In June 2009, a concept came to me. I was driving to Willie’s -- known primarily for its inexpensive hamburgers and chili -- to meet my sister Sue for breakfast.
The concept was a series of songs, essays, or poems about graying and getting older. They would be performed, recorded, or . . . whatever. At the time, I thought that I had a head start on the project with “Alzheimer’s Lament.” It was a bit on the dark side beginning with:
In irreverent moments, “Alzheimer’s Lament” could be sung as a ballad or a punk song. Soft and lilting. Loud and fast. I do not know why but I never considered it as a blues tune. Nonetheless, even in those irreverent moments, my voice was not up to the task. Besides the topic was too serious to be butchered by my singing.
The graying-growing older concept included “Optimism and Back.” That was a nascent poem or song about how naive, unconfused, and optimistic we once were and how we are no longer that free. The poem never was finished even though my journal has a full page of potential phrases, rhyming words, and combinations.
In June 2009, the Recession was in full swing. For the first time in my life, I had friends who were unemployed -- victims of the economic implosion. The finger-pointing also was in full swing. As I grayed and grew older, I realized that our society and the demagogues in particular need villains -- persons or concepts that divert our attention from real issues. Hate is used to blind us. By blaming all problems on those who can be vilified, nobody has to accept responsibility. I wondered: Should “The Cycle of Dehumanizing” be part of my graying-growing older concept?
Other potential subjects included: “Is Sixty the New Fifty?”; “When Did I Become a Child Again?” I saw humor and irony in drug advertising and its focus on older consumers. “Drug Wars” would compare big Pharma with the drug cartels. Is Viagra the cocaine of the early Twenty-First Century?
The project did not get too far along. Major reworking lie ahead to make the subjects into songs. The humor and irony of drug advertising did not lend themselves to a song. Instead, I wrote a three-part poem and published it to Facebook. The response was truly underwhelming.
My interest in the project waned. Creative expression did not come easily. The topics often were depressing. They scratched scabs to expose others’ sensitivities. Many times, I heard, “You can’t publish that because ___ knows someone” or “because ___ is the way that he is” or “because you will offend ____.”
Aging, unemployment, dementia, demagoguery, and disease did not lend themselves to readily acceptable humor, parody, or sarcasm. Or maybe they touch too many people. Or maybe too many people who are easily offended. Or maybe we are just in denial.
The graying-growing older concept may become something . . . someday.
But in the summer of 2010, the project morphed into a surf CD project. “How about I come up with a set list of surf tunes, play them, and record a CD?” My growing older poems and writings gave way to surf songs, song titles, and an instrumental rock soundtrack which plays in my head.
“Into the Flow” can be traced back to June 2009 when the bolt out of the blue hit as I was driving to Willie’s: “I’ll set growing older to music.”
The concept was a series of songs, essays, or poems about graying and getting older. They would be performed, recorded, or . . . whatever. At the time, I thought that I had a head start on the project with “Alzheimer’s Lament.” It was a bit on the dark side beginning with:
Once you were among the brightest
You were there for us in any crisis
But did you ever stop to think
you’d need a tube for food and drink
with nothing going on behind your eyes?
No thoughts, no cognition, no replies
You were there for us in any crisis
But did you ever stop to think
you’d need a tube for food and drink
with nothing going on behind your eyes?
No thoughts, no cognition, no replies
In irreverent moments, “Alzheimer’s Lament” could be sung as a ballad or a punk song. Soft and lilting. Loud and fast. I do not know why but I never considered it as a blues tune. Nonetheless, even in those irreverent moments, my voice was not up to the task. Besides the topic was too serious to be butchered by my singing.
The graying-growing older concept included “Optimism and Back.” That was a nascent poem or song about how naive, unconfused, and optimistic we once were and how we are no longer that free. The poem never was finished even though my journal has a full page of potential phrases, rhyming words, and combinations.
In June 2009, the Recession was in full swing. For the first time in my life, I had friends who were unemployed -- victims of the economic implosion. The finger-pointing also was in full swing. As I grayed and grew older, I realized that our society and the demagogues in particular need villains -- persons or concepts that divert our attention from real issues. Hate is used to blind us. By blaming all problems on those who can be vilified, nobody has to accept responsibility. I wondered: Should “The Cycle of Dehumanizing” be part of my graying-growing older concept?
Other potential subjects included: “Is Sixty the New Fifty?”; “When Did I Become a Child Again?” I saw humor and irony in drug advertising and its focus on older consumers. “Drug Wars” would compare big Pharma with the drug cartels. Is Viagra the cocaine of the early Twenty-First Century?
The project did not get too far along. Major reworking lie ahead to make the subjects into songs. The humor and irony of drug advertising did not lend themselves to a song. Instead, I wrote a three-part poem and published it to Facebook. The response was truly underwhelming.
My interest in the project waned. Creative expression did not come easily. The topics often were depressing. They scratched scabs to expose others’ sensitivities. Many times, I heard, “You can’t publish that because ___ knows someone” or “because ___ is the way that he is” or “because you will offend ____.”
Aging, unemployment, dementia, demagoguery, and disease did not lend themselves to readily acceptable humor, parody, or sarcasm. Or maybe they touch too many people. Or maybe too many people who are easily offended. Or maybe we are just in denial.
The graying-growing older concept may become something . . . someday.
But in the summer of 2010, the project morphed into a surf CD project. “How about I come up with a set list of surf tunes, play them, and record a CD?” My growing older poems and writings gave way to surf songs, song titles, and an instrumental rock soundtrack which plays in my head.
“Into the Flow” can be traced back to June 2009 when the bolt out of the blue hit as I was driving to Willie’s: “I’ll set growing older to music.”