The world starts again today. Schoolkids, full staff behind the bar at S’bucks, cars, traffic, political cartoons – er – campaigns. Folks are going back to work, opening up to the world but we are damaged. Things are almost as before but yeah, it is different, feels different. Everyone is angry, now. The anger is bubbling up in the smile and outward ‘good times’ attitude of the staff here. The anger honks hard, suddenly and too easily at a minor annoyance on the roadway. The anger frowns mean at some fool who isn’t walking on the sidewalk, is dawdling in the street, is on the phone and not paying attention. The strength of this modern vicious impulse is surprizing. If you pay attention to the daily news, it seems more and more of us are overwhelmed by the impulse. It’s hard to tell when but anger appears so quickly nearly everywhere. I am feeling it, too, like some forgotten gas well that is leaking. Where this blows up? is a good question.
We have been deceived and our lovely illusions about the world of peace and plenty we inhabit, here in the west, are gone.
Part of what we are feeling is the legacy of one Donald J. Trump and his filthy cohorts – the likes of Roger Stone, Rudolph Giuliani, Steve Bannon, Tucker Carlson. Another part of our malaise is fed by companies like CNBC, Fox News, CNN, and the wonder-tech of social media. It is twenty four hour days, seven day weeks we spend filling ourselves full of garbage that masquerades as truth. To misquote and paraphrase the Beach Boys, “Scroll on, scroll on sailor…” into the fiery sunset of civility or respect for one another.
We have been cheated and our lovely illusions about the blessings of modern life and stable governments, here in the west, are gone.
What to do?
Well, take no leader at the promise of a salvation. None can do that. Even God and Jesus or Buddha and the Golden Calf have no power here. This delicious planet rolls to it’s own will. There is lots of proof we can’t limitlessly control our future, our days. That is illusion of power. “…there is always something…” Time and again, smoke rises from best chosen incense and our earnest prayer…time and again, evil dominates, sets it’s own uncontrollable fire and good gets singed, swept to the side. Sometimes the sweepers are political flamethrowers, masquerading as saviours to all yet secretly built of hatred and miscommunication. Sometimes, the sweepers are blazing organs of the church but the facts are that evil is a part of life. It will always be. Life is a gamble no matter what. The only thing certain is disruption. On earth, in our lives, a fuse always blows. It does not matter what you pray to or whom you elect or what or whom the church or the town council sacrifices for the good of all. That bad shit happens is just the chaotic nature of being alive, like the other creatures and gelatinous things.
We know this. Inside, down deep we know God and politics won’t save us, that chaos reigns supreme but I can’t deny that pray, we do. Point fingers, we do. As example: Reverend Phelps (and a good many others) have condemned things like same-sex love as the source of our modern problems. The Republicans (and a good many others) have condemned situations, like migrants who flee oppression, as the source of our problems. “God,” it is claimed by a vocal few, punishes us with storm of all kinds for our misdeeds, whether or not the misdeeds were born of innocence or compassion. There are social blamers, I blame, too. I blame political leaders, church leaders and, wickedly, I blame this new-fangled Facebook and the twenty four hour news cycle. Yah. If it were up to me, I would shut it all off. “Give us peace!” I would say. “Unplug yourselves,” I would say. …but I can’t. That is, oversimplified, my error.
I am addicted to the news, to Facebook, to politics. I also, somehow…fear and love the church? It is my illusion that if only we could tweak the bad guys out of office, change the church, modify Facebook, life could be made whole. If the pedestrian would obey the law, as I interpret it… all would be well. If the @#$hole who scared the hell out of me with his too-ready horn would just ease up… all would be well. I believe that shit and my believing is akin to Donald Trump saying, “We could live with order and peace if only everyone did as I said.” Hmmmm
Are we all doing this?
Yah. We are getting to the ends of our tethers. Modern living, ancient living, any living kinda does that to folks. The fact is, though, that hey…shit happens. In the words of an old friend of mine, “The main thing is, to not get too excited!” or “Let the rough side drag and let the smooth side show!” It’s ours to learn how to deal with the new contraptions, how to relax. I should relax a little, that minor effort will help this world – wide flame cool a bit. It is up to me.
Biden can’t save me, Jagmeet can’t save me, God can’t save me, Jesus won’t ride in on a white donkey. Sure. Stressing out about the Wild West Show of Facebook won’t save me. It is up to me to save me, I have to carry on in the best way I can. I have to let go and let the mouths wag, the pedestrians zig and zag, the horny – honk. Ha ha. Finding something in church, is up to me and up to me if I want it to be. That is my only defense. Who knows what evil waits around the corner but, in the main, (I am) we are okay for a while yet. We still have the ability to shrug and carry on doing the best we are up to. Cheer up, Robert. Shut up, Robert. Go ahead and have an ice cream…or… pie?… no, donuts! mmmmmm
Robert On The Air 