Very few of my heroes were aware that they were heroes while I was in their presence. A good thing, I suppose. The burden of worship is a tough one. That's my best guess.
Oh, I've crossed paths with a few arrogant souls who knew way too much about their gifts. Remind me and I'll put them all in a list for you one day.
The good ones all changed my life. I guess maybe the jerks did, too.
So, we have lost two Guatemalan children in the last few weeks over this border posturing and our righteous indignation is palpable. Meanwhile, our best guess is that 85,000 children have starved in Yemen since Saudi Arabia launched their war of ego, with the assistance of the United States, in 2015. That is, children under the age of five. That number does not include the ones killed by bombs, gas and bullets.
Where is the voice for the children? Who speaks for the poor and the disabled and the disenfranchised?
This is a holiday season. I want to sing and dance and celebrate. I want to get up in the morning and write about peace and love and rock'n'roll. I long for the day when no person will take orders from anyone to harm a living being.
They're not the boss of you. How many of your friends like their job? If your mom and dad taught you to keep your nose to the grindstone, and if your mom and dad didn't like their jobs, what the heck are you doing?
You do understand that the forbidden fruit is the fruit of knowledge, right? You know- good and evil. While it is most certainly not my job to teach you right from wrong, I will point out that you are a son of God. Hey, I am, too. Now don't do like I do. Don't go telling everybody. They'll lock you up. If you're lucky!
Here's what Kurt Vonnegut wrote:
"If you want to really hurt your parents, and you don't have the nerve to be gay, go into the arts. I'm not kidding. The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow for heaven's sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something."
Okay, kid, I wouldn't take advice from the likes of me. Mr. Vonnegut's quote is a little out of fashion now and more than a little politically incorrect. Still fine advice, though, nearly as I can tell.
Only the saints rely on the stars to show them the way. We are the saints, buddy. We are the saints.
Are there more homeless folks on the street during the holidays or do we just notice them more? I've never been hip, never will be. I hope that I've been kind. Never made any big splash on the music scene. I hope I've made someone smile. Dance.
My ambition runs to peace of mind these days. I have everything I've ever wanted. Two or three of most things. Somehow I manage to find ways to break my own heart. It's a lucky man who has to conjure up his own sorrow.
Don't take anything too seriously. Joy is the natural state.
Why shouldn't the revolution be fun? We're armed to the teeth with truth and love, compassion and resistance. What I didn't learn from the women in my life, I learned from the dogs and the cats.
We'll launch the first big offensive right here at the holidays. First we dazzle them with kindness. Then, while they're reeling, we begin to spread cheer. It's hard to hate while you're laughing. Let the wetting of pants become the new holiday tradition. Blame me!
Here I sit. Middle of the night and I'm wide awake with nothing to worry about. For the first time it occurs to me just how superficial my heroes were. Two criteria for hero in my book are world changing and humility. The dilemma, of course, is the incompatibility.
Elvis and Einstein and John Lennon were well aware of their impact. What do you suppose led to the "more popular than Jesus Christ" comments? Once a hero realizes that he's a hero, I suspect it's hard to give up the role.
How long did Leonard Cohen stay in the monastery? How many times did Sinatra retire? Is it not obvious that the Beatles were responsible for Elvis' '68 "comeback?"
Now most of my heroes are gone. Takes care of the incompatibility, I suppose. I'll watch for Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez to remain deferential.
