the nature to change, there is no way to escape being separated from them.
My actions are my only true belongings, I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground upon which I stand.
Blessings
I can add nothing to the words which you have conveyed. Olds Heraclitus put it well: Panta rei, ouden manei. Everything changes, nothing remains.