Seeking Common Ground

 December 1, 2020

   In the next issue of True West (January, 2021) I am going to do my editorial on Seeking Common Ground, with this subhead: When it comes to the future, History is our best guide. And, by that, I mean, we've been here before and the guideposts of history will show us the way out of this current funhouse we find ourselves in.

   

Daily Whip Out:

"Red State, Blue State Cowboy #9"

   The good news first: after the 1918 Influenza pandemic ended in 1920, it led almost directly to the Roaring Twenties because everyone in the country was so ready to kick out the jams after all the death and depressing times. You know, bathtub gin, flappers, the Charleston and non-stop parties. So, let's hope in this case that history repeats itself this year. Of course—full disclosure—the Roaring Twenties led to the Crash of 1929 and that led to The Great Depression, so there is that red light looming up ahead.

 

A Clear And Still Present Danger

   To me, the biggest danger we face is the extreme polarization, of believing that if the other side wins, the country is lost. But, in fact, the real danger is if we can't see the other side's point of view, we are lost. That is the real danger we face. Blind rage mixed with certitude is not the answer to our problems. Never has been.

Clowns to The Left of Me, Jokers to The Right. . .

   Someone I work with referred to my Geronimo art opening at The Scottsdale Museum of The West last year as "a clown show." True, there were technical problems, but the dig got to me. Of course, I know this is kind of weird, given that my nickname is derived from being known in high school as a clown. That's where "Bozo" came from, when I ran the bases backwards, and then cruel teammates shortened it to "Boze." Still, I really appreciate this love-hate take on the clowns:

"No one's laughing at the [circus] clowns. Because we all know somewhere underneath all that bright color, there is a man who is not right. And I don't want to be too down on the clowns. We are colleagues in a certain sense. I think a certain professional respect is appropriate."

—Jerry Seinfeld, "Is This Anything?"