My kids are getting older, and as expected they are becoming independent of their Dad. This is normal but I find myself alone more than I’m used too.
YouTube has become my latest companion. I’ve spent countless hours watching everything from fail videos to funny animal clips. But something started to happen. I took the click bait and started watching political pundits spread division and fear. I told myself I was keeping it balanced, because for every right wing pundit I’d listen to I’d find one on the left.
The Young Turks, Tucker Carlson, Joe Rogan, Rachel Madow, Ben Shapiro and on and on. Both sides spreading fear and intolerance, the intolerance was just pointed at each other. It was addictive.
It got to the point where everyone fell into one of two categories. Right or Left. Ridiculous. As if someone couldn’t be an individual with their own ideas, some conservative some liberal.
It was starting to affect me. I am sure there are real concerns for both sides but I was starting to see ghosts. If nothing else, American politics and the fact Justin Trudeau is seemingly clueless made little difference to my personal life.
YouTube tailors it’s page based on what you have watched in the past. I was embarrassed one day to see almost everything on my page was a negative political heading.
I decided this needed to change so I turned to music. I went on a musical journey with the help of a great friend of mine that has a passion for music. Long before I had heard of the movie about his life I had watched every Freddie Mercury video I could find, watching his Live Aid performance more times than I can count. I learned to appreciate the Blues, Ben Harper in particular. I’d fall asleep to some of my favourite music.
George “no show”Jones singing about “Choices”
Patti Loveless singing “Here I am”
U2 performing “Where the Streets have no name” on a rooftop.
A friend of mine singing “My kind of Radio”
Meat Loaf as a young man belting out “Paradise by the Dashboard light”
It’s amazing. A front row seat to all my favourite musical performances of the last few decades all right there. Now instead of links like “Ben Shapiro owns Socialist” or “Trump supporter humiliated” I see ticket stubs for musical journeys of all genres; for the present and the past.
I don’t care about politics anymore. We are all being played and divided. I’m sure people are profiting off it but it’s serving no useful purpose.
It’s 1:34 in the morning as I write this. I am going to go back to 1977. It’s a place I’ve gone to at least a hundred times. A young brunette is singing on a live British television show. She’s wearing a blue sleeveless floral print dress. She has arm guards on that match her dress, she’s playing a large black guitar. Attached to her guitar is a white strap with letters that spell her name, EMMYLOU. She’s singing “Making Believe”. Rodney Crowell on her right, and Albert Lee on her left.
If you read this far, Thank you.
Tristram's Blog 