DON’T THROW IN THETOWEL...
Well it’s been a few days since the last entry. It isn’t a case of writer’s block for as I’ve mentioned before writers don’t have some magical character trait that get’s blocked or they don’t have any different “blocks” than other folks.... We may have insecurity spikes that we listen to but I suspect wiriter’s have blocks because we’ve decided to name our idea brewing periods differently than let’s say proctologist’s who deal with blocks of an altogether different nature.
No ...no...actually there’s been a flood of ideas swirling around and Ive been trying to find a narrative link between them...did. This happen? No... however...having a crystal clear path has never been a requisite before... by the way how do we justify the term prerequisite/. If you have to have. One course or characteristic before moving. Toward something else it is is a requisite...that is it is required and must contain something fundamental if it is needed before something. Else. ...oh well.... For a better criticism of the “pre” prefix see George.Carlin’s discussion on preheating, prerecording, preboarding, etc.
Okay what are the ideas that are som difficult to forge into an entry?
Here goes...
On. July 7th. We celebrate the birthday of one of our country’s most remarkable citizens... Leroy Satchel Paige. On July 8th we mark the public unveiling of the declaration. Of Independence and then on Friday I started thinking about throwing in the towel as a saying and an activity because I couldn’t figure out how to join the first two.....
Alas given a few more hours to swish these things around—-the magic of creativity strikes and the words below came flowing out of the hopper.
Satchel Paige was the first African American pitcher in the major leagues and although he didn’t get his chance until he was. Past his prime...he pitched in pro ball until he was 59....Getting out life expectancy charts from when he was born and calculating today’s equivalent. That would mean he was pitching well into his 70’s if not. Into the young 80’s . Yet pitching was only one thing you might. Know him for.... he came up with some famous quotes...like (paraphrases are here because I’m not looking them again)..
“Don’t look back something might be gaining on you.” “How old. Would you be if you didn’t know your age?” “ and my favorite “Work like you don’t need the money—love like you’ve never been hurt—and dance like nobody’s watching.” Now that last one for me translates into don’t let money. Be your sole motive for pursuing a purpose. Don’t let all new relationships be framed by the worst parts of past ones. Finally your dance is something that comes from inside and is personal that doesn’t have to be shared...and yet you have to dance it.
So these seems like important words in terms of seeking peace and joy... you know don’t look back is a command to live in the now... and speaking of important words... how about that Declaration of Independence?
We celebrate July 4 as the date on the document and yet the public was first informed of it four days later? I guess twitter and facebook weren’t working in the greater Philadelphia area for some reason...or maybe the leaders wanted to be out of town by the time. The news hit? Also it would shock many to know. That many of the original signers did not sign until August. Let’s imagine for a second. If social media had existed back in 1776... Would King George have had a cyber crew posting. That red coats were really the only color that good people liked? It would be interesting to have a real time account of what our founding fathers would have treated. Would we still be reinterpreting so much...well probably ...Would. You have contributed to George Washington’s go fund me page for the troops at Valley Forge?
Okay I know these two segments didn’t flow that well and that’s why I almost threw in the towel....and what a saying that is.
Now most if not all of you know that refers to what a boxer’s corner does when they give up the fight. They tell the referee their fighter is finished. So I tried to find some history. On how long this towel throwing has been a practiced symbol of surrender. What I found was pretty interesting.
Like our “democratically oriented representative republic and the idea of mixed races playing professional sports... the towel itself isn’t all that old historically. The “modern” towel was invented in
Turkey about 500 years ago, but didn’t get into the hands. Of people around the world in any large numbers until the industrial revolution when towels could be mass produced. It was well into the 19th century when towels became a staple of the linen closet. Then again when you think about it... we didn’t have indoor plumbing so you didn’t carry a towel into the bathroom to take a shower. We didn’t have modern dryers so washing and drying towels couldn’t be much fun. People didn’t go to the beach or pool and because. They spent hours out in the field or garden they didn’t plop down to get a tan.
Wow ... are towels a human luxury item.... what does it mean to dry off with one?
How quietly does history sneak around and change what. We experience without us. Taking the time to think about it in today’s terms or how often to we assume things have always been this way and will always be this way... and how does that change how we experience how things are right now? Well those are some things rattling around in my mind... but they are not easy...so maybe I’ll throw in the towel for now...
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