refundable tickets has come and gone, our places are rented out, and
the goodbyes have been made.
We're both really excited, but also kind of tired. Getting ready for
a big trip like this is pretty intense, more so because of the leaving
than the going. What I mean is that, while it is a challenge to plan
8 months of travel, it is way more work to tie up all the loose ends
of your life so that things can hum along for 8 months without your
physical presence. It is a really interesting study in minimalism and
excess. I have a whole new appreciation for the Tyler Durden line
"the things you own end up owning you".
The good news is that we're pretty well set now, but it was pretty
tiring. So last night we took a break from our routine of packing,
pre-paying bills, and researching foreign countries to go see the new
movie about the Rolling Stones, "Shine a Light".
While this was supposed to be a break from travel-think, it was,
nonetheless, an interesting study in cultural differences. As Susan
put it, she kept goign back and forth between "these guys are so old"
and "these guys are so young". They were just having so much fun up
there. Mick doesn't have the voice he used to, and while his dance
moves are second to none, he looks rather cadaverous. But the smiles
were so authentic. Ronny and Keith had the look of two
thirteen-year-olds with new guitars that were giddily showing off to
each other "check out this lick". They projected the innocence of
childhood that precedes the fetish of irony that sets in during
adolescense, and at least in Los Angeles, never looses its hold on our
world view.
Whether because of the generational gap, or the subtle differences
between British and American pathos, or because these particular rock
and rollers have truly achieved self-actualization, they were
completely and wholly in the moment; naked of the armor of irony or
jadedness I've come to expect from rock-and-roll.
It brings to mind the Buddist teachings of "Beginners Mind" where one
seeks to see the world as a child for the first time, and not to
overlook the wonders it holds for us all.
