“That is happiness; to be dissolved into something complete and great.”
Gone but not forgotten: Spiritus at Woodward’s Books in the ’90s reading into Southgate Mall on a crowded fall Saturday afternoon. We eventually interrupted the flow of shoppers and gathered a crowd, selling many copies of Lost, Not Missing)
Lying in bed (just like Brian Wilson did) early the other morning and realizing something basic to writing, my own writing, and life experience.
Life itself is fundamentally made up of sound, image, and movement. Sound we are always hearing–from nature, ourselves, other people, music. So listening and speaking or expressing, too, as in the work and performances of vocalists, musicians and composers.
Image is made up of several types of imagery. Mostly image has to do with the eye and seeing, but more largely refers to all impressions on our senses. So, as described in one of my previous books, it pertains also to: sight–visual images, hearing–aural images (also mentioned above as sound), smell–olfactory images, taste (gustatory images), touch (tactile images), temperature as in hot or cold (thermal images), and motion–kinesthetic images (something which is the third of the three main outlined pillars of human experience of this entry).
We sense the world and others in these six principal ways at all times. and if one is expressing or creating via these ways, one might be a musician, a painter or filmmaker, a perfume maker, a cook or restaurant owner, a therapist or lover, a dancer, and so forth. My point with sound and music is that it not only has a receptive function, but an expressive and potentially creative one as well.
Motion or movement seems to need a category unto itself and subsumes the other two in process. as I write this, blood and invisible energy flows through my mind, body, and fingers to type this sentence. Outside, the trees are moving and grass and plants beginning to grow this spring. I will be going out in the car to pick up plants and dirt to start the garden, pots, and planters this morning. Elsewhere, millions of others are moving even if they are still asleep. As George Harrison said, “Life goes on within you and without you” whether you are talking about microbiomes or asteroids. (BTW/ Implicit in all process is movement and change.)
For me, I look back at my poems, in particular, and realize the creation of each piece uses sound, image, and suggests or represents movement. Movement right down to the inspiration for each selection, through its imaginative birth process, right through to you or someone else hearing or seeing it, and the movement, as manifested in reader or audience response made up of feeling, thought, and imaginative empathy. Again, movement involving sound and image as well. Three main things informing our lives, personal experience, writing, the arts, and the creative process of so many creators.
If someone hangs on or around long enough, then he or she might finally get what s/he really wants, needs, or deserves.
“Hell is other people.”–Jean-Paul Sartre, No Exit
Indubitably. One has only to refer to the wisdom of myriad books, plays, and films. Or reflect on the amount of violence and conflict in society leading to such things as abuse, assault, abduction, separation, divorce, and a zillion failed relationships. The newspaper headlines proclaim and further exemplify the truth of Sartre’s quote. Then there is just the plain facts that people are not perfect, make mistakes, often have agendas not shared by others, or are just plain bad, blind or ignorant. One finds examples of Sartre’s quote at work in the home, in the workplace, on the roads, etc.
But I think it is worth adding that–if one uses common sense or is lucky–one might drive defensively, or move to a better, more harmonious, civil workplace, end a relationship, or retire! There is that no-small matter of personal choice regardless of whatever (imagined, often enslaving or limiting) necessity.
To surround oneself with the positive family one has helped to create and foster, or the few longtime true friends are other obvious positives. And we can often, certainly choose how we live, whom we love, and the kind of lifestyle and experiences we’d rather have than a bunch of forced, conflictful sorts of situations and negative or limited people.
There is also a lot to be said for the inner peace and contentment that one can find or cultivate with a modicum of freedom. This not only gives us more perspective for dealing with problem people and conflicts, but alters one’s attitude usually for the better.
Too often, the story of or behind whatever conflict is is about how we don’t empathize or let limited/limiting agendas undo us (c.f. King Lear). In short, we do do it to ourselves and others, or vice-versa. Hell can also be created by ourselves through our attitudes toward others, especially in relationships. Hell is often just a context we simply don’t want to be in, I would add.
And then there is just that ‘small’ basic matter of personal choice. We can become that which we imagine, behold and choose. And when that happens or is happening optimally, there usually aren’t any hellish people or situations in sight. I believe we do largely fashion our own hells and don’t have to be locked up in a claustrophobic Sartre-ian room with people we don’t want to have to deal with. In that–autonomy, freedom, health, etc. In that, the salvation posed also, ironically, by Sartre and other of the French Existentialists. Our lives can largely be what we choose to make of them.
The subtlety in the book no film could ever represent–
“Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter–to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther….And one fine morning—
So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”
-F. Scott Fitzgerald, ending of The Great Gatsby
can be seen in the fact he hasn’t given a penny to the dead U.S. soldier’s widow or to the other U.S. soldier he wounded. He is just an unrepentant jihadist who killed an infidel and got a big payday from Justin. Nothing more. No conscience. No sense of gratitude for being freed, going scot-free penalty-wise, for being allowed to maintain Canadian citizenship, and for the medical treatment the U.S, gave him. His out-of-whack, undeserved lotto win is an insult to our brave Canadian soldiers who fought in Afghanistan. He and his jihadist family are laughing all the way to the bank at the incredibly stupid Canadian/Liberal government.
Gary, a nice, friendly Sikh who stayed with the next-door neighbor for a while eventually moved into a house close to the neighborhood elementary school where my kids went to a long time ago. He works hard and is training as an auto worker now, which is a far cry from his educational background and BA in political science. He is an impressive, smart guy who studied the Chinese and U.S. constitutions, for instance.
Anyway, when I head out on my bike to do my daily round, he is one of the real people I run into who usually flags me down. We still talk rather largely about life, people, and the changing world and, in the past, we discussed religion and philosophy, so Gary is a rather open, broad guy whom I can talk with as an educated equal.
I knowa number of people from the Asian community whom I, similarly, feel no distance from when it comes to casual conversation and friendliness, and they have added much interest and positivity to my life going back to Swarn Parmar of Cold Lake and Winnifred Li from Grand Centre in my first years of teaching–1972-75. Open, honest, interesting people, who interestingly enough, have been easier to talk and joke with than many of the agenda-ed and fearfully ‘tight’ Caucasians I have met along the way! “Diversity” which Justin has only lately ‘come by’ has long been a regular part of my life going wa-y-y back. I am fortunate to have many other Real People like these in my life who anchor my respect for and faith in others superficially different from me.
The great Willie Nelson gets his due at 82. Amazing career and song catalogue. One of the loosest singers, performers, and guitarists in pop history bordering country, soul, and jazz. Lots of prominent guest stars–Neil Young, Cyndi Lauper, Paul Simon, Raul Malo, Rosanne Cash. There would have been more country stars, but Cash, Waylon, and other friends have long passed on while Willie kept going with his mellow potness despite all his tax evasion problems. Hard not to respect the millions he raised for American farmers through Farm Aid, and the way he has maintained his long-braided integrity and faithfulness to his beat-up guitar Trigger.
(above: one of the most memorable, entertaining, special tv concerts ever; highly recommended)
Willie has long been his own man, very unconventional, and unique. Ray Charles put it best that he heard America in Willie’s voice and songs. One of my Dad’s favorites–he always knew Real People and The Genuine Article–which Willie is. Thank God Willie got his due and he performed with his own two boys and sang and played well this particularly memorable and poignant evening. As totally unique as Dylan, Cash, Charles, and all the greats. Yes, Willie Nelson has been quite hard to miss along the way, on the road again…
Jimmy Carter, 92, working at a Habitat for Humanity worksite in my old stompin’ grounds, St. James, Winnipeg, in Canada, no less; despite dehydration requiring medical attention, he’s back at work!
Jimmy Carter–a real person, and no phony-baloney like the Clintons, Trump, or George Bush. One of the best, most popular and charitable presidents the States ever had. Leading by example still. Amazing guy! Gotta luv him.
