My ex-Brother-in-Law used to describe the loss of beauty in an aging person by stating that he or she had been "hit over the head by the Ugly Stick." It is obvious that our appearance changes as we age and that, on average, it decays quite a bit.
The decay usually happens slowly, especially to ourselves or others that we see on a daily basis. On the other hand, when we see a current photo of someone we've not seen in twenty years, the aging effect seems stark and sudden, and brings us up short.
I actually want to talk here about the opposite effect, that of suddenly seeing an old photograph, taken in youth, of a person we have seen gradually age for years or decades. It, too, brings me up short, but in a different way. It could be a celebrity, a friend, or even an enemy, but the sudden glimpse back in time to see the image of that person, brimful of youthful beauty and energy ... well it has an odd effect on me.
In the first two seconds after seeing such an image, I am almost always overcome by the beauty of the person. I had totally forgotten how great they had looked back in the day. Over the years, I gradually came to accept as normal and "real" the ever more tarnished image I saw, and the sudden return to the untarnished state brings with it a rush of joy, an exhilaration that has to do with the energy of life at its very core.
As this exhilaration fades, I feel a few seconds of kinship with the person. I won't say "love", for people accuse me of using that word to easily, but I will say that I have a warm, fond feeling for the person, and a wish for him or her to be happy and young again. I am "rooting" for him. I am "on her side" in the struggle against beauty-robbing age. I want blessings to fall on them, perpetually. And the odd thing is, this effect happens even with my enemies (e.g., political opponents). I am not very good at keeping Christ's commandment to love my enemies, but seeing youthful photographs of them seems to allow me to do so, with nothing held back. It is a nice feeling. I think, "Sure, they did this or that harmful thing to me, but ... oh, my, how splendid they looked back then." Or, something like that.
And then, the awful Third Wave comes: A debilitating and paralyzing sadness, sweeping over me like a wave and pulling me under. Look what has happened to us, what we have become! Look what time has done to us! Behold, in a human face, what the curse pronounced on "the two orchard thieves" (as Herman Melville described our first parents) has done to us. How sad it all is, living in a fallen, decaying world.
The image of the youthful face reminds us of what might have been, and of what can never be again. And this last wave of emotion stays with me longer than the first, more joyous two. We have sinned. We have fallen short. And God has bludgeoned us with the Ugly Stick.
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Monday, January 20, 2014
Gym Shoot with Jeff Sygo
A bodybuilder only looks his or her best for a few weeks out of the year, and so it is advisable to take lots of photographs during these periods (usually around the dates of competitions). It helps us to remember how good we can be, and allows us to cherish the results of our months of hard work long after returning body fat has come to obscure the underlying muscles.
Here are some photos by Jeff Sygo of SymiPhotography, shot at the Powerhouse Gym in Fenton, Michigan.
Here are some photos by Jeff Sygo of SymiPhotography, shot at the Powerhouse Gym in Fenton, Michigan.
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Sobriety as Superpower
I have had a breakthrough.
Like many of my paradigm-shifting breakthrough thoughts, this one came to me while in the middle of a 45-minute cardio session. When I do cardio, my brain gives a simple set of instructions to my body: "Try and keep it around 135 bpm, and I'll see you in 45 minutes." My mind then goes off to ponder, pray, or play. And sometimes it even comes up with something brilliant.
For some time, I have been trying to stop drinking alcohol. I can succeed for months (or sometimes years) at a time but, so far, I've always gone back. One of the reasons it is hard for me is that to accomplish it, I must refrain from doing something. I tend to to better at reaching goals which cause me to do things than at ones which make in necessary not to do a certain thing.
Quite naturally, I think, I have been thinking of sobriety as a negative ... it consists of NOT doing something. I've unconsciously thought of it as being like darkness, which has no real existence of its own, but is merely the absence of light. In like manner, sobriety is the absence offun drinking.
But what if I were able to think of sobriety as a real, tangible, positive entity? I think it would help me. So, my idea is to redefine the baseline from which I take my measurements regarding productivity and success in life. In the past, I've always assumed my baseline productivity level to be that which I can achieve with 100% perpetual sobriety. Any drunkenness will cause degradation to this productivity level. No place to go but down.
Now, I am going to create a new mental baseline. My new baseline is the level of success and productivity I would achieve by going out once per week and getting really drunk. After such an event, I am generally weaker in the gym for at least the next 3 days. I have to sleep more, so that time is lost in addition to the actual 3 or 4 hours lost during the drinking itself. There are many other areas of life in which similar levels of degradation are noticed. For argument's sake, let's assume that my overall effectiveness for the week is 80% of what it would be assuming 100% sobriety. So now, this 80% level is my new 100% level, my new "expected" baseline level.
A few magical things happen from this way of thinking. One is that it is now possible to go up beyond 100% productivity -- all the way up to 125%, in fact. And how is this achieved? By the positive, forceful, and strong thing we call sobriety.
And that is the other magical thing: sobriety is now a positive entity.
Suppose you are a bodybuilder, and you are told that there is a supplement that can cause you to be 25% more effective in the gym. And, by the way, it's free! You would jump at the opportunity! That super supplement is sobriety.
Or, again, what if someone told you that when you go to parties, you could have a 25% better mental acuity and 25% better ability to see through phony people. And that you could drive better, play games better, read faster, lift more weight, produce more at work, and feel better. It would seem to you as nothing less than a superpower! This superpower is sobriety, and I am planning on exploiting it from now on.
Like many of my paradigm-shifting breakthrough thoughts, this one came to me while in the middle of a 45-minute cardio session. When I do cardio, my brain gives a simple set of instructions to my body: "Try and keep it around 135 bpm, and I'll see you in 45 minutes." My mind then goes off to ponder, pray, or play. And sometimes it even comes up with something brilliant.
For some time, I have been trying to stop drinking alcohol. I can succeed for months (or sometimes years) at a time but, so far, I've always gone back. One of the reasons it is hard for me is that to accomplish it, I must refrain from doing something. I tend to to better at reaching goals which cause me to do things than at ones which make in necessary not to do a certain thing.
Quite naturally, I think, I have been thinking of sobriety as a negative ... it consists of NOT doing something. I've unconsciously thought of it as being like darkness, which has no real existence of its own, but is merely the absence of light. In like manner, sobriety is the absence of
But what if I were able to think of sobriety as a real, tangible, positive entity? I think it would help me. So, my idea is to redefine the baseline from which I take my measurements regarding productivity and success in life. In the past, I've always assumed my baseline productivity level to be that which I can achieve with 100% perpetual sobriety. Any drunkenness will cause degradation to this productivity level. No place to go but down.
Now, I am going to create a new mental baseline. My new baseline is the level of success and productivity I would achieve by going out once per week and getting really drunk. After such an event, I am generally weaker in the gym for at least the next 3 days. I have to sleep more, so that time is lost in addition to the actual 3 or 4 hours lost during the drinking itself. There are many other areas of life in which similar levels of degradation are noticed. For argument's sake, let's assume that my overall effectiveness for the week is 80% of what it would be assuming 100% sobriety. So now, this 80% level is my new 100% level, my new "expected" baseline level.
A few magical things happen from this way of thinking. One is that it is now possible to go up beyond 100% productivity -- all the way up to 125%, in fact. And how is this achieved? By the positive, forceful, and strong thing we call sobriety.
And that is the other magical thing: sobriety is now a positive entity.
Suppose you are a bodybuilder, and you are told that there is a supplement that can cause you to be 25% more effective in the gym. And, by the way, it's free! You would jump at the opportunity! That super supplement is sobriety.
Or, again, what if someone told you that when you go to parties, you could have a 25% better mental acuity and 25% better ability to see through phony people. And that you could drive better, play games better, read faster, lift more weight, produce more at work, and feel better. It would seem to you as nothing less than a superpower! This superpower is sobriety, and I am planning on exploiting it from now on.
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Adoration versus Accomplishment
The
music snob characters in the film "High Fidelity" agreed that "what you
like" is more important than "what you are like." That is, be as much
of a jerk or non-achiever yourself as you like, so long as you have
exquisite taste and adore the right things.
Examples: the unemployed beer snob and the obese bodybuilding fan.
You see why this is a tempting philosophy. It is MUCH easier to spend an hour on the internet adoring photos of your bodybuilding heroes (and clicking Like under their pics) than it is to go to the gym. And, as for the unemployed beer snob, well, exquisite taste is free.
Having been a fan of the female physique sports since 1984, I have noticed a curious phenomenon exhibited by the more ardent fans: they completely believe that their adoration is a gift to the athlete that (1) sets them apart from the other fans; and (2) makes them instantly attractive (as a person) to the athlete.
But I find that this type of adoration of the works and beauty of others is a trap. It frees you (or so you fancy) from having to accomplish or BE anything yourself. But that "freedom" is actually a slavery to mediocrity. I believe that adoration in moderation is okay, but beyond that, cut it out and go make something worthy of yourself.
Examples: the unemployed beer snob and the obese bodybuilding fan.
You see why this is a tempting philosophy. It is MUCH easier to spend an hour on the internet adoring photos of your bodybuilding heroes (and clicking Like under their pics) than it is to go to the gym. And, as for the unemployed beer snob, well, exquisite taste is free.
Having been a fan of the female physique sports since 1984, I have noticed a curious phenomenon exhibited by the more ardent fans: they completely believe that their adoration is a gift to the athlete that (1) sets them apart from the other fans; and (2) makes them instantly attractive (as a person) to the athlete.
But I find that this type of adoration of the works and beauty of others is a trap. It frees you (or so you fancy) from having to accomplish or BE anything yourself. But that "freedom" is actually a slavery to mediocrity. I believe that adoration in moderation is okay, but beyond that, cut it out and go make something worthy of yourself.
Monday, November 18, 2013
Patina in Heaven?
In the 21st Chapter of the book of Revelation, at the 5th Verse, we read:
"All things new! What if I like antique things? Weathered things? Things with a definite patina on them? What if I don't want all things to be new?
I briefly imagined Jesus borrowing a page from President Obama's playbook and telling me:
"If you like your patina, you can keep your patina!"
But I immediately dismissed that possibility. The words of the Revelation of Jesus Christ seemed all to clear, all too immutable.
Let me be clear: I hated that neon sign! When I go to a restaurant to eat an omelet and hash browns and rye toast, I want the neon to be faded and chipped, and to buzz loudly. If possible, I would like it to sputter and blink intermittently. Why? I don't know; it's just more beautiful to me that way. It's the same reason I prefer the look of a real, flesh-and-blood woman sitting across from me in the restaurant than some airbrushed model in a slick magazine that smells of haute couture perfume. It's just more real. Flaws make a thing beautiful to me, as does age, antiquity. There was a move afoot to clean the soot-stained exterior stone work of St. John's Episcopal Church, Detroit, a few years back. I and a few others staunchly resisted it. My friend Jim made an eloquent speech at the Annual Parish Meeting, as to why we dare not squander the hard-gained patina of our building. I think his speech swayed some. In any case, the soot is still there, and the building is 100 times more beautiful for its presence.
So, I got to thinking: Is it a sin for me to love soot, buzzing neon, and imperfections of many other varieties? Shall I grumble against God when He comes to make all things new?
I was speaking of this matter to a friend at lunch the other day, and he said that I was taking the word "new" too literally. But I really only know one meaning for that word. I take some comfort from the fact that the same book of Revelation describes the Christ (the Lamb) in words that indicate the eternal presence of His wounds:
So, I think that a strong case can be made that the promise to "make all things new" does not include a reversal of damage which is freighted with meaning, does not necessarily indicate a return to a pristine original state.
On my way out of the Coney Island restaurant, I took a good close look at the blue neon sign. It was perfect. Horribly perfect. It mad no sound, had no flaw, and made nary a flicker. It was like something out of one of the paintings of the worst sort of "hot rod culture" painter. And I shuddered.
"I look for the Resurrection of the dead, and the Patina of the world to come. Amen."
And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.I was sitting in a Coney Island restaurant a little while ago, and I happened to look over at the blue neon sign which marked out the Men's Room, and these words of St. John came into my mind. "Why?" you might ask. Well, because the neon of that sign, and indeed all the neon in the joint was brand spanking new. And when I thought of these words from the mouth of the enthroned Christ, they struck terror into my heart.
"All things new! What if I like antique things? Weathered things? Things with a definite patina on them? What if I don't want all things to be new?
I briefly imagined Jesus borrowing a page from President Obama's playbook and telling me:
"If you like your patina, you can keep your patina!"
But I immediately dismissed that possibility. The words of the Revelation of Jesus Christ seemed all to clear, all too immutable.
Let me be clear: I hated that neon sign! When I go to a restaurant to eat an omelet and hash browns and rye toast, I want the neon to be faded and chipped, and to buzz loudly. If possible, I would like it to sputter and blink intermittently. Why? I don't know; it's just more beautiful to me that way. It's the same reason I prefer the look of a real, flesh-and-blood woman sitting across from me in the restaurant than some airbrushed model in a slick magazine that smells of haute couture perfume. It's just more real. Flaws make a thing beautiful to me, as does age, antiquity. There was a move afoot to clean the soot-stained exterior stone work of St. John's Episcopal Church, Detroit, a few years back. I and a few others staunchly resisted it. My friend Jim made an eloquent speech at the Annual Parish Meeting, as to why we dare not squander the hard-gained patina of our building. I think his speech swayed some. In any case, the soot is still there, and the building is 100 times more beautiful for its presence.
So, I got to thinking: Is it a sin for me to love soot, buzzing neon, and imperfections of many other varieties? Shall I grumble against God when He comes to make all things new?
I was speaking of this matter to a friend at lunch the other day, and he said that I was taking the word "new" too literally. But I really only know one meaning for that word. I take some comfort from the fact that the same book of Revelation describes the Christ (the Lamb) in words that indicate the eternal presence of His wounds:
And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain. (Revelation 5:6)Furthermore, the resurrected Christ displays his wounds to St. Thomas (as chronicled in the 20th Chapter of St. John's Gospel).
So, I think that a strong case can be made that the promise to "make all things new" does not include a reversal of damage which is freighted with meaning, does not necessarily indicate a return to a pristine original state.
On my way out of the Coney Island restaurant, I took a good close look at the blue neon sign. It was perfect. Horribly perfect. It mad no sound, had no flaw, and made nary a flicker. It was like something out of one of the paintings of the worst sort of "hot rod culture" painter. And I shuddered.
"I look for the Resurrection of the dead, and the Patina of the world to come. Amen."
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Flamin' Groovies at the Beachland Ballroom
As I may have mentioned previously, my son is 19 years old, and has been a fan of the Flamin' Groovies band since the age of 7. We didn't really intend to see them two nights in a row, but it providentially worked out that way. A facebook friend who had heard me and my band perform the FG's hit Shake Some Action, posted on my facebook "timeline" an article about their upcoming concert in Cleveland, Ohio. I immediately called the Beachland Ballroom to order tickets for my son and myself. It was a few weeks later that we found out the Flamin' Groovies would also be playing a gig in Detroit, the evening before the Cleveland show.
It seemed like a shame not to come out and support them in our own hometown, so we bought tickets to the Detroit show also.
So, on the afternoon of Saturday, November 9, we got in the car and headed for Cleveland. Before the concert, we met a friend at Bearden's Restaurant, where I had my first ever "Peanutburger." It was yummy!
After locating the Beachland, we were enthused to hear (for our first time) the sounds of a band called the New Salem Witch Hunters. We really, really liked them, especially the guitar playing of Tom Fallon, on his hollow-bodied Gretsch. Their songs were catchy, accessible, rich, and varied.
Then, it was time for the Flamin' Groovies to play. The were absolutely terrific, and the Beachland was a very fine venue at which to see and hear them. We got so close to the stage -- it was really a dream come true!
At first, the set list closely resembled that from the Detroit show, but then it veered off and took on a life of its own. Every song was wonderful, and especially because of the intimacy of the club, I will say that it was worth every minute of the 37 years I had waited to see the Flamin' Groovies play!
The band was very generous with their time, and did 3 or 4 encore songs; I was having so much fun that I lost track. But their last one was a very popular one, Teenage Head, which I think I'd first heard and loved back in 1977. That's the song in this video. Just before the song, you can hear Cyril Jordan say, "You guys are great. I wish I could stay and ... kiss every one of you."
The tour is not over! If the Flamin' Groovies are coming to your city, you owe it to yourself to go and hear them!
Tuesday, November 12 - Washington, D.C.
Thursday, November 14 - Boston, MA
Friday, November 15 - Brooklyn, NY
Wednesday, November 20 - Oakland, CA
It seemed like a shame not to come out and support them in our own hometown, so we bought tickets to the Detroit show also.
So, on the afternoon of Saturday, November 9, we got in the car and headed for Cleveland. Before the concert, we met a friend at Bearden's Restaurant, where I had my first ever "Peanutburger." It was yummy!
After locating the Beachland, we were enthused to hear (for our first time) the sounds of a band called the New Salem Witch Hunters. We really, really liked them, especially the guitar playing of Tom Fallon, on his hollow-bodied Gretsch. Their songs were catchy, accessible, rich, and varied.
Then, it was time for the Flamin' Groovies to play. The were absolutely terrific, and the Beachland was a very fine venue at which to see and hear them. We got so close to the stage -- it was really a dream come true!
At first, the set list closely resembled that from the Detroit show, but then it veered off and took on a life of its own. Every song was wonderful, and especially because of the intimacy of the club, I will say that it was worth every minute of the 37 years I had waited to see the Flamin' Groovies play!
The band was very generous with their time, and did 3 or 4 encore songs; I was having so much fun that I lost track. But their last one was a very popular one, Teenage Head, which I think I'd first heard and loved back in 1977. That's the song in this video. Just before the song, you can hear Cyril Jordan say, "You guys are great. I wish I could stay and ... kiss every one of you."
The tour is not over! If the Flamin' Groovies are coming to your city, you owe it to yourself to go and hear them!
Tuesday, November 12 - Washington, D.C.
Thursday, November 14 - Boston, MA
Friday, November 15 - Brooklyn, NY
Wednesday, November 20 - Oakland, CA
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Flamin' Groovies - Shake Some Action!
My son and I went to see the Flamin' Groovies, a favorite band of ours, two nights in a row! We saw them in Detroit on November 8, 2013 and in Cleveland on November 9, 2013.
This video (sorry for the sound quality) shows you how close we were able to get to the stage. When Cyril Jordan put his foot up on the monitor and started playing the guitar lead standing about 6 feet away from us ... I nearly lost it. FANTASTIC!!! I'm so very glad to see this band back and touring, and to see the extremely warm reception they are getting from their fans!
And, to give you an idea of what this song means (and has meant) to me, here is a humble little attempt by me and my old band, Chrome Folk Bar-B-Q, at covering this legendary Flamin' Groovies song:
This video (sorry for the sound quality) shows you how close we were able to get to the stage. When Cyril Jordan put his foot up on the monitor and started playing the guitar lead standing about 6 feet away from us ... I nearly lost it. FANTASTIC!!! I'm so very glad to see this band back and touring, and to see the extremely warm reception they are getting from their fans!
And, to give you an idea of what this song means (and has meant) to me, here is a humble little attempt by me and my old band, Chrome Folk Bar-B-Q, at covering this legendary Flamin' Groovies song:
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