Oh I’m sorry there dear reader. Was I wandering off again? You see, sometimes I think in lyrics. I was thinking about years back living off the land on the southern sloops of the Big Island of Hawaii. There were hard times there for a while.
I suppose musicians think in melodies, mathematicians think in numbers. Designers in angles and forms, whereas artists may see their thoughts in color. Poets think in verse, and so it goes.
For me these days, I guess its words that I use as building blocks to shape my ideas, express my opinions and communicate my feelings. Although I have no lengthy vocabulary and a limited education, (other than that from the hard knocks of life), somehow the words just come to me.
I’m quite surprised really. Many times I think I’ve said what I had to say and that’s it. But there’s always more in a few days and it keeps flowing. I’m also quite surprised that it is printed, published and read, (hopefully).
Just yesterday I ran across a book of literature, poems, plays, short stories and such. As I read a few pages I was truly astonished at the quality, clarity of expression and unique original style of each. It hit me right away of how hollow, superficial and lacking our modern forms and examples of entertainment are. I mean what can you say for television other than its a tool of thought control, propaganda, programming of consumerism and non-thinking? Have you really seen any good programs recently?
Often these days I think the world is going off the deep end. Then of course it could be the other way around. Could it possibly be me? In truth I think it may be a bit of both. Reality in one man’s perspective may be looked at as crazy in another man’s view.
“But I’m alright. Its everyone else I’m worried about”. That’s a joke I often use to get people to look beyond their own horizons. However, its a fixed opinion a lot of people cling to.
So these days we have Mr. Kim versus Donald Trump fighting their egotistical battles, while gaining lots of attention. The survival of the rest of the world is at stake due to their arrogant psychotic actions. But it rates little public concern. This is just one of many factors I see as odd and unusual but appears as “normal” to many in our world today.
A solution that I might offer to the above is one that was in vogue over a hundred years ago. It involved personal responsibility, was straight-forward and honorable... “Pistols at dawn sir”
Well look at that. I started off with a bit of verse and song and now I’m bogged down in the quicksand of politics, conflict and impending war. I must be watching too much TV!
I’m really interested in your view on all this. Are we a product of our culture and it’s degeneration or is it a consequence of our actions or in-actions?
There seem to be too many problems, difficulties and conflicts in our daily news. I would like to see more proposals for solutions, answers and remedies.
So what do you think? Can’t we do something about those rats in the attic and the wolves at the door?
Dan O’Connor can be reached at danhughoconnor@gmail.com
