For no apparent reason, (at least to me), I thought of Bernardo Bertolucci's wonderful film "The Dreamers," this morning while I sat and took a few sips from my first coffee of the morning.
And then the phrase, "private utopias" came up in my consciousness. Okay, I get it, let's just say that is the reason I thought of the Bertolucci.
All this talk of a world gone wrong, death of civilization, collapse gap, global implosion, etc. It's all grand scale stuff.
But our lives are mostly lived on a small scale. I know that my finest moments are usually in close quarters. Either in a rehearsal room, a recording studio, my little kitchen, with a small, tight knit group of extraordinary souls. Especially the Lovely Carla and the little chirping Cockatiels, but also including a small group of actors and musicians, and wise old codgers that I've picked up along the way. Trusted and admired souls, who teach me every day.
My good long-distance friend, Clairvoyant Kris came up with a phrase that has totally resonated with me: "don't match to the despair." And in my private utopia ("My Own Private Idaho" - another great film by the way, and an excellent song by the B52's) despair is not allowed in the territory.
I love to see things on a grand scale, to weigh the pros and cons, to discuss the beauty and the fuck-ups, but it's the small scale where I truly live. There, money is not important, greed is considered stupid, envy is a joke, the hierarchy is based on love and creativity and spirit.
It's a small space. Can't fit too much in there. But it contains all that is required to live. Sweet and true.