FollowLately I’ve been leaving the front door open, mostly for a summer breeze to blow on my face, itchy with rash from rapid shaving strokes. A beard was contemplated back in the 60’s, 70,s and 80’s but each attempt highlighted by early stubble, suggested a bluish future and having to endure endless bullying and mocking; said notion was finally abandoned on the eve of Ronald Reagan’s election. I’m smooth faced now much like Joe Namath was in one of those dated shaving cream commercials. Last week or was it earlier this week, when the front door was open, a tractable elephant strolled into the vestibule (great word brought all the way from Newark, NJ) and when my back was turned, her trunk gently, affectionately rubbed the back of my neck. I was busy in one of my drifting states, a long way from home, on a mountain top (like where Davy Crockett was born); this one in Sedona. As luck would have it, we had a jar of unsalted, nutritious peanuts. I thanked my new life long friend and with a soft swoosh, the nuts on a plate, disappeared. After the elephant left, my neck tingled and for whatever reason I drifted back to the 1920’s. I recalled a letter I found at my late Uncle Joe’s house. He was a young boy away for the summer in the Catskill Mountains. He wrote to his father back in Plainfield, New Jersey that he was having a wonderful time, swimming, hiking and eating and could his father write him back as soon as possible to let him know if Babe Ruth hit any home runs. I’ve been watching attentively myself to see AROD hit his 600th. And a buddy told me last night, the IRS will jump right in and assesses a huge tax on that ball as income. I raised my voice, “Why did we throw tea in the harbor?”
More of curious 1920’s vision: At 11 AM this morning that same breeze made me think about George Gershwin and ‘Rhapsody in Blue,’ composed in 1924, a time between wars, before depressions and prohibitions; perhaps in the calendar middle of innocence and hope. Wondering what Gershwin was thinking, feeling, sensing when he composed it, I listened to the Rhapsody for an hour straight; each nine minutes a different emotion. In 1937 George Gershwin died; the same day as my precious Grandfather; both passing long before the horrors of the war. I asked myself could Gershwin have composed the Rhapsody in 1943 during the horrors of that war. Then I thought about 1970 and Vietnam, about getting drafted, winding up amidst rice fields and napalm aroma. It was a different world in 1970. A different war. My generation was looking for ways to get out of going to war. A young soldier interviewed today liked the thrill and high feeling of combat. I thought to myself that he might’ve played a lot of combat video games. As for me, a long story about the draft in 1970; mostly not for now. But I was petrified of jungle wars and being an easy target at 6′ 5 1/2.” Coupled with that there were pacifist beliefs and a six month bakery and ice cream binge through most of Jersey’s northern counties. At the end of the binge, I gained 100 pounds, hopeful of getting a 4F health rejection.
It’s a different world war today as well. For most of my formative years (approaching middle ages) I surmised if Communism ever disappeared, the world would be rid of a two super power contentious existence and we’d all wind up eating grapes in white sarongs. Not. I think about Vietnam casualties and those amazingly brave soldiers back then, how they survived and what they’ve lived with. Then I think about how modern and efficient war making is today. What a technological paradise. Machines do all the work. Not. July was the worst casualty month in the nine year long war (our longest war) in Afghanistan. Today I also learned that 1/3 of our soldiers take prescription drugs (anti-depressants. (I’m depressed now) anxiety and pain meds). Amphetamine (speed) use has doubled since 2006. Sexual offences tripled since 2003. Domestic abuse is up 177% the past 6 years. Last year more soldiers died from non combat injuries than war (suicides, murders, drunk driving) I wondered what kind of soldier is the army attracting today. Oh and 80% of Army suicides take place in the United States. It is a different world now. It is a different war. I would’ve thought these stats applied to our Vietnam soldiers. They probably did. So I just asked myself, is it really a different war and world now? Has anything changed? Killing Fields geography changed. The species just goes rolling along like the Columbia River. July was the hottest in history. C02 levels around the good ole earth are the highest in 15 million years. The FDA did not ban that diabetes drug. Some magical new diet drug is coming. The cruise I was on last week allowed smoking. It’s 10:45PM Friday night. I just went to the front door and opened it wide. There wasn’t a breeze to slap my face or an elephant to tickle my neck. So I’m sad about a lot of things.
Interesting and thoughtful blog entry. Let’s talk war when we link up this season. Trying to get back into green lot, looks like yellow as fallback.
Comment by Chris Norton — August 12, 2010 @ 9:39 am