Yesterday, was a Holiday. Which meant time to reflect and listen. I listened to my heart and played various versions (Willie Nelson, Allen Toussaint and Paul himself) of Paul Simon's great song American Tune:
I don’t know a soul who’s not been battered
I don’t have a friend who feels at ease
I don’t know a dream that’s not been shattered
Or driven to its knees
Oh, but it’s all right, it’s all right
For lived so well so long
Still, when I think of the road
We’re traveling on
I wonder what went wrong
I can’t help it, I wonder what’s gone wrong
And I dreamed I was dying
And I dreamed that my soul rose unexpectedly
And looking back down at me
Smiled reassuringly
And I dreamed I was flying
And high above my eyes could clearly see
The Statue of Liberty
Sailing away to sea
And I dreamed I was flying
I started the morning in a pool of tears. I have been working thru this idea that a part of the American Dream has died (see previous two posts). I have been walking around in a cloud of pissed-off-ness, (reminded me of my young late teenaged pissed-off years), and then, the sadness descended. It was a bit of a renewal yesterday. The tears were actually a necessary cleanse. I found myself crying for all those suffering in the world, for the deep fucked-up-ness of humanity.
In the afternoon we biked the lakefront path. All the common folks were out in full force. Playing, cooking, dancing, prancing, living. Yes. It seemed the world was seething with overflowing Life. And in times of crisis my partner and I always turn to art. We listened to Bruce Springsteen's fabulous, over-powering, life-affirming "The Rising," (2002), "Rise Up!" And we watched Robert Altman's masterpiece movie, "Nashville" (1975). Final song, "It Don't Worry Me." But of of course, we are, and always have been rightly worried about the health of our little American experiment.
Listening to and watching all that great work was a total healing, a renewal & a rebirth. Funny, how great art works on the heart and soul. We also had a Mexican Fiesta dinner, celebrating our multi-cultural melting pot miracle. The best of America, folks and cultures from all over the world meeting, melding & feeding into the life-blood of America.
This morning: calm, cool, collected. Back to Paul Simon:
Oh, it’s all right, it’s all right
It’s all right, it’s all right
You can’t be forever blessed
Still, tomorrow’s going to be another working day
And I’m trying to get some rest
That’s all I’m trying to get some rest
Paul Simon (1973)
