A New Dawn

I've got a confession to make.

I love the 1970s. It's a time in wish I could travel back and live. Not because it was an age of innocence, because really...if you know anything about it - it wasn't. It was a decade that was filled with violence and fear.

No. I want to live in the 1970s because that was a time when people believed in creating things. They created and lived...not for money or possessions (well I mean they did) - but it wasn't like how the country became after Reagan took over and made it patriotic to kill and spend, spend, spend.

Now, I have another confession to make.

I'm not as ecstatic as I thought I would be, now that my man Obama is in power. It's not his fault. This country has been going in the wrong direction for almost thirty years. It's like an oil tanker, you're not just gonna turn it around in a few months.

However, that's kinda the good part.

I mean. For thirty years the country has been broken. It's been unhealthy. Living for power and money...and money...and more money. Now the whole damn thing has caught up to us and bitten the whole world on it's collective ass.

My priest said in her sermon the other day that those of us who have been waiting for this day should have been happy to see these billionaires taken off to jail in handcuffs. The problem is, we're all so overwhelmed with what has happened, none of us feels like celebrating. About anything.

I've been looking around and I think...wow...this all so bad. Everyone I know, including myself just seems to want to crawl in a hole and go to sleep. It's like we're all exhausted and depressed.

But then...I stop and slow down. I look closer. And you know what I see? I see the buds of flowers poking their little heads out of the snow. Because this is springtime for the world (yes, I know it's actually really springtime right now... but I'm using it as a metaphor).

I see people getting through this time in history by using their creativity. Not to make money. Not to become famous. But because they love creating. And let me tell you something. The man can't tax you for making chalk drawings on the sidewalk. Wal-mart can't charge you for taking photos of sunsets and posting them on your blog.

It's happening at my church. We're being reborn. The building, the people, the attitudes. It's like someone has thrown open a window and let the sunlight in on some dusty old room.

I see it in start up radio stations. A friend of mine knows a guy running a station called The Bridge. She compares it to those underground start up stations in the 1970s. (Now do you know why I love that decade so much)? That's what we need more of. People playing music because it makes them happy and makes the rest of us happy. Not to scam you out of some money.

Let me tell you something about money. It's like food. We all need a little to survive. But when you start gobbling it up like a pig, you get bloated and unhealthy. You stop savoring it. You stop tasting it. It means nothing...and then you know what happens? Dr. Phil has to come to your house and remove a wall to forklift your fat ass out of there. Do you want that?

I'm planning on podcasting a novel I wrote a couple of years ago, pretty soon. I have an actor friend who is going to read it for three reasons.

One, he likes my writing and really wants to support it.

Two, he likes me as a friend and really wants to support me.

Three, he can put it on his little acting bio sheet.

You see? Everyone wins.

People get to hear my writing for free, I get some work out there in the world and my buddy gets to help out a friend/build a resume at the same time.

Now I could horde my little book, demanding that people pay to read/hear it. But you know what? I think most people would be like, "Who the hell are you to ask for money?"

And you know what? They'd be right.

I'm willing to post my novel on ITunes.

If it's good (and I think it is) people will then offer me money to read another book. If that happens publishers will publish me. Folks spend a little cash for my book, I get some scrilla, the publishers get some scrilla and there you go.

Life is good.

Then, I'm gonna take that money. Buy a very, small two bedroom house. An old 1973 pickup and spend the rest making my family, friends and church very, very happy.

And do you know why? Because my family, friends and church want me to succeed. Not for money, because they don't expect any money. They want me to succeed, because it makes them happy to see me happy.

And that makes this fat, little piggy want to share his food.