Graham English

Some people will tell you the world is coming to an end. Some people will say you create reality so turn off the news and think nothing but good thoughts.

I’m here to tell you to be optimistic, but be very concerned.

The state of the economy is turbulent and severe. The shock and awe campaign has already begun. Ignore it and suffer the consequences.

But you can do something about it. You can educate yourself and speak out. You can blog, podcast, digg articles, discuss it, and put some effort into understanding the world in which we live.

You can also take a look at your own life and see if you need to make any changes.

I’m becoming more aware of my brainwashed consumption. I’m trying to understand my own fear. I’m taking a radical look at my life.

I know that I need to contribute more value to the world. I need less pseudo-zen detachment and more Zen embodiment. I have to kick my fears in the balls.

I realize that most of my readers are musicians so I won’t leave you hanging on apocalyptic thread. There’s great news for us!

To the people of the Great Depression, music was a “welcome respite from their daily hardships.”

I traveled with Harry Reser and his Cliquot Club Eskimos back in l936 through the mid-West on a series of one nighters only, the whole summer literally. And it was very hot and destructive, it was just terrible … and people were poor, they had no money, the Depression was on…. I turned around to Harry one time, I said, “Harry, why do, where do people get the money to come hear us?” ‘Cause we, you know we had people come hear us. He says, “You know, Jer, they save their pennies for the weekend so they can get … some beer and go out and pay whatever it costs to go to a dance with their wives or girlfriends, have a ball, forget about their trouble and then … after it’s all over, start all over again, get that money back.

We can contribute and prosper.

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Tags: advice, consumption, contribution, economics, economy, history, jazz, shock and awe, The Great Depression, The Shock Doctrine, zen

This entry was posted on Monday, October 20th, 2008 at 2:20 pm and is filed under Opinion, Prose. You can leave a comment if you follow my Living Room Rules. If not, you can leave a trackback from your own site.