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Thursday, July 24, 2014

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED?




Have you ever wondered?

Monday, I noticed a tattooed man talking animatedly in the parking lot of the Eye Clinic to which I was going to get my new glasses.

He was walking in circles, talking into a cell phone – his left arm waving wildly like a rabid windmill.

As I got out of my car, I heard him wail to the phone: 
“Baby!  You gotta believe me.  I wasn’t drunk.   I wasn’t!  I promised you I wouldn’t drink, and I haven’t.  If I sounded funny to you it was ‘cause I was on dope!”

He went silent, listening to the phone.  And I almost walked back to him to ask  what his “Baby” was saying in reply. 

But I wasn’t suicidal that day so I walked into the Eye Clinic.  Yet, I wondered how did he think what he said made things any better?

Yesterday, I read a Wall Street Journal article about Putin seeking a “Double-Tier” solution to his woes about the shot down airliner: 
to apologize yet still be right.

I could feel a nose-bleed coming on so I stopped reading.

I remember reading what Winston Churchill wrote after completing his volume on his early life {1874 to 1904} in 1920.

“I have drawn a picture of a vanished age.  
The character of society, the foundations of politics, the outlook of youth, the scales of values are all changed –

And changed to such an extent I should not have believed possible in so short a time without any violent domestic revolution.”

I reflected on how much further his world changed after 1920 until the time in 1953 when he won the Nobel Prize in Literature.  
Yes, LITERATURE not peace.  Politics was a dirty world in those days as well.  The “Lion in Winter” was a rival to be diminished in British politics back then.

Edward R. Murrow, the journalist who braced and shamed McCarthy, said of Churchill in 1940:

“He mobilized the English language and sent it into battle.”

I wonder:

Do words carry any weight anymore?
Like Gore Vidal wrote:  Has this age gone from the Guttenberg era to the Dark Ages of MTV?
Are we destined to devolve not evolve in our society?
How much has society changed around you since you were a teenager?
Was the world simpler only because you, yourself, was simpler?
Or have we edited our memories, as Churchill did who was emotionally abandoned by both parents
yet enshrined them in his memoirs?
 
Oh, by the way –

Congrats to Justin Bieber for FINALLY getting an advantage in life by cutting lines at Disneyland by being pushed in a borrowed wheelchair by handlers for a bad knee.

Disneyland allows its disabled guests to cut the lines at any rides that can accommodate them.

Of course, Disneyland has a fast line for the famous, but the wheelchair allowed him to get in front of his famous peers as well.

I wonder what Churchill would say?
 
(I love the dialogue in this movie)

14 comments:

  1. Churchill would be shocked to see the state of affairs today. Just think what American's founding fathers would think?
    I wonder what that guy's girl said as well...

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  2. Two ends of the spectrum - Winston Churchill, and Justin Beiber. You can't compare the great Winston and the useless celebrity.

    Times change, and not always for the better.

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  3. Alex:
    I believe you are right: Churchill would be dismayed at what we have done with the liberty so many thousands died to protect.

    The Founding Fathers, too.

    Yet, I know Jefferson who wrote the ringing words, ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL, fathered sons by a slave and kept those sons slaves. The history we think we know often is a delusion sadly.

    And what exactly that fellow's girl replied gnaws at me still!
    :-)

    D.G.:
    Well, they're both human. I think. There are cycles in the history of Man, and it bodes ill when we look about ourselves -- we seem to be in decline yet again. Sigh.

    I pray for you and your husband daily. :-)

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  4. I spend a lot of time wondering. About a lot of things. But try not to let the Biebers of this world take up any room in my head.
    Will he be remembered in fifty years? I hope not.

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  5. Elephant's Child:
    There are moments when I am not too sure that this world will exist as we know it in 50 years. Sigh.

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  6. And rather a lot of moments when I think that if this world does survive it will be in spite of us not because of us. Echoing your sigh.

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  7. Curiosity definitely drives me bonkers! I guess in this poor mans case being high is not as bad as being drunk.
    Nothing Justin Bieber does surprises me anymore. I would assume that every age has it's "Trash" to deal with.

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  8. Words are power. I believe it and I won't stop believing it and saying it until I draw my last breath, no matter what anyone else does or says. I did not know that Churchill won the Nobel Price for Literature, and I thought I knew darn near everything about Sir Winston. That movie looks hilarious.Quite often I'll be in a fairly quiet restaurant, eating my lunch and reading my book, and I overhear an interesting conversation. Sometimes it's a person using a cell phone, and sometimes (even better) two people are there and I get to hear the entire conversation. I desperately want to ask questions or add my opinion. Occasionally, someone will ask the friend across the table, What was the name of that book that such and such and such and such, or Who wrote that book about such and such? The friend never knows, and I can't stop myself. I have to say, Pardon me, but I couldn't help overhearing you. The answer is such and such. Justin Bieber is such a jerk. There. I have just labeled him forevermore because words are power.

    Love,
    Janie

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  9. Today, I followed a woman in K-Mart who had a cart full of stuff, including sparkly sneakers (2 pairs), a huge bag of dogfood, kids clothes, lots of candy, and so on, who was on her cell phone telling someone she only had $6.45 and how was she supposed to feed her kid on that? The kid was with her, big enough to understand.

    I read in Time Mag. about the emoji boom. Question asked: Is it changing the way we communicate? I think it and texting already has. So you may be right to be concerned. I am also reading The Goldfinch, which got the Pulitzer, and to my mind did not deserve it nor all the praise. I don't even want to say how I feel about the use of the English language in that book.

    I love that quote, I had not heard it before. I don't think things were simpler back when I was young. TV was simpler, but not real life. Life just seems a little dumber now. If that makes sense. For young people, I mean.

    Finally, I'm sorry you got concerned about Samson's eyes. He has a chronic illness called UDS, which made him blind a few years ago. Quick action by his vet saved his eyesight and now he gets Neo-Poly-Dex eyedrops every three days. And is seen by the vet, who puts green gook in his eyes to check them every three months. So far, so good. Hubby is the one who puts the drops in and cleans out the messy stuff that runs. With all that's going on, I guess at that time, the runoff had not been cleaned up. But it is now. I will actually go put some more drops in and make sure he is fine. Thanks so much for caring.

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  10. Today, I followed a woman in K-Mart who had a cart full of stuff, including sparkly sneakers (2 pairs), a huge bag of dogfood, kids clothes, lots of candy, and so on, who was on her cell phone telling someone she only had $6.45 and how was she supposed to feed her kid on that? The kid was with her, big enough to understand.

    I read in Time Mag. about the emoji boom. Question asked: Is it changing the way we communicate? I think it and texting already has. So you may be right to be concerned. I am also reading The Goldfinch, which got the Pulitzer, and to my mind did not deserve it nor all the praise. I don't even want to say how I feel about the use of the English language in that book.

    I love that quote, I had not heard it before. I don't think things were simpler back when I was young. TV was simpler, but not real life. Life just seems a little dumber now. If that makes sense. For young people, I mean.

    Finally, I'm sorry you got concerned about Samson's eyes. He has a chronic illness called UDS, which made him blind a few years ago. Quick action by his vet saved his eyesight and now he gets Neo-Poly-Dex eyedrops every three days. And is seen by the vet, who puts green gook in his eyes to check them every three months. So far, so good. Hubby is the one who puts the drops in and cleans out the messy stuff that runs. With all that's going on, I guess at that time, the runoff had not been cleaned up. But it is now. I will actually go put some more drops in and make sure he is fine. Thanks so much for caring.

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  11. Hey, Roland,

    Thoughtful post today... Yes, I still believe there is POWER in words. Sadly though, no one is listening. So many distractions. People have no real focus anymore, only concerned about their trivial lives... Look at all this stupidity in reality shows. They INSULT mine and everyone else's intelligence. So why are more of these asinine shows being produced? Because of the idiocy of it's watchers....

    As a kid in the 70's I remember REAL TV.. Shows that death with real life issues, poverty, the 'working' man, survival in turbulent times. REAL LIFE. SO what happened?

    Our society is spirally downward. Sad really. Thankfully some of today's youth, get it! I hope they can salvage the mess. Time will tell.

    Hope all is well in your world....

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  12. NOTE TO ALL:
    I worked until 3 A.M. last night, and I am just up and about to head to work (I worked the late, late shift for two days to let a co-worker have a small vacation) Now I am back to my original schedule which means very little sleep! Ouch! Sorry I am late in my replies. All of you are important to me.

    Elephant's Child:
    We may damage this world, but it will go on. The same may not be true of us!

    David:
    You're right about each generation having its own dysfunctional souls to suffer. But the tech of today make them more irritating!!

    I loved your BATMAN post. Did you know that about 20 years ago, Marvel and DC teamed to do comics and had BATMAN VS. CAPTAIN AMERICA and SUPERMAN VS. SPIDERMAN?

    Janie:
    I think you would enjoy LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN -- it has some of the best dialogue throughout in modern movies.

    Churchill was definitely one of a kind -- driven to win love from emotionally distant parents: a losing fight since they were incapable of even loving themselves.

    Words are power indeed. Clinton said it wasn't what they called you, but what you answered to that counted!

    I am a listener to conversations, too -- so was Mark Twain and John Steinbeck. We're in good company!

    Inger:
    You taught me something. I had not heard about the Japanese Emoji until your comment.

    It reminds me of the Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics: symbols for words and phrases and emotions.

    Speaking of which, I have written 63,000 words on THE STARS BLEED AT MIDNIGHT, the sequel to HOUSE OF LIFE. I'm basically writing it for you and D.G. I have a very small fan base, but you two are loyal ... and friends! :-)

    Relating to THE GOLDFINCH, I read the first page of the winner of this year ABNA award, and I could not get past that page.

    The creative writing teacher in me wanted to reach for my red pen and do some slashing of clunky wording. Sigh. I do not know why some books win acclaim. Sigh.

    There has been a dumbing-down of our culture. Mention Marcus Aurelius or Pascal or Maslow or even John Steinbeck to young people and they will pucker up as if drinking sugarless lemonade!

    I am such a softie about my friends -- and I consider you and Samson friends!

    There are many women like the one you mention in our town as well. We have become a society without conscience it seems.

    Good to hear from you!! I am praying daily for you, your husband, Samson, and Faith!! :-)

    Michael:
    It is great to see you at my cyber home! The words we tell ourselves are some of the most powerful ... and sometimes the most damaging ... if we repeat hurtful words from our parents and past.

    Children are wet cement -- the words shape them, and then become hardened until we must use great force to reshape ourselves.

    Reality shows are cheap to make and appeal to the shabby side of human nature: gossip, preening, self-indulgence, etc.

    We can be either pigs or sheep. Pigs happily wallow in the mud and stay. Sheep fall in the mud and bleat to get out and get clean.

    Like you, I can remember TV that actually SAID something of worth, that taught that human beings were of worth.

    I am facing cancer surgery the middle of next month. Always an adventure, right?

    May your life be full of happy surprises these next few months!

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  13. I agree with Inger that life in her day and mine wasn't simpler. But today it does seem dumber. Then again: in some ways long-ago WAS simpler. e.g. the telephone. You didn't have to punch a zillion numbers to get an answer when I grew up in the 1940s and 1950s; you even got to go directly to a real live person.

    I'm so glad you weren't suicidal when you listened to that man on his cell phone. That made me smile. And let me know when you have your cancer surgery and Jen and I will pray for you.

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  14. As every generation grows older they tend to think society is going to hell in a hand basket. I used to believe it was fear of change talking, and we would soldier into the future as we always have. I don't believe that anymore.

    The first time I watched A Clockwork Orange, I saw a fantasy. The last time I watched it, I saw our future. We are moving closer and closer to a dystopian reality with violence and fear at it's core.

    Do words still have power? Only so long as there's someone willing to listen, and I think that circle grows smaller each day.

    VR Barkowski

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