Shinybass journal entry 04-24-11

Happy Easter!

Praise the Lord! Or if you want, praise the bunny, or the ‘Spring Equinox Mammalia Lagomorpha’, as I am quite sure some school has the kids kneeling towards after recess. ‘Spring Spheres’? I thought the Easter ‘Bunny’ was created so that the Matis Indians of the Amazon could enjoy the holiday as well, and now we change that whole chestnut to appease some rabble-rouser who thinks that ‘Easter Eggs’ is offensive. You know what’s offensive? People are offensive. Words are offensive. Mix the two, and it gets worse. I understand if you don’t want to teach your children about Easter, or Christmas, or any of ‘those’ other holidays. Alas, now I know exactly who to call to work those days when the rest of the country wants off. Oh, you want those days off, too? Sorry. My ‘Festival Menology’ didn’t take you into account. The rest of the revelers are good, and we appreciate you working on all the days we requested off to spend with family and celebrate.

Before the two of you who celebrate ‘All Ramen Noodles Day’ pipe in, let me explain a few things, and we may get into some dicey areas here. First of all, the last time I checked, this country is pretty effing lenient towards EVERYBODY worshiping and celebrating how they want. That’s kind of what we do here. I also know that within those guidelines, we need certain other guidelines, such as Nationally recognized holidays, to make it all work. If I go to France and decide that I am going to take away VE Day because I don’t feel the French did their part to win the war, then there’s going to be a problem. Now, I can sit in my flat and enjoy a tall PBR and toast the US all day on this May 8. If I had children, and they were out of school on VE day, then what should I do? Put them in school because I don’t agree with it? No. We assimilate into the culture where we live, and hold our traditions within our homes or communities, but also with respect for the big picture. That’s sort of what it all comes down to, isn’t it? Respect.

I am on a kick lately. I made the mistake of shopping on a Saturday. I think that triggered all this. As I am out at the mall, I am surrounded by people who pretty much don’t care. About anything. Life, the environment, other people, just whatever. Life seems more and more (for some) like it has become disposable. It’s a sickening attitude I see all over the place. The ‘Me’ generation has swallowed the rest of the world, and it really is true that ‘middle class’ (where a lot of us grew up) is disappearing. At least around here. That’s just the vibe I get. I feel that parents have given up, and who will suffer? Everyone. Math and science is being left behind, kids are being passed so that schools can maintain budgets, and to top it all off, we have to call Easter eggs ‘Spring Spheres’. I guess we couldn’t say Easter Ellipsoid because ‘Easter’ had to be out of the picture.

So when things get you down, where do you turn? Family. I called my little brother, and laid the whole thing out for him. He gets it. He also pointed some things out to me that I knew, but needed to be reminded of. First of all, there really isn’t anything you can do about other people. They are going to do what they do. As sad and selfish and lame as people are, let them go their thing. Even when they are in your way at the mall. Can’t fix that. What we can do to battle it is just be nice to everybody. Smile. Even if you don’t mean it. Second, try and improve a little everyday, whether it’s by learning something, doing something to better your life or improving your well being. And that’s it. Seriously, how great would life be if the world embraced this?

See – this ‘being off the road’ stuff is deadly, and for several reasons. It means that I have time to shop, interact with the townies, and it stirs up thoughts of an island empire where the internet is not allowed, except to play online poker. It also means that I totally stray from a ‘road journal’ and get into soapbox land, which is a tricky piece of property nestled between ‘Egoworld’ and ‘Discretion junction’. I seem to teeter on the borders of both on a regular basis. My passport needs a passport.

So if I have learned anything this week, it is that love can conquer all, Jesus has risen, and that smiling and nodding can get you a lot further (and less jail time) than smiling and wielding a tire iron. My apologies to the Matis people for referencing them. They could give an Amazonian river rat’s ass about our country’s strife. They have enough problems. Not only will I leave you with my little brother’s sound advice for making it through, I will also leave you with a small glimpse of my backyard. Happy Easter, everyone!