Flower Girls

“You know back in the days it was… well, you know it was the sixties.” Connie started laughing easily. “My generation justifies a lot of things by just saying ‘Oh it was the sixties.’”

I got a phone call this morning. Last night my high school was vandalized and no one knew quite who just yet. It was one of the vandals on the other end of the line, calling me, telling me the story. And I was oh so proud of them.

“Oh it’s a terrible war, Caleb.” Connie told me. And she’s right. People dying and other people revolting and there was so much social turmoil. And there were those people who fought for it and those who fought against it. Iraq? You wish.

Vietnam.

“I want to run away.” She said.

“Give peace a chance.” Splashed across every window wide enough, decorated with hearts and peace signs and flowers. The entire school.

“Where do you want to go?” I asked. Praying she wouldn’t know.
“… I don’t know.” She said.
I clenched my fist in victory, knowing then she’s already left.

I wish everyone could see what I see…

I so badly wish I could just reach out and brush away all of the fog that clouds so much vision.

“…because according to neocon theory you need an enemy figure to provide for any sort of social cohesion.” I remember Webster Tarpley.

I closed my eyes and winced. I remember bird flu, anthrax, terrorists, Nazis, racism, communism… I remember all the things that I’m supposed to be afraid of… that will never touch me. I remember child kidnappings, thieves who hide in dark alleys, criminals, sexual deviants on my own city streets. I remember not to walk outside at night, I remember not to go in the dark at night, I remember to lock my doors, I remember to lock my car, I know what foods I shouldn’t eat and know what drinks I shouldn’t drink. I know that coffee can kill me, too much sunlight can kill me, too little sunlight can kill me and that nuclear power is dangerous as all hell but coal power pollutes the air. I know that the world is mad that we don’t take care of it and that the day after tomorrow the world is going to revolt and fight back and destroy itself to fix itself and I know that if I really thought about, even the air I breathe is dangerous.

I know what I’m to fear.

… and fear… is just one of those things.

People are beginning to separate themselves. People are beginning to get fed up enough to reconsider. And what are we finding? What is it that this second examination is beginning to reveal?

That everything we’re being told so violently conflicts with our most innate understanding of the world. What is that… thing?

“I want to run away.” She said. But it’s not safe out there. Soon… we’ll all be to the point that we won’t even care. When it gets to the point that it’s finally worth more to be unsafe. Run away…

And I can’t bring myself to fear any of those things. I’ve tried. And I can’t do it. I’ve had my car broken into FOUR TIMES and one of the times physically fought the guy doing it. I know what’s possible; I know I’m not untouchable. And I still cannot be afraid of these things.

Why?

I wish everyone could for just one moment see what I see…

I held the phone to my ear and throughout the entire conversation and through all the questions it never once occurred to me to ask why anyone would go vandalize a school with peace signs and flowers. I know why.

It’s worth more

I know why…

The girl on the other end of the line I knew well. I know her. I remember the images I saw of Woodstock. I remember who made it then. Long hair, the funny clothes and the music with meaning.

We haven’t any idea what we’re getting into. But we smile. Because we know that it’s got to be better than what we’ve got. And we’re going to make it. And heck even if we don’t we’ll still be able to just look back and blame it all on the 2010’s.

At some time or another… everyone runs from reality.

Explore posts in the same categories: Uncategorized

Tags: aussie, Australia, blog, bond, caleb, city, connie, cooke, flower, freedom, freemonster, girls, hippie, human, jessica, life, monsterbox, new, NYC, philosophy, revolution, roy, spirit, travel, york

You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.