Remember the good old days?
Neither do I, but from what Billy Joel once wrote, they weren’t always good and tomorrow ain’t as bad as it seems. It’s the kind of perspective we need now more than ever, if only to keep our boots on solid ground while the stars tease us with promises we know they’ll never be able to keep.
The Millennium just turned twenty one, which means it can get its drink on. And I know what you’re probably thinking. Do we really want to meet another calendar year that’s low on inhibitions and high on unpredictability? I mean, doesn’t Tinder provide enough of that shit as it is? But I’d like to think the new year will have a better sense of humor as a result.
For a year that was supposed to be spot on when it came to vision and hindsight, 2020 was more Carter Hayes than Isaac Hayes; as in . . more fool than cool; a delinquent tenant whose ass has finally been evicted by Father Time. But not before it unleashed a voracious predator whose genomic weaponry put humankind in its place.
Within this prosaic mosaic of a tormented tapestry, humanity coped by baking bread and singing windowsill songs with neighbors. Our everlasting will became testament to that truth Aldous Huxley once wrote about in A Brave New World when he said that pain was a fascinating horror. To our credit, we prevailed when civilization became uncivil to our senses. Sometimes in spite of ourselves, but hey, it still counts.
We learned yet again that the world is forged in laws that are graceless and thieving. It fumbles the ball on mercy because it’s too busy swimming through the dredge that delivers us from ashes to ashes and dust to dust. As temporary acquaintances, we might not like to believe that the world is just doing its job the best it can, but it’s true. The details may seem extraordinarily brutal, but that’s only because we believed in the lies of poetry and wine when they told us we could live forever.
Thing is, Huxley ain’t walking through that door. And if he was, he would damn us for ever having been happy in the first place. Because he knew that happiness possessed the fleeting quality of that leftover penny in your pocket. That it’s only here to be gone, it only lives to disappear. And beneath that deceptive surface lies the truth. We make tomorrow happen not with sugary propositions but on the salt of our steps.
So, in the now, maybe happiness is not worth striving for when peace of mind will keep us steady inside the worst of storms. And maybe we have a tougher chin than we ever dreamt possible. And maybe we stop looking for the light to guide us through this dark echo chamber of tumbling madness, because maybe . . just maybe, we possess that light our damn selves. No, check that.
I know we do.
[…] A Brave New World […]
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Thank you!
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Loved the Billboard…too funny.
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Haha! They’re famous for them. If you Google their restaurant, you’ll find a bunch like it.
Thank you Lady Bug
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My friend Dale R. pointed me to your blog. And to this post today. You said it like it is, and you said it beautifully. We all need a dose of that on regular basis. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
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Sawsan,
You are so lovely for visiting and for this comment . . it’s a great start to a brand new (and better, I do believe it) year.
I wish you and yours the very best in 2021.
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Happy and peaceful new year to you and your loved ones!
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To you as well.
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I agree that we are the light but I will never stop searching for happy. Fleeting though it may be, it rests gently on my heart and pleases me.
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Nor should you stop searching, Pam. I just really mean to say, we can be okay with no feeling that way right now, what with all that is going on in the world. But to search with earnestness and with passion and belief, we find that happy.
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I know we do as well, Pilgrim. Such a beautiful post. Thank you.
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Thank you Sheriff.
Blessings and a toast to you, my dear man
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A toast to you. Happy New Year Marc. 🥂
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Salud!
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B,
Don’t know what you’re going to write, eh? Uh huh. I don’t think I could handle it when you DO. Bloody hell this is brilliant and beautifully written prose.
I come out of reading these posts of yours (which I always read twice and thrice), feeling like I’ve just been given an education. The number of times you’ve sent me to The Google…
Now all that said, I am with you. Life gives us all sorts of challenges – and yes, we could say the year 2020 smacked us good in the kisser – but it’s really up to us to fight back, To adapt. To make the light and find the good.
And there is so much good.
Speaking of sending me to The Google. I checked out this fantabulous video’s translation into English. Bloody noses, but we stand up. Fucking A.
Q
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Q
Good thing I had not decided to sneak a sip of my starched to a turn martini yet. Because I would have snorted it with your opening line.
And uh . . hey. I seem to remember someone else going back and forth with a post of her own that she swore(ish) she might just flush. And it turned out brilliantly.
So yanno . . there’s that.
I’ll be back with more . . so don’t you go anywhere. . .
B
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B,
He he he… good thing coz ain’t no good gonna come outta wasting your starched!
Um. Right. I wasn’t sure ’bout it, you right, you right.
Yanno… you gots a point.
I ain’t goin’ nowhere!
Q
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It was done to perfection, it really was. Every once in a while I get a drink JUST right. So smooth . . .
You sure?
Sometimes it happens.
MUAH!
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Yes, I know what you mean. It is so very nice when we get it just so. Will have to try again soon 😉
I am. Now.
Oftentimes.
MWAH!
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I might reprise it next week, not sure yet . . .
Uh huh. 😉
You sweet.
MUAH!
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I’m about 75% sure I shall…
Yes! You doubt?
Sweet to go with your salty.
MWAH!
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Decisions . . sweet decisions!
Nope.
That’s a perfect double play combination, if you ask me
MUAH!
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There are worse ones, don’t you think?
Oh good.
I think so too. 🙂
MWAH!
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I know it.
Great.
So it’s a majority rule.
MUAH!
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Uh huh…
Yes!
Woo hoo!
MWAH!
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Woo MUAH! Hoo!
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Laughing!
Love it
😘😘
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😘😘
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OMG get a room, u 2!
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How do you know we didn’t already? 😉
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I know what I know if you know what I mean. Did it have a view?
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It did, but who’s worried about the view . . .
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Thanks to the Dude. I found your writing. I like it. A lot.
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Glad to have made the intro, CJ. Sorryless is a keeper for sure, even if he doesn’t ride a bike much and when he does it’s made of paper. Stationery bikes. Huh. Who’s ever heard of such a thing?
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I’ll be graduating to the real thing soon enough, just you wait mister.
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Why thank you good sir. The Dude is good people, and I’m glad you’re here!
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A positive outlook does go a long way. We’ll just let that disaster of a year slip on out of our consciousness ASAP. Thanks for shining your light here in Blogdom, Marc.
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Positive wins the day in 2021.
Thank you Eilene.
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Brilliant … absolutely brilliant and fitting for the day and time. The idea of possessing & using the light instead of looking for it is spot on. – but my favorite line – “We learned yet again that the world is forged in laws that are graceless and thieving. It fumbles the ball on mercy because it’s too busy swimming through the dredge that delivers us from ashes to ashes and dust to dust.” .. and the song & video – simply wow – even more than the whipped cream, nuts, and cherry for the sundae. Happy New Year, kind sir.
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Cincy,
Let’s face it, the darkness is always going to want to pull us under. It’s up to us to shine our respective light and play keep away, as best we can.
You’re the kindest, good sir. Thank you.
And here’s to a great 2021.
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Thanks. Tough day for both of our teams.
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Cincy,
It was a promising year for both clubs, but there’s still plenty of work to be done. At least you guys have your QB. We might be looking again . . .
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We have a QB if he recovers well from a serious injury. Tua is discovering the NFL is a faster more complicated game.
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I’m on the fence about Tua right now. It seems likely we won’t get a chance at one of the top two QB’s in the draft, so to take a flyer on another QB that might or might now work doesn’t seem smart.
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The Fins have a top 10 picks (I think via Texans) … saw one projection of a LB (I think).
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They have the #3 pick. So close to one of the top two guys. But alas, unless they plan on taking the OL Sewell out of Oregon, who many are forecasting as a slum dunk, I think they might trade down and get more picks.
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Trading down is a great way to build … but Sewell must slide to #5
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Okay, I really pray that Lawrence says he won’t play in Jacksonville. Then we trade our 3 and 18 for him.
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Read a rumor that Jax wants Urban Meyer … second choice is Buckeye coach Ryan Day … and both point to Justin Fields.
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Too bad the Jets seem intent on moving on from Darnold.
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They will also be looking for a new head coach
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Yeah I saw that. Adam Gase will land in Houston with a coordinator job.
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OC somewhere
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I agree.
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Suffering is an innate characteristic of existence. Are you sure you’re not a modern age kind of Buddha? You seem to be, at the very minimum, a word master. Brilliantly crafted prose, Marco. Just brilliant.
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I think maybe in a past life, I might have been, LOL. But more to the truth, probably just a fan. A big fan at that.
Thank you for being you, Monika.
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Beautuful turns in every sentence here, marc. I think your way through is to keep writing mate. Cheers
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I’ll do that, PM. Cheers.
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You had me at the Billy Joel quote, drew me in more with the sign from The Ditch (a famous one that’s just two miles from me in Austin, Texas) and delayed the deal with phrases like “we make tomorrow happen … on the salt of our steps.” How about we say, Happy – but Keeping it Real – New Year.
PS. This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. As soon as I can get a new (or at least less dim) bulb and fix the damn switch!
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Get out! The sense of humor you peeps have, it should be bottled and sold. Pronto.
Always keeping it real my friend.
Haha! There is goes again. Tell you what, you bottle this stuff and it will sell like gangbusters on Amazon.
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I meant sealed the deal but you get me. Sometimes I’m mildly amusing. There’s just one reality?
This lyric came to mind from fellow Texan and Eagle Don Henley in Long Way Home:
Oh it’s cold and lonely here
In this telephone booth
There’s three sides to every story, baby
There’s yours and there’s mine and the cold, hard truth
There’s yours and mine and the cold, hard truth.
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I do.
And leave it to you to have Henley pay a call to this comment. You’re got quite the skill set, young man.
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Dude this was such a truthful and genuine post. You be flexing your Yoda muscles word master 🙂 You always come through dropping wisdom and knowledge behind some sweet lyrics. Opening with Billy Joel that right there brother … c’mon now, c’mon. That’s was some good stuff. Definitely accurate. I think that the Zen of peace is what drives most of us because these fools be constantly fumbling the ball. That was a great line. A good way to open up the New Year is reading something from you, hitting the spot like warm, cozy covers on a cold morning. Plus the video! I had never heard or seen them before but I really enjoyed it. Had to look some stuff up. Loved the message behind it live it and loved it because we still stand up. Damnnnnnnnn dude you were on it! Salud!
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Cali,
Haha . . I like that. My Yoda muscles huh? Imma keep that one handy.
How could I NOT start with him when it comes to such a year as 2020 gave us. I mean, after all . . we DIDN’T start the fire. But we had to plug our way through it.
Always fumbling, seriously! I mean, would it kill them to learn how to hold onto the ball? Once?
Muchas gracias to you, lovely. And here’s to 2021!
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Fumbling. I can’t even. But that Texas diner sign I LOVE THEM. They make everything better even the fumbles. I need to visit it one day …
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I can see you putting that on your list . . I sure can. 🙂
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Peace of mind is truly where it is at!
Well said
And love that sign with the when 2020 turns 21 and starts drinking – lol
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It is Prior, it is.
That restaurant is always coming up with something hilarious for its signs.
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🤣
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I so love the last paragraph. Peace, without it, where are we? You used powerful words like, graceless and thieving, with backup phrases such as…sugary propositions and tumbling madness.
You remind me to never forget how we’ve been bitch-slapped into humility, our sass and entitlement left by the curb.
A truly beautiful piece, Marco. Truly!!! Susannah
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I think social media has the ability to usurp our humility by giving a stage to things that just don’t matter. It’s one thing to share recipes and ideas and crave-worthy gets, and quite another to believe that your ham sammie is the best one going and that the entire world is going to stand on its head to get a look.
I remember when books on stoicism were dominating WP like brushfire, and yet, I had to wonder, based on a few such fans I knew personally . . were their lives in keeping with the stuff? I wasn’t seeing it . . .
Go with grace to win. It’s the only bet the house ain’t gonna take you to the cleaners on, I say.
Thank you for this wonderful comment, SB.
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Like brush fire…I use that when describing a book I like…it reads like a brush fire. Says it all. 🙂
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Love the term. Use it quite a bit.
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Says it all.
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