The Soundtrack Of My Life

Tonight and tomorrow, December 1 and 2nd, mark the last two touring concert shows for a rock band of my youth, KISS. "You wanted the best! You got the best!  The hottest band in the world!!!! KIIIISSSSS!!!" 

I posted the following on my Facebook today:"Over the next 48 hrs, I will be in a quiet state of 'mourning'. Tonight and tomorrow mark the last 2 touring concerts of KISS, both in NYC. Imagine - two young kids: both Jewish, one born in Israel of holocaust survivor parents in 1949 and one born in 1952 in NYC of Jewish parents and with microtia, which left him with a partially-formed right ear, and deaf on that side. They started in poverty on the streets of NY, see where they are now - full circle. They had a dream to give an audience a musical experience they never had before and will never forget, to become the band they wanted to see on stage. When you set a dream, when you don't give up, when you persevere through unbelievable odds ... amazing things can happen. Fifty years of experiential concerts full of pyro, lasers, hydraulics, confetti like snow, fun songs with no vulgarity (but lots of sex!), genius marketers and masters of license, and no drinking or drugs. For those of you who have seen their concerts over 50 years, you know they give their audience an incredible experience. No other group does a live concert like they do. Aging between 63 and 73 years, it is amazing that they still give a 2+ hr concert with that energy. Do you know any 73 (almost 74) year-old man who can wear a 40lb costume for 2 hrs while performing, constant moving and being levitated for the full time? Others might say they might not be "the greatest American band of all time", but disagree with me, I would say they are #1, and have outlasted all others. And they definitely are "the hottest band in the world!!" and the most influential on the industry. All others copy. There will never be another group like KISS ... I am sad when I look at the young people today and know they will never know the experience of a KISS concert, or the joy of dancing to Rock'n Roll All Night! I'm so grateful to have grown up in the time I did, to have this group as one of the significant contributors to the soundtrack of my life. Thank you, KISS, for 50 years. You are unique, there will never be another. We, your Army, will never forget you. 

It made me pause and reflect on what is the music of my life. Who are the groups or solo acts that have left their mark on me? And, I wonder what that says about me today? In loose chronological order:

#1 - Shaun Cassidy: my first 'music crush', somewhere in Grade 7? 8? Da-doo-ron-ron! Oh, how I enjoyed the lightheartedness and fun of that song! Yes, this reminds me of my youth, of that budding sense of sexuality, in some small ways. I know many liked his brother (David), and he was adorable, too ... his 'smoky voice' can still make me swoon! (Maybe there was something a bit more ... carnal? ... about David for me? He was the first passing in 2017 and I was definitely affected.) But this was my first step into pop culture, and I was typical, I think. A young cute boy, very representative of my time. By high school, my 'obsession' with him had waned. There were many other teen idols at this time, but Shaun was my favourite. I didn't much get into the others ... cute, yes - but not obsession.

#2 - ABBA: I was a big ABBA fan. This was no longer a teen-idol thing but a group I really enjoyed for their music. A variety of tunes and at one point, I had all their studio-released albums, except the last one: Voyage. I thought their music was good, and occasionally there were songs that had lyrics that meant a bit more than the surface meaning. Maybe, in some ways, this was the first time that I saw a song could be more than a song.

Seems to me now / That the dreams we had before / Are all dead, nothing more / Than confetti on the floor. / It's the end of a decade. / In another ten years' time / Who can say what we'll find / What lies waiting down the line / in the end of eighty-nine. // Happy new year, happy new year / May we all have a vision now and then / Of a world where every neighbour is a friend. It's about grasping onto the hope that things will somehow get better next year despite all signs pointing against it. Sadly, I think this pointed to the end of ABBA. Oh, how far we have all come since 'the end of eighty-nine'!! Their music was fun, a feeling of hope, even though it was often tinged with sadness and melancholy. But then came numbers to kick your shoes off and just have fun! Let the sadness wait for another day!

#3 - Chris de Burgh: I distinctly remember the day and time I was introduced to his music. In Gr. 11, I had the opportunity to go to Newfoundland with a school program. After I had returned home, I had a gathering at my place. I remember Dean Hagman was there, and he played the first CdB song for me. I think they wanted to see my reaction! (little innocent me!) Patricia the Stripper. I can't remember what the second piece was, but I suspect it was In a Country Churchyard. That is one of my favourite songs to this day. I was able to see him in concert this last year, promoting his most recent album, Legend of Robin Hood. I think this is where I started to be captivated with things ancient, things Celtic, things ethereal, things historical. de Burgh began his music career as a troubadour, playing in the pub of his family castle. This fascination with times gone by has something that has embedded itself in me, and I still listen to his music today. They are all stories: haunting, beautiful, poignant. I have even used his music in my poetry class - it's not only melodic but the poetry of the lyrics are soul-stirring.

#4 - Prince: 'Pop' music from the 1980s! During my university years, Prince was huge. Especially since I went to a college in Minnesota, Prince's home state. There was a lot of 'new wave' or dance pop. Notice, a genre popular in my teens was Disco, and it wasn't something I was really into. No markers from that throughout this reflection! Prince is the closest. Again, I think I liked his musicology and there was a romanticism about how he dressed. His music was amazing, full of energy, a 'fullness' that was often missing in other performers. He loved his music, that's for sure. I was quite affected when I heard of his passing in 2016. It was a direct connection to my college days and the realization that time has definitely passed. It was after his passing that I realized how much of a musician he really was.

#5 - AC/DC: Ahh ... rock! In private, I was a rocker gal. I don't think I ever had the confidence to live as one, but in my heart, I rocked with the best of them! And, AC/DC always gave me a shot of energy! I remember in my club and dancing days, put an AC/DC song on, and I HAD to get out on the dancefloor! Maybe it was the place where I could 'safely' rock out without my 'inner-rocker' being on display? There were other wonderful rock groups at this time - I am so grateful that I grew up during this time! - Van Halen, Led Zepplin, Aerosmith, Ratt, Scorpions, Twisted Sister, Whitesnake, Bon Jovi, Poison, ZZTop, Motley Crue, Guns 'n Roses, Huey Lewis & the News, Heart, Queen, to name a few: the days of the Hair Bands! I still love music of that day! Judas Priest and Alice Cooper were good, but that's about where I drew the line - Ozzy/Black Sabbath and Megadeth were too 'thrasher' for me, and something a bit too anti-something. I looked over the rock bands of the 90s ... yeah, none of them impacted me ... by then I was moving into the following ...

#6 - Harry Connick Jr. - I started to follow him right around 1993. I know this because I got his Christmas album at this time and never looked back. I'm sure I discovered him before, but this album highly marked itself on me. When My Heart Finds Christmas and What Are You Doing New Year's Eve - easily the most romantic songs I know. This man's piano skills are met only by the next choice. His style, and his ability to create arrangements and compositions of jazz, funk, big-band, and romantic ballads are dear to my heart. (And he has some of the BEST Christmas albums out there!) Everything about this man is wonderful. Again, notice how a sense of romanticism, of beauty, is woven through this music? His soundtrack to When Harry Met Sally launched it all for me, I think. I could put his music on and listen to it forever ... thankfully, there is more music I love that could sustain me forever with him. But Harry will always be special to me.

#7 - Diana Krall: Another pianist extraordinaire (and Canadian!). There are a few Canadian jazz performers that I have fallen in love with (Jill Barber, Holly Cole, Molly Johnson, Terra Hazelton), but at the top (and with an extensive representation in my CD collection) is Krall. Sultry voice, mesmerizing playing. Again, my romantic heart is on full display. Beauty - something I realize is crucial to me is beauty: visual and auditory (and other forms, too), but these two are central. If I could create a world where this music feels like 'home', then I know that I, too, will have come 'home'.

#8 - Michael Buble: Another Canadian! And another fantastic performer! Full of humour, full of genuine, authentic love for his audience, full of an amazing performer. If Harry doesn't have the best Christmas album out there, then the honour goes to Buble. A showman like few others, he can connect to each person in a 20,000+ person arena and give each an incredibly joyful experience! I remember first seeing him on Days of our Lives (when I was an avid fan) in 2003. From then on, I was hooked! His ability to sing both big-band and ballads was right up my alley! I still avidly follow him and was lucky to see him a second time in concert about a year ago. (I'm not as crazy about him as my friend Allison, who has seen him something like 20 times in concert?, but I am a definite fan and can get lost on all his music.

#9 - Elvis Presley: in my opinion, one of the true greats. A person who came from nothing, with a desire in his heart, and turned the music world around. I remember when he passed in the summer of 1977. One of the moments my world stopped. One day, just before Grade 9, I was playing with my brother and his friend Grant, and I had hidden. I heard on the radio of his sudden demise. It didn't bother anyone else when I shared my shock, but I was incredibly saddened. His music truly created the music of the teenager, his movies were fluff and he always sang beautiful songs. That man's voice could melt butter! Throughout my life, whenever I've heard a song of his, no matter how cheesy or how heartfelt, I will stop and breathe a moment of gratitude that he was a defining part of my life. There was a purity, a simplicity, a genuine love for humanity that I felt in his music. I never got the feeling that stardom and personal wealth were the reasons he got into the business; I feel that it was more about a love for music and sharing it with people. His gift was his voice; in sharing it with those who listened, he changed the face of popular music. Thank you, Elvis. Contrary to your fear, you will always be remembered! You are the King!

#10 - KISS: Remember I said in secret, I was a rocker-gal? These four guys were why and continue to be. Now, to be honest, my fandom doesn't hold a candle to what is in my brother's heart, but in my way, these are the rockers to beat. They are the best, no questions asked. Gene said in a recent interview that they are a band that crosses all lines, that can be enjoyed by son, father, and grandfather, alike, all with facepaint and all with their hands in the air. I will say that my love for these guys is completely anchored in my brother. I loved their popular tunes, but it was him that turned me into a fan. He shared with me their stories, about their struggles, about their dreams. I think what ties KISS and Elvis in my mind is that they both came from poverty, from being 'behind the 8-ball'. They should have never done what they did - Jewish poverty, from holocaust roots and deformities. Today, kids would blame these for why their lives are miserable. Instead, Gene and Paul created a dream and set out on a road to bring that dream to reality. Lots of negative press, lots of mocking, lots of criticism, lots of up-and-down ... and now, 50 years later, they can look back and know that they are icons of the industry. They have stood the test of time. An achievement that I doubt many more will ever achieve. I've seen them twice in concert - once Nov 12, 2009, and again on Nov 12, 2023. I don't think anyone else will ever have a concert like them - a love-in with a driving rock theme! And they know that it was their fans that helped them; their appreciation for us is evident in every concert. Even though they will never tour again, they will forever live in my heart. And will be my secret love. (And, no doubt they will keep making money!) 

(Short ambiguous note: I will always connect KISS in my mind with 'miracles'. Who would have thought that God could move through this band in ways that they will never know? Thank you, KISS; and thank you, God, for KISS!)

You can take a stand, or you can compromise / You can work real hard or just fantasize / But you don't start livin' 'till you realize / I gotta tell ya!

God gave rock and roll to you, gave rock and roll to you / Gave rock and roll to everyone / God gave rock and roll to you, gave rock and roll to you / God gave rock and roll to you (to everyone he gave the song to be sung) / Gave rock and roll to you, gave rock and roll to everyone

I know life sometimes can get tough and I know life sometimes can be a drag / But people, we have been given a gift, we have been given a road / And that road's name is rock and roll!!

Gave rock and roll to everyone / God gave rock and roll to you gave rock and roll to you / Put it in the soul of everyone / God gave rock and roll to you, gave rock and roll to you / Gave rock and roll to everyone!  

(The above song is played over the PA system at the end of every KISS concert. Not a bad message to leave their 'Army' with as we all depart for our 'normal' lives, eh?) 

I have always loved music. My mood can change at the drop of a hat depending on what music I am listening to. Key for me is loving music that has good 'music' to it - the whole package: musicality, flow, lyrics, ability, voice. I have studied classical music for 14 years, and have an extensive personal music library (mostly CDs at this point, but albums and cassettes are still floating around); my YouTube account has a good 20+ self-created playlists, some with as many as 200 songs in them. And they cover the spectrum! I love choral music and symphonies; I ADORE musicals. I saw my first live musical at the age of 4, but I knew The Sound of Music long before that, as I knew THAT was NOT Julie Andrews on Stage! And my little 4-year-old self promptly let everyone around me know that! I've seen so many shows over the years, (40?50? not counting the shows I  volunteered in) but I have never been to NYC. Maybe one day.

For all the music I love, for the new performers I have yet to discover, the above 10 bands/performers hold a special place in my heart. Because of them, I can find energy, I can feel positive about life, I can become captivated with beauty, I can get lost in music, I can tap into that little girl inside. My music tastes are diverse and ever-expanding, but these 10 will be with me forever. 

This is the soundtrack to my life.

*** Addendum written on December 2nd, 2023: I purchased the PPV of KISS's final concert in New York City last night. Bittersweet. A couple of observations: Man, do their kids love them! And everyone talked about their perseverance, their tenacity during tough times, their dedication to bringing the concert to people that they always wanted to see. Their legacy is encouragement to be who you want to be, to live your authentic self, and to love all. They spoke about how their music crossed the boundaries of generations and brought people together. They spoke of their love for their fans, which without, they would be nothing. Their final concert was beautiful - I have access until midnight January 1, 2024. I know I will watch it a few times! And ... in the end, a 'gift' of sorts: they have become immortal. They have gone the way of ABBA and have become avatars. When I learned of this with ABBA, I thought more iconic performers need to do this; and my first thought was KISS need to do this. And guess what? I wasn't the only one thinking this! Who knows where this will lead! How wonderful to watch God Gave Rock and Roll to You with their new avatars! As Paul said, "KISS is bigger than any of us." I wish them many blessings on the next chapter of each of their lives! 

Housecleaning for 2023 - Note for Past and Future

 

I began to do some thinking about all my blogs and how can I make them purposeful and useful, to me and to anyone who chances upon them. It seems to me a good place to start would be to do some cleaning up with what I already have. After all, wouldn't that be part of the intention here - to GMST?? 

So, to that end, I shall begin this endeavour. If you read back, thinking that you read something and cannot find it, then check out one of the other blogs. In particular, a lot from here will be transferred to my spiritual blog, On the Pilgrimage is where I have transferred a lot; I will save here for things I wrestle with, things I need to figure out how to GMST for this life I live. If you stop by here, you'll find topics like that. If you want to read about my arts reviews, I encourage you to check here: Reel Reflections. And ... for challenges I give myself: this is the spot for that - My Challenge to New Life. To be honest, all of these need some serious cleaning and such. Like my life. (There is another one waiting to be birthed, but not quite yet. Let me get these all in line first!) 

In a non-exchange I had with my distant brother over the weekend (it seems that's a good way to explain what does go between us!), I sent him a link to a therapist that what giving me things to think about and thought he might appreciate him. I added that I hoped he was doing well. His response to me: "I am slowly getting my house cleaned. That's a long process. It's my brokenness displayed in clutter." I found it interesting that he has come to that realization, as I have known that about myself for decades. I know that the chaos I am in is a direct indicator of the shit I'm going through and have been going through for as long as I know. I guess the best thing I can be is glad that he has come to that self-discovery. I'm sure he's repressed it for years; I've just wallowed in mine. 

So, for me - this is a year of cleaning. Every corner of my world, every nook in my brain, in preparation for what is to come. Lighten the load so I am no longer weighed down with all this chaos! Really a year for GMST!! Maybe add this as my subtitle for 2023??? 

Complacency & Ordinary People

 

Consider the following:

The nation is poverty-stricken. No jobs. No savings. Many are near eviction. Addiction, alcoholism, suicide, and homelessness abound. Classical liberalism and democracy are failing. Hyperinflation. Money has become almost worthless; everything is costing more and more. Everyone competing for power; vilification and accusations abound. Morals loosen and blur. Everything seems to be breaking down. Sound like today?

A new political party comes in - determined to revitalize the economy, with plans for employment and recovery. For reconciliation and revitalization. They stand firmly for the oppressed and against everything that is causing the problems - They know how to get rid of capitalistic greed. They care for the environment and the animals. They care for the health and well-being of their people.

And they target those that have contributed to these problems - those who control Wall Street, big businesses, banks, and all those who are the problem that stands in the way of what the government wants to do. This plan will address those who cause problems and disagree with the government and the health plans and the revitalizing the government pushes for, this party has a plan to deal with these people that disagree with the mandate of the government's plan, those that disagree with the health plans the government wants for the people, this party has a plan to deal with these people that are the problem. The plan will deal with the people who are the greed and capitalistic drivers of our society; a plan to correct the problem these people contribute.

Question: do you vote for this party? Would this be a good party for our nation?

The above is, in fact, not a new political party, requesting our votes. Though it certainly could be! And, if you are like many, you might even consider voting for them. After all, they have many good qualities and ideas. But the fact is, this is not from now ... but from the early and mid-1900s. The actual party that describes was started in 1917. Another is from around the mid-1920s and late 1950s.

I wrote the above to maybe get others thinking. I heard yesterday about a person who was from Ukraine. This person didn't think much of her neighbours, the Russians. A bear, yeah, but not a threat. Chained and sedated. Benign. Nothing to worry about. Maybe at one point, but not anymore. They wrote lovely music and wonderful books. No threat. In fact, they were actually quite good neighbours! ... until this year. Until February 2022. When Russia invaded Ukraine. And she realized how her complacency (and that of many others) created an environment where one was prepared for war. No one expected what is happening now and how this is affecting her now. Her complacency created a space for this to happen ... with her permission.

I happened across a video on YouTube. What is above is the beginning of the video, said in such a way as to focus on the viewer, the "you" watching. The party I described above actually does exist ... or, rather, did. This is the platform for the National Socialist Worker's Party. Missing one word - German. The actual name for the Nazi party. (I added one word in the description: reconciliation. But it was implied.) But here's the thing. I can take every phrase there and match it to similar phrases in both the Proclamation of the People's Republic of China (Mao Zedong's Marxist-Leninist CCP roots) as well as his anti-rightist campaign (which lead to the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution and the death of over 30 million people) as well as most can be found in the Bolshevik party (led by Vladimir Lenin) and later Stalin's legacy. This isn't about right or left. It's about two voices and the power of one to silence the other. The challenge for us - don't become complacent. It doesn't matter who stands on either side ... in the end, we need to realize that it's not that far from there to the removal of the dissenting voice that we "didn't" see coming ... but we did. Right now people are being silenced. Whether you agree with them or not ... isn't that how it starts?

If you are interested in this video, search "How the Holocaust Happened: What Drives Ordinary People to Become Mass Killers." If you want similar for the other mentioned parties, I'm sure that wouldn't be hard. We're a very violent species, and boy, do we know how to hate! Throughout the 20th century, we did nothing. You see, eradicating a certain group of people, of dissenters, of "the problem" has not been limited to the Nazis. Over 169 million people have been killed throughout the world from genocide and democide in the 20th century alone. We think "If I was there, I wouldn't let that happen" but really? ... complacency and pressure or anger and solution to a problem (capitalism?), government and hearing what you want to hear (think to what I wrote above) can create an interesting environment where things get blurred.

The comments on the animals came from the book In The Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson. If you haven't read it, consider doing so; it's excellent. Hatred against a certain group of people in the 1940s did not just come from the Germans. It was rampant throughout the western world. I also came across a thread somewhere about the benefits that were provided to the Germans at this time: including anti-smoking campaigns (it wasn't until the 1950s that the link to cancer was found), all sorts of animal rights laws were passed (including protection laws and anti-cruelty laws), the banning of human zoos, the passing of many ecological laws to protect the environment, an the passing of vacation laws for workers, increased taxing of the big businesses, huge changes in the economy for the nation, economic stability, reduced power of the capitalistic control, etc. If you didn't know it was the platform of the National Socialist Worker's Party, it wouldn't sound that bad, would it? But we know what came after.

What's the expression - those who fail to learn from the past are doomed to repeat it. When it sounds good ... it might not be as good as it sounds. Collectively, we have short memories.

Many people say, "But I wouldn't have been one, I would have fought against them and stood up for what's right." But I wonder if that would really have been the case. That's why I wrote the above and posted it on my FB. I wondered ... what would an average person, a friend of mine, think if they encountered something like what they would like to hear? I, too, was quite astounded with all the health and environmental and animal laws the National Socialist Worker's Party put into effect. Long before the western world did so. Anyone who loves animals and loves the environment and hates capitalism would have voted for them, I'm sure. I might have voted for them, too.

The video provided the specifics, along with the book and another resource on what this party provided for the people. They were good things. Anyone who sees one group of people as the problem (a religious group, capitalists, white people, whatever) would like what they say about a solution to this problem. How many times have I heard very similar things coming out of a person's mouth about people who vote for certain political groups today? I even asked a friend once about where would she stop if she saw a person from the other party in the middle of the road? And her answer suggested that she wouldn't. She hated them that much. So, if death on the road would be acceptable, why not round them all up and build another work camp to isolate them? Put them to use in a controlled environment? Or, put them into a modern "ghetto"? Or limit the amount of money they make? Take away their bank accounts?

Many years ago, it started with work camps, isolating them from the rest of people ... that wouldn't be bad, would it? That wouldn't be bad now, to put certain problem groups in there now, would it? We have locations and spaces now that refuse to allow certain groups to participate, the doors are closed for certain groups of people. The problem is threatened, removed, and cancelled. People are cancelled. The problem has their bank accounts locked and no longer accessible. That's not bad, is it? Especially for "this" group of people? They're the problem, so why not? We have people that are silenced and are threatened with death and legal action for speaking their opinions. Not inciting violence, but speaking their opinions on issues, which includes sometimes speaking against the government. That's good that they are controlled and shut down, right? It gives more opportunity and room for those who are not the problem and removes the problem so the rest of us can live in "harmony", right?

The thing is ... we've seen this happen before. But we've forgotten it and ... it is possible that we are about to repeat history. We'll just change the colour of their skin and their beliefs. And that makes it ok, this time, right? If you wouldn't speak up then, what makes you think you'll speak up now? Especially if YOU are not the problem and you see THEM as the problem?

You see, it's my personal belief that nothing starts extreme ... everything starts in "safe" territory. And we become complacent and we stop listening to other points of view. We allow the narrative to be forced in one direction and attempt to shut down the dissenters, whether they are left or right, yellow or green, this label or that one ... whatever label you want to give them. Slap on a label and away we go. Maybe I'm exaggerating, but I'm concerned, and I know that I'm very much watching what I say ... to anyone. I don't want to be misunderstood. I don't want someone to threaten me. I don't want my accounts to be locked. I don't want to be seen as one of them.

But then I ask myself ... am I also becoming complacent and allowing this environment to grow by being silent?

A friend responded with: Unfortunately, the current government makes it so easy for so many to drift in either direction to the extreme. ... Today, here in North America, there are hundreds of people facing jail time, who are absolutely convinced that they did the right thing on a certain day. There are hundreds more who felt they had the perfect right to drive loud vehicles through the city, down streets blowing air horns at all hours, disrupting the businesses of the city, and causing problems for commuters trying to get to work. In other nations, where the gap between wealth and poverty is more extreme than ever in history, people are routinely beheaded for daring to challenge the status quo in any form. Extremism is not the exclusive domain of any one ideology. It happens when people adopt a tribal, fortress mentality and refuse to entertain or listen to any alternate point of view. I'm right, right? We're first, right? And don't you dare take my freedom! Oh my! We would do anything in the name of Freedom! And why should the government rob me of my hard-earned dollars to pass on to drug addicts and bums who are too lazy to work? Valid points, right? And how convenient that most of the latter are part of visible minorities, which makes it so easy to round them up and get them out of the way. Someone with a different skin colour, someone of a different ethnic background, residential schools, Japanese internment camps, Chinese vocational education and training centres (open and operating today). ... Slapping a distasteful label on someone, or a group of someones, makes it so easy to hate them!

Now, to be clear, I am very MOTR (Middle Of The Road) - I see benefits on both the left-ish and right-ish sides. Extreme, as mentioned in my friend's comments, is where I see things going off the rails. However, I think many people tend to start sliding into extremes when they feel they are not being listened to or heard. When they feel that they are marginalized and dismissed. I know there have been times when I am calm and patient ... until someone dismisses me as unimportant. As not valued. As inferior. As an outcast. The ... then I get frustrated and irate. And I sound more extreme than I really am. Had I been listened to and respected from the beginning, I would not have gotten angry and I would have responded much differently.

I have sat and listened to those who supported the convey, and I've talked with people who live in Ottawa. I've listened to and asked questions of people who voted Republican AND Democrat (though not in the same room at the same time!). I have asked hard questions to people on all sides, with as much compassion as I can. They all have valid concerns and frustrations. I am convinced - if we could listen to each other more, if we could ask more questions instead of being so invested in our "right" answers, if we could refrain from calling the other names and spewing vitriolic hatred and anger towards those who are not like us, I am certain that things would and could be different. No one likes to be attacked and everyone goes on the defensive when they feel they are.

Often, where the beheadings are happening, the country is an absolute monarchy, a solitary, one-party state, so things are a bit different there than in multi-party democracies like North America; but when we start to look like them ... when we become a one-party nation, and there are beheadings in our country on our streets, when people are jailed to silence them without a fair trial and forced to be silent when they present non-violent disagreements, when the government threatens and succeeds in confiscating basic freedoms, when non-violent gatherings erupt into violence and death ... then, I think we've let things go too far, and it's just a matter of time before things go even further. And I don't care which side it comes from: each side can target just as well as the other. Each side can hate with a deep-seated rage just as well as the other. Then, we, too, I think, will have become complacent and biased and will have begun to slide into areas where things could go very wrong. And we will not only have let it happen, but we will have participated in it. But those are my thoughts on the matter.

My friend responded: I choose to remain silent when people voice strong opinions one way or another. Perhaps I shouldn't? Perhaps I should try to be a voice of reason in these situations. Not sure why I choose not to ... and it is a conscious choice. Fear probably. Fear of losing my cool, fear of losing a friend or being unpopular. Fear of being shouted down and letting the other think they've 'won'. But I guess fear in this situation can end in the same place as complacency.

My final thoughts: Am I part of the problem or part of the solution? Are YOU part of the problem or part of the solution? We all are very affected by fear ... fear of so many things. When I watched the video, I could see how someone, anyone ... even me ... how I could contribute to an environment that ultimately would lead to a very ugly place. If I stayed silent, if I thought everything was ok and that there was no way they could do this or go that far, I would not be standing against it and I would let it happen. I would play it safe. I would assist in creating an environment where it could start small and grow. I would be silent because of fear and what it might mean for me, just like my friend. And, in the end, I, too, would be contributing to the problem and not the solution. Because, in the beginning, it wouldn't be a problem. Not yet. Not now. It seems to me that the "nourishment" for all of this is very present in our world today. The more we focus on 'me', the more we make it about "my feelings of being offended", of being wronged and attacked and not respected, the more I WOULD have been one of those that helped, I would NOT have fought against them and stood up for what's right. The solution might be scarier than one thing... and we might not be able to stand up to it then. Because of the risk it would mean to me ... to you ... to us. We're on a tough path. And ... let me also say: the solution is NEVER more anger and hatred. It is ALWAYS love and compassion. No matter WHO the other is. What is the first step?

That's all I have to say on that. For now.

Welcome 2023!

 

Cheers! Happy New Year!  I read somewhere: New Year is like a blank book. It has 12 chapters and 365 pages, and you are the author. That's something to contemplate, isn't it? We are the author of our own book - what do you want your book to be about? What are those 12 chapters going to be on? And what will fill your 365 pages? 

Since reading that, I've been pondering my answers to those questions. Granted, our books are part of many others in our series. And this book, on this year, certainly has connections to past books and will have connections to future books as well. 

How many years have gone by for you and there isn't much of anything in your book? Sure ... a good time here, a party there. But overall? Not much. At least, not much that propels it forward and builds into the next year. 

Or, maybe you feel that your book has been building and building, the 'rising action' just keeps rising ... to what? Until that moment the light gets snuffed out? Is that what this series of books are ultimately about? 

Or maybe there's something else that is possible. 

I guess, ultimately, it is all in each our individual hands, right? In a recent Twitter post, someone asked: why do you think older people don't play video games as much as younger people? A good question. Many responded with responses like lack of dexterity, less likely to try new hobbies, tough to learn and play, difficulty in moving. The responses are interesting - and perhaps not altogether wrong. But it becomes evident when someone who is older answers - it often has to do with time management, how to be productive and purposeful with your time. For me, it was about leaving something behind when I had passed. And how playing video games does not set one up to leave something of substance behind. Playing video games, though perhaps good when one is young (for dexterity and such) is not something to spend copious amounts of time on. For one, the health factor (do you know how much DVTs or PEs have risen in the last few years? all connected to inactivity of people sitting in front of a screen?); for another, the time factor (those hours used on the computer will never be returned to you and how many people can afford to throw hours, days, weeks, YEARS of the best / healthiest time of their lives down a toilet with no progress or concrete outcome?). I've lost a lot of my life to sleep ... I know the consequences of 'lost time'. I need to guard against doing that, replacing sleep with something else. I've already had two PEs (Pulmonary Emboli), I know what leads to that ... and inactivity is one of the leading causes of this. 

So, my blank book. This year. What do I want to be in these pages? I want FULL pages. I want action. I want production, I want change and progress. No excessive 'sleep' - either actual or figurative. We can sleep through life in many ways, and I've done enough sleeping. Now, for maintenance ... and the rest needs to be action. 

Many years ago, when I went through a season of unemployment, I discovered "The Planner Community" - a group of people (mostly women) who really get into planning. Many of them come out of the scrapbooking community, I think, as so much of what they produce is an extension of that. Stickers, Pretties. But along the way, I created my own. And this year, I think I'm close to perfecting it. I like what I have and it will work towards giving fuel to my days. 

I bid you adieu for now. Here's to a productive, dream-filled and work-fuelled year! Every adventure begins with one step. Let's take that first step into the new adventure called 2023. 

What will your book be? What will your verse be? Here are the covers for mine. 

This will definitely be the year for GMST!!! (Getting my sh*t together!!) 😁