A major change in my circumstances is what I was hoping for earlier today as I used every alternative method at my disposal to try to make it happen (in addition to the necessary action I ACTUALLY did). With Sam Cooke providing the soundtrack to my escape from those pressures, I ran across this other Sam Cooke treasure as well that speaks to my hopes that “a change gone come.”
Summertime is something that has escaped me because of the climate where I’m located. I’m definitely not complaining because I could be in 100+ degrees Fahrenheit temperatures. However, the past couple of days has seen summertime weather break through from nowhere. This summertime is different as I’ve put a lot on the line to move several steps closer to my dreams, goals, desires (fill in the blank with appropriate phrase). On one hand, it is as if I’m on a three month vacation in an idyllic location that many would love to visit. On the other hand, because the direction of my future hangs in the balance, it is more like a tense time of uncertainty and anxiety, mixed with moments of resignation and frustration. Today, I made desperate pleas to the universe, requested any divine intervention on my behalf, did Reiki and prayed for a positive outcome on something that came up. After doing what I could do, I then decided it was time for me to leave all of that tense anxiety alone and to get outside to take in some of the abundant summertime. During times like these, I lean on and embrace the restorative power of nature to move me beyond anxiety. I hopped on the bike and decided to pedal to where my two legs on two wheels could take me. For over two hours, I went into the heart of Summertime. I passed pastures where cows where grazing and sleeping. I passed sheep that were peacefully eating. I marveled at horses leisurely roaming. Insects, usually a concern for me while in nature, didn’t bother me. A few came along (on me) for a free ride and one dragonfly had a T-bone collision with my chest from which I hope he recovered. On my route, I passed houses that were at once removed from the hustle and bustle of the high-density population area I started from but only a 20 or 30 minute bicycle ride away. As I pedaled in this area, one of the things that overcame me echoes the lyrics from the song “Summertime”. “Summertime, and the living is easy.” The ride enlisted almost all of my senses (except taste). I saw the interplay of light and shadow as I rode along a tree-lined route. At times, I heard the gurgle of water lazily flowing through the canals under dense cover of underbrush. I could also hear the sound of the air rushing past my ears as I rode along. I smelled the intensely earthy smell that animals, water and earth can make. Unlike areas with animals clustered close together, this smelled good and it smelled right. As I pedaled in this area, enjoying the alternating coolness of the shade and the warmth of the sun, life for a couple of hours felt easy. The concerns that were foremost on my mind faded away as I imagined what it would be like to wake up in one of the houses along the way and live what seemed to be a peaceful, idyllic and serene life in this most tranquil setting. Although those exact houses are not on my list of desires (although I did see notices for a couple of houses that WERE for sale), that peaceful feeling of being in such a tranquil setting, experiencing being alive with almost all of my senses will stay with me after today. Hopefully it won’t be until tomorrow, lol. With Summertime being the title and theme of this post, I give you the great Sam Cooke whose delivery of this song mirrors how I felt on this ride. Enjoy!
In “If You Repeat Something Enough Times…“, I posted a video montage by Conan O’Brien to highlight how a single piece of information is parroted across 18 news programs around the country with little to no editing. The intent of the previous post – the dangerous repetition and almost verbatim conformity of message found across the media – may have been lost to those who were derailed by the subject matter (same-sex marriage). Newscasters introducing the topic with “Conan O’Brien may be about to push the envelope” already give an opinion of what’s about to come after that loaded statement. Without knowing what Conan is about to do, the viewer knows that Conan is about to do something that goes beyond what the media perceives (and thus should you) as acceptable. By leading into the facts in this manner, many viewers will passively accept this same stance. That is just one hot button topic that Conan happened to have been monitoring.
However, this same tactic applies in so many other instances. One area – the urgent need for deficit reduction by way of government spending cuts – had received immense reinforcement of the message to the exclusion of alternative scenarios. Before Occupy Wall Street, how many successful discussions centered on raising taxes (corporate ones especially)? As a matter of fact, last year, there were articles touting GE’s zero tax liability and how it had an entire department devoted to minimizing its liability. I’ve successfully managed to NOT take an accounting course, however, I do know that any budget has two components – income and expenses. Yet, in the media, the one cure for the deficit was spending cuts. No credible discussions were had on revenue generation i.e. taxes especially from the sector of society that actually has cash. Coming back to the topic, how is it that we’ve gotten to the point where our “news” is nothing more than an “echo chamber” echoing the same predominant viewpoints? Media consolidation goes a long way towards being the answer for that question. The Nation published a chart in 2006 entitled The National Entertainment State that shows the top six media owners in the United States. The information that you receive comes from very limited sources, primarily six to be exact. If each of the corporations were in agreement that an idea was a good one (or, as in my original example, a bad one), how would you know otherwise? Alternative media doesn’t have the reach nor coffers of mainstream media, however, I increasingly find myself perusing those outlets for their alternative viewpoints. Yes, I continue to read the major news outlets online (while ignoring TV news altogether – they’re just soundbites). But I now consider alternative media to be the companion that, for me, provides an alternative voice that mainstream media silences. A couple of my companions:
www.fair.org/
Whitney Houston’s death earlier this year provided a lot of nostalgic look backs at the body of work she left behind. Most of the references that I saw/noticed/paid attention to were based on solo hits. However, my memory of Whitney extends farther back than the start of her solo career. My memories include work she did with Jermaine Jackson and Teddy Pendergrass. Of course, I love her solo work but I think references to her music that exclude these two gems are incomplete and I would like to set the “record” straight, pardon the pun. Enjoy!
Hold Me