Excellence

I can accept that anything is art. That’s a viable, maybe even necessary stance, in the context of contemporary art. But I can’t give up the idea of excellence in art, even if I can’t always define what that is.

I’ll leave that decision up to time. But not time as the simple passing of days and years. No, time as the flow of events and people that call upon art for inspiration, meaning, hope and beauty. Some art continues to answer over time, to make and remake meaning, to illuminate, to reveal the vision that went in and the beauty that came out. This is excellence.

Shine the light

The recent deaths of John McCain and George H.W. Bush remind us of how important it is to have decent, thoughtful individuals in politics. These men were not perfect. Who is? But they understood the common good. They had power, but led from a moral high ground. They were authentic patriots. They stumbled, but kept moving ahead with personal determination.

These two national events of mourning must shine a light on Donald Trump and his administration, the kind of light, that when shined in a dark corner, brings all the cockroaches scurrying out.

The distance between

The distance between:

Melania has a new high-end outfit every day.

The homeless woman gets a used coat in winter.

Someone pays $85,000 a month at a care facility on the “Rehab Riviera.”

A small town addicted teen struggles to find love and support.

Bill and Melinda Gates get big press for their philanthropy which comes from their vast excess.

The old black woman who takes in ironing and saves for college scholarships for young black women gets barely a mention.

The celebrity du jour has the machinery to keep him or her in the news—interviews, talk show appearances, tabloid stories.

The White Helmets risk their lives to save the lives of others on a daily basis with little acknowledgment.

In Congress, the money of wealthy individuals and corporations regularly buys the votes of legislators.

The single votes of you and me seem meaningless.

Q & A

Q: Did you hear that a Chinese scientist has manipulated genes in an embryo?

A: Don’t bother me, I’m watching a video on Kim Kardashian’s cosmetic surgeries…especially her butt.

Q: Did you read that scientists predict dire natural disasters due to global climate change?

A: Quiet! I’m watching Justin Bieber wank.

Q: Are you concerned that suicide rates among young people are increasing at alarming rates?

A:  Please don’t interrupt me while I’m scanning HSN for bargains.

Truth

Think about it. We Americans have become so conditioned by the messages of marketing, politics, entertainment, spin, reputation management and bad religion that we struggle to figure out what truth is and where to find it.

From so many fronts, it’s advantageous to keep us dumb and to force us to plow through piles of verbiage and detritus to uncover any truth. In frustration we become couch potato thinkers. We buy into the falsehoods dancing around the truth, falsehoods that cause us the least discomfort.

But we are the final truth-o-meter of our own world. So we have to fine tune our truth seeking with a reliable moral compass, a critical mind and the courage to acknowledge truth when we see it.

No escaping it

There is no escaping it. Life will spring on us a multitude of things that will cause us fear, anxiety, disruption and suffering. To me the best way to be prepared for this is through genuine love, hard work, a reliable moral compass and a sense of humor.