Who knew? Making sense of the rational and the not so rational-
Who knew the world was as crazy as it is? Who knew that everyone is weird. Once upon a time I thought that when I turned eleven that I would have it all together. Then I turned eleven and it was clear that I didn’t. So I figured that when I turned sixteen I would have it all together. That birthday came and went and no, I still didn’t have it all together. It had to be when I turned twentyone. Alas, that birthday passed too and still I did not have it all together. But what did that mean to “have it all together?” I think I thought it meant that some how all the bumps and rough spots and ugly curling orange peels would no longer be visible and that I at last would have a clear and rational mind so that I could go out in the world and make clear and rational decisions. That was the goal. i suppose that it was a goal came from my own family ethos which was to value the rational and to scorn the irrational. At this age I’ve given up. I not only not believe that I will not have it all together but it is slowly slipping away as a goal as I see that not only am I not completely rational, no one else is either. And so I can relax and not have being rational a goal anyhow and just get comfortable with being with my own weirdness and marvel at the endless variations of weirdity in the world.
July 29th, 2009 at 8:59 am
One of my favorite film scenes is Sean Penn playing Emmett Ray, a wonderfully “irrational” guitarist. He’s deeply in debt for his impulsive spending and his manager puts him on a budget. Ray sees an expensive car (a Stutz-Bearcat, I think) and wants to buy it. Of course, his manager says no. Ray (Penn) pleads, “But I’m an artist!” Whenever I get that impulse- to act irrationally/impulsively- usually to buy something expensive (like the new $2400 mountain bike I’ve been looking at lately) or to do something else foolish and get flack from well meaning “practical” friends and family members, I quote Sean Penn….. “but, I’m an artist.”
Our culture continues to homogenize everything and everyone. Before shopping malls “weirdness” could be found on most city street corners- looney paper hawkers and various political gadflies were common.
Our culture is out of balance with ‘reason’ and has been for some time. William Blake wrote in his day of the problems of an out-of-balance emphasis on reason. He called this conventional sense of law and reason “Urizen.” The Canadian Humanist, John Paul Saul has written brilliantly on the problem in a trilogy of books: “Voltaires’s Bastards,” “On Equilibrium,” and “”The Unconscious Civilization.” (Actually the second book came later, but I include as an essential part of the trilogy on ‘reason.’) Check Saul out. He’s a brilliant commentator on culture as as entertaining to read as Paglia.
Another quote. This from William Faulkner before a gathering of students at U. of VA.
“Respectability destroys one… that is, nobody seems to be brave enough anymore to be an out-and-out blackguard or rascal, that sooner or later he’s got to be respectable, and that finishes it.”
Be yourself, be weird….. and when someone tries to pull you back to being “reasonable” tell them…. “but, I’m an artist.”
July 29th, 2009 at 10:36 am
Bill,
As usual you are right on target. Thank you for your comments and your suggestions. Last night watched part of Art 21, loved Ursuala von Rydingward’s work. She’s intense but without much humor. What’s the name of the movie that Sean Penn is in? And are you going to get the new Mt. Bike? You should come out here to the land where the Mt. Bike was invented. Recently saw a special on our local Public TV on the history of Mt. Biking with old video clips from back in the 70′s. If you get a chance go to KQED TV and look up California.
July 29th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
Sorry ’bout that. I meant to mention the film by name. It’s one of my favorite Woody Allen films, “Sweet and Lowdown.” A little jewel of a film.
Didn’t get the bike, yet….. the desire arouse out of looking at bikes for my son, Seth. We’ve been riding together this summer on a regular basis, and I’ve been wanting him to get a better bike for sometime. He was riding a bike I built from scratch with a ’95 frame. I gave it to him after his bike was stolen in VT. That was over ten years ago. So…. he (in my humble opinion) needed a bike with newer geometry and smaller frame to fit his size. He couldn’t afford it, but I had recently sold a small painting so I had a few bucks burning a hole in my pocket (remembering all the while I’ve retired from full-time teaching and am living essentially on air). The original plan was to get me a new bike and give him my current one (which is a very good XC hard-tail). We went looking…. found a great deal for him, so I bought it and gave it to him for his next birthday/xmas gift. But…. here’s the irrational bug!!! Now that I’ve seen what he has, I want to upgrade….. Completely irrational, yes….. But!!! “I’m an artist! Damn it!!!
I’ve seen some of those old clips of the Marin County gang riding down Mt Talmalpais (I think it was) Great stuff… great history. Thanks for the tip. I’ll check it out.
December 13th, 2009 at 6:10 am
any updates coming ?