So it’s June 2020 in America and the level of surrealism, against all sane odds, has risen to new heights. The surrealism of Pumpkin King World these last four years turned out to be just the foothills. Then came the corvid19 mountains and toilet paper and face-masks and social distancing, and it got more surreal. The air was getting thin, and it was hard to catch one’s breath.
Now a Minneapolis cop has murdered George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man. Justified rage has erupted, and the city is in rebellion. Protests have spread nationwide. The local counties have imposed curfews for the weekend. (Friday night, unsure how real it was, I left a friend’s house later than I should have and was technically in violation of the 8:00 PM curfew before I got home. The bright daylight of summer, the streets all but empty, it was eerie.)
The surreal mountains grew to a surreal Olympus, and there is no air left at all.
I had a series of posts set up to publish this week. Then I thought to push them off to write about this insanity. But I found myself stuck, unable to find the words. (What does an old white guy have to say that’s relevant?) So I’m letting the series publish while I watch and think. (As you’ll see, it’s a series you can easily ignore while you do your own watching and thinking.)
Stay safe and thoughtful, my friends.
Black Lives Matter!
June 1st, 2020 at 1:04 am
The bitter irony of the year is that we’ve never needed clear vision more.
June 1st, 2020 at 8:16 am
Nice blog
June 1st, 2020 at 9:31 am
Welcome and thank you!
June 1st, 2020 at 9:40 am
My pleasure, followed you 🤗
June 1st, 2020 at 9:45 am
Well, thank you again, and welcome again. I see you have an interest in philosophy. You’ll find plenty of that here! 🙂
June 1st, 2020 at 9:46 am
Yayyy!
June 1st, 2020 at 1:08 pm
If you’re a fan of philosophy, I have two recommendations: Firstly, good science fiction, in general, is a great source of thoughtful philosophical ideas. Science fiction (which you may already be into) is less a genre than a platform. There is every other literary genre within SF. Secondly, I highly recommend the works of Terry Pratchett, especially his Discworld series. A wonderful blend of philosophy, humor, and magical storytelling. You might especially like the books with Susan Sto Helit (Death’s granddaughter) or Granny Weatherwax (a powerful witch). If you’re already a fan, good for you!
June 1st, 2020 at 5:05 pm
I usually try to avoid contemporary topics, mainly because emotions run high and reliable facts are hard to get. But sometimes we just have to acknowledge the events and their effect on us, which I think you did a job of here.
June 1st, 2020 at 5:36 pm
Yeah, it remains to be seen if I have anything to say about this in light of all that will be said by others. I do have some history close to these matters, so maybe. I definitely have feelings and opinions about it.