Reflections on Presidents Day – or – The Perils of Possessing a Working Mind

I’ve been doing some thinking over the past months (yeah, i know, “uh oh, we’re in trouble now”). Where is the line between (A) paying attention to local and world events – not merely others’ opinions of them, cheering on or pushing back – and (B) disengaging, letting others carry on the mental and moral battles – sheerly out of a sense of self-preservation?

While never a fan of what we used to call “The Establishment”, my normal wiseacre outlook on life has altered somewhat as I’ve gotten older. Things began building years ago with my revulsion at seeing what I called “the return of the Robber Barons” (a phrase lost on most people my age). But I considered it manageable…thru Nixon, thru Reagan, deregulation spurring an epidemic of mega-mergers affecting everything from prices on nearly everything (and not in a good way, despite the promotional hype) to the forced acceptance of lower quality in everything from the taste of real food to the dumbing-down of news and the arts. Much cheaper to replace real ingredients with chemicals. Much cheaper to replace real newspeople and their crews with non-stop opinion panels of “experts”. Much cheaper to swap out real entertainers on tv and radio with fake “reality” shows and call-in talk formats where the audience itself became the unwitting supply of free material. “Excellence in Broadcasting” my **s.

I made it through my first presidential coronation at the turn of the new century with only a slight uptick in cynicism…even after that surprise attack which, after a too-brief spell of unity, marked what seemed to me a new License to Hate. Again the Robber Barons knew how to monetize that, recycling and re-selling the public its own manufactured outrage.

As a student of history, I know none of this is new. But seeing it build so powerfully during my own lifetime, submitting to the “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” attitude struck me as irresponsible.

Some kind of mental/emotional creative life balance still seemed possible. Until…

Until the arrival of a loudmouth, no-talent con man (and the people who discovered they could profit from him) decided his abilities were being wasted on shady real estate deals and junk tv. And, already being an established attention-magnet, the media again saw a sales and ratings machine where they didn’t have to generate anything of their own while the consumer was providing the content. Bad for the country? Maybe. But good for ratings and the shareholders? You betcha!

Some considered him and others of his ilk to be a joke, a fad, easily controlled and discarded.

Until – again – the audience took over the show. And even those of us who weren’t in the fan base were unwillingly scooped up into the production.

Historically bullies, tyrants, and dictators hate being criticized and laughed at. So those of us not wealthy enough to own an army or a few judges or members of congress literally have to rely on our wits, dubious or not, for anything even approaching defense weaponry. That’s where a lot of Creative Types exist. But it does have its own form of PTSD, and that’s what I’m sensing now.

Yes, I’ve seen the snickering “living rent-free in your head, eh?” taunts. I see lots of “they’re counting on overwhelming you and exhausting any opposition, don’t be silent”

Generally, I’ve tried to keep my reactions laced with some humor, creativity, and satire instead of just parroting the sometimes boringly vulgar protests. But I know in the process I may have alienated people who’d rather I’d just remain a funny friend. And it’s more than possible it’s cost me some business in my chosen field. There’s no real data on that, but I have to acknowledge the potential fallout.

So…is it time to give it a rest? Sit down and be quiet? Stop rocking the boat when it’s not going to change anyone or anything? Or is it a matter of conscience and not just stubborn ego? Would I rest any easier, silently watching things play out?

Even a regime I despised in the early 2000s had at least one good slogan: “See something? SAY something!” Admittedly, nothing I’ve said has had much (if any) effect on the course of events. It’s been mostly a matter of self expression and self preservation…like laughing to keep from crying. And for friendships I have strained or personal partnerships soured, I am genuinely sorry.

But stifling an observant, questioning, creative mind as I’ve been given…at this point, well…I think I still want to breathe awhile longer.

(“thank you” to those with long attention spans)