Searching for Positives

There are times when I liken that quest to Diogenes with his lantern and his seemingly endless search for an honest man – if I don’t broaden my horizons to relegate the media to its proper place.  And if I center my efforts on politics and politicians, the frustration can be boundless even though there are a few bright lights such as Congressman Allen West and Senator Mark Rubio, both of Florida.  And as long as the media includes such stalwarts as Thomas Sowell and Mark Steyn a glimmer of hope remains.

Perhaps one of the roadblocks that influences my task is that I really don’t recognize many “heroes”.  There are people whom I admire, such as those listed in the preceding paragraph along with a few personal acquaintances, a handful of authors, and others whose good deeds and/or perspicacity capture my attention.  People such as Wikileaks founder Julian Assange and his pet “whistleblower” Pfc Bradley Manning hardly fit that criteria.

For my money, a hero is best personified by the short film to be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=RZ7968BbMnU&vq=medium.  A question that often crops up when this story is viewed is, “Where do we find this kind of person?”.  Surely not in the lines crowding the offices dispensing government handouts, nor in the OTW mobs, nor within the ivy-covered walls of academia.  But they are among us.  They understand the meaning of “Duty, Honor, Country” along with traditional values such as integrity, honesty and working hard to get ahead.

Intestinal fortitude can be found in a plethora of scenarios involving many different people of many different persuasions and “identifiers”, but I believe that it is more an accurate reflection of the spirit that built America than anything that the current would-be “architects” of our society esteem.

In this vein, I recommend the movie “Battleship”, which certainly will never come close to garnering any honorable mentions for its acting or script – although the special effects as shown on the big screen are quite spectacular.  But the big story here is the real life of one of the movie’s featured characters.

Gregory D. Gadson, who plays double amputee Army Lt. Col. Mick Canales in the film, is in real life a double amputee Army Lt. Col. who lost both legs in Iraq when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device (IED).  This is a man who played football at West Point, who wears the coveted Combat Infantryman’s Badge on a uniform jacket that also shows many other awards.  One can only speculate what emotional distress such a crippling injury can cause this high-achiever.

But Lt. Col. Gadson (who is still carried on the Army’s active duty rolls through his involvement in the Wounded Warriors organization) has continued to strive to build a meaningful and productive life.  In addition to his continued military service and acting career, he is a “motivational coach” for the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants and considered a member of the team.

So, in the process of enjoying a date night with my wife, partner and best friend, I was fortunate enough to discover something truly positive and uplifting.

Keep the lantern burning.

From Which to Learn

George R.R. Martin’s epic fantasy series, “A Song of Ice and Fire” (Bantam Books)  is an excellent summer reading project for many reasons.  The four novels currently in print – with a fifth due in July of this year – are a densely packed treasure trove of high adventure, romance, mystery, intrigue and magic, with exceptional character development and a brilliantly limned tapestry of the never-ending battle between good and evil for the souls of mankind.

HBO has ventured to capture the medieval-like splendor of this roaring tale with a season’s offering of episodes built around the first of the novels, A Game of Thrones, and initial reports convey an enthusiastic response from a growing fan base.

I have always been a sucker for the Fantasy/Science Fiction genre.  Even though these stories often feature wildly improbable settings and characters, there is always an underlying theme that depicts with unsettling clarity the chasm between nobility and savagery that defines the human race.  Our past and our future are equally represented through these traits and although the past has been written the future remains an empty page and therein lies the hope for all of us.

Mr. Martin’s tale can be compared to the ending of the European Dark Ages, when the brutality and lack of moral structure endemic among the fractured society of “kings and lords” (or warlords and bandits, depending upon one’s perceptions) began to give way to the unifying efforts of such heroes as Richard the Lionheart, Barbarossa, and Charlemagne.  Eventually the common or “small people” were able to slowly gain the human rights that with the support of Christianity grew into the basis for Western civilization.

But the suppression of the horror, unmitigated evil and atrocities that can become the hallmark of an unrestrained Ruling Class is never completely eliminated, as can be attested to by the actions of regimes such as Nazi Germany, Japan, the fractured Balkans, Uganda and Communism in all its variants.

Mankind can rightfully recoil in horror from such examples and vow to prevent their perpetration.  Such determination produces entities such as the Magna Carta, the United Nations, NATO, and the European Union.

But even as societies continue to evolve, our ancient proclivities remain.  The Ruling Class tenaciously survives, determined to maintain its assumed superiority, its privileges and its aristocratic smugness.  Power is its only goal and all else is subservient, as evidenced by such diverse examples as the droit du seigneur proclivities exhibited by International Monetary Fund  managing  director Dominique Strauss-Kahn and the arrogant antics of Congressman Anthony Weiner, Senator Ted Kennedy and other national and international figures.

But surely, you might protest, such mild transgressions hardly compare with the beheadings, amputations, endless war and uncountable other atrocities portrayed in Mr. Martin’s fictional saga.  A logical point.

We can regard with justifiable pride the enormous strides we have made from Thomas Hobbes’s view of life as “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short” as expressed in his famous book, Leviathan, published in 1651.  But Hobbes was also an unrepentant advocate of a strong central government and would undoubtedly be profoundly disturbed by the more vocal elements of libertarianism to be found in today’s society, let alone the French Revolution of 1848.

As a species, humanity seems to find itself careening madly from extreme to extreme, from anarchy to totalitarianism.  But we are indeed evolving, as history might indicate, and our major societal shifts are somewhat tempered by the implementation of such restraints as the rule of law, elections, and religious values.

We are far from perfect, but with our capacity to read, understand, evaluate, discuss, and make cooperative decisions we have the opportunity to influence what our future may bring.

Hopefully, we will come to recognize the genius and talent of some of our most prolific writers and incorporate their teachings into our march toward the future.

 

 

 

“The Legend Lives On”

How fortunate one can be to experience such special moments.

A couple of evenings ago two lovely ladies helped me to celebrate another year on the right side of dirt by arranging for us to attend a Gordon Lightfoot concert at the magnificent old Colonial Theatre in Keene, NH.

This is a mature building that has housed vaudeville acts in the past and is still a beautifully kept up venue that shows films and hosts a wide variety of performances.  It may house 700 or so, but maintains an intimate atmosphere while providing excellent acoustics and a clear view of the stage from all angles.  We had wonderful seats in the orchestra, center aisle and only a few rows back.

I have always been impressed by the persistence of Johnny Cash, who continued to perform for so many years and was still active almost up to the day of his death.  Saturday night was eerily reminiscent of “the man in black”.

Gordon Lightfoot, the aptly described “Canadian troubadour”, has been one of my favorites since he first became well-known in the 1960′s.  He is a true story-teller who could have stepped on stage straight from a medieval country path that carried him from village to village.  His style is unique, although many of his songs have been covered by an eclectic bevy of other artists, and there will be one left to take his place.

When he walked on stage Saturday night his appearance was arresting.  He was …… gaunt, I suppose would be accurate, and his movements stiff and a little uncertain.  But the audience response was hearty and he soon seemed to draw vitality from that energy.

The stage setting was simple, but the lighting was soft and projected intimacy.  His backup group is small – a lead guitar (a new member to the group: Lightfoot confided that his longtime lead guitar player had recently passed away), electric bass, drums and keyboardist.

The accouterments were simple, brilliantly staged and designed to support the singer, who has only limited voice left.  But that did not matter; indeed, his lack of vocal power seemed to enhance the performance.  The music of Gordon Lightfoot is so well-known that many members of the audience were just as familiar with the lyrics as he is and the performance soon took on the easy, comfortable patina of an old friend giving an off-the-cuff rendition of some of his favorites to a few of his close acquaintances.

It was fascinating to watch as Lightfoot fed from the enthusiastic applause that followed every number.  My wife was the first to mention that for several very brief moments forty years would seem to slip away and the vibrant, magnetic artist of yesteryear would peek through the swirling fog of too many years and too many miles.  I saw it, too, and so I’m sure did many others.

The concert flew by, as do so many magical moments.  One leaves a bit wistfully, hoping for just a little more, but treasuring the very special time that has been granted.

Gordon Lightfoot is on tour once more, for a limited time and for a small number of carefully selected venues.  If you have the opportunity and enjoy his beautifully crafted music don’t miss what I suspect may be this last opportunity to pay homage.  His like will not pass this way again.