It seems that these days are some of the
darkest that we’ve seen; that wherever we turn, things are not turning out
righteous and still we hope. We pray that “Whenever one person stands up and
says ‘wait a minute, this is wrong’ it will help other people to do the same” (Anon). And yet no one will admit the
Emperor has no clothes.
Po Boy Views
By
Phil LaMancusa
Dreamer
Or
What’s Goin’ On?
How
old am I? I was old when groups like the Raspberries, Strawberry Alarm Clock
and The 1910 Fruitgum Company were making money with bad beats and childish
lyrics. I was old when The Doors, Grateful Dead and Big Brother and the Holding
Company (with Janis Joplin) made my head explode; and, I was still older when
Industrial, Heavy Metal, Electronic, Hip Hop, Rap and Woke music snuck their
way into my aural aura. I digested folk music at an early age; I swooned over
progressive jazz in my formative years and I get misty on classical and
symphonic music. I am at peace with that Eastern Raga; and I jump up and kiss
Reggae tunes. Country and Western music and Rhythm and Blues really can get me
going and I can sing along with Marvin Gaye and Sam Cooke ‘til the train rolls
in. All of which makes me a well rounded and dedicated revolutionary; who
better equipped to rail against the machine?
Add
to that that I am an insatiable reader of just as many genres as the music that
I listen to; I disappeared into books when I was young like someone running
into the woods and have not returned yet. I was born old and have only gotten
younger and more energetic with each trip around the sun and my getting younger
does not mean that I’ve gotten naive (quite the opposite). I have seen and have
an aversion to cruelty, injustice and the self serving hypocrisy, misogyny and the
mendacity of people who, through no consent of mine, believe themselves fit and
in charge of the health and well being of more than themselves; bastards all.
You
see, basically you cannot have all that stuff running around in your veins and
gray cells without thinking that there should be something done to end this
madness and insanity in the day to day living on this planet that only gets weirder
and more hurtful as months and years pass. I can give you so many examples;
however, good taste has my avoiding topics in my rants that include sex,
politics and religion. You, as astute as you are, can read between the lines
and put context with my content to your hearts delight.
The
average age of our readership is well below my half lifetime and I wonder if
not experience and exposure hath not made my little outlook less rosy and/or
sanguine. Youngsters might consider that I, as well as other geezers have been
witness to events and condition that are possibly unimaginable to a younger
generation: abject racism, sexism, fires, floods, storms, wars, assassinations,
civil liberties fought for and won (or lost), earthquakes, devastations and
defeats of all stripes; and that that might tend to drizzle a bit on an
oldster’s current outlook, but know that under it all, I maintain a Quixotic
sense that good will triumph over evil no matter the scars that we must carry forth
for our efforts, no matter how many times “heaven calls in sick on me and let
hell’s claws bust through these doors. Love still lives here” (Robert J.
Sherrah). Amen.
So,
this month will be full of storms and as I live and breathe I can assure you
that at times it will seem like “cheer up things could be worse” is only an
assurance that even when you cheer up, things get worse. If you’ve been paying
attention at all and not so busy trying to keep your life from falling apart
physically, mentally and emotionally you’ll have seen the clouds on the horizon
looking like the storm of your existence is about to blow this house to the
Kingdom of L. Frank Baum where your spirit will be risked at great expense.
There will be times when someone will tell you “you ain’t seen nuthin’ yet” and
have it sound like an omen; and, of course it is, but they only say that
because their memory has not let go of their experiences, good or not good.
The
only challenge with that is they are not you; you are the warrior, no matter
your age. In essence we’re all living with our own battle of good versus evil
and it’s up to us to keep up the fight; the powers that have taken it upon
themselves to make decisions about our health and welfare need to be kept
challenged on a constant basis no matter how tiring and frustrating it may be.
The bastards need that power taken away from them.
I
say, pay attention to that person behind the curtain; would you have tea, buy a
car, take a pill, or vote with confidence for them? Would you invite them into
your house, share a meal or a bed with them; trust your children or your money
with them; trust and let them tell you what’s best for you and not what they
can benefit from?
Listen,
there’s a story going around about a small country that has been invaded by and
is at war with a power far superior in assets and weaponry than they and yet
they fight for their land, freedom and dignity. The world watches and tries to
support their efforts and still they’re getting their asses kicked royally. And
still they fight. How could you let complacency allow you to be less than them
in your personal life? And yes, I said that this piece would avoid discourse on
sex, politics and religion; I lied, he is naked.
