Thursday, October 6, 2011

I Hadn't Planned On Being Sad Today But Steve Jobs and Michael Jackson Gave Me No Choice.

I was in a pretty good mood yesterday.

The scent of ocean air still clung to me from a recent trip down south and I was still lost in the memory of sitting beneath the stately spread of the live oaks festooned with Spanish moss and the sweet tea I'd sipped with every meal.

I should never have put on the news.

Still more posthumous recordings of Michael Jackson greeted me. His voice, just weeks from his death was slurred and pathetic. Long gone was the energy of the strutting, prancing boy who entertained me when we both were children.

Long gone, as well, was the hope for his own childhood and a fulfilling life. In its place was a tale of woeful unhappiness and while I never knew what to make of the accusations of perversion as well as the tsunami of hero worship unleashed upon his death, the whole damn thing just made me sad all over again.

And, later in the day, despite my mistrust and rhetorical rejection of technology, I found myself subdued and reflective over the death of Steve Jobs.

An amazing visionary, able to translate his brilliance into tangible little miracles like iPhones and iPods, I shudder to imagine how frustrated he must have been, during his decline, to realize and accept that he still had so much to think about here on earth.

On a purely selfish level, his death also reminds us that neither all the money in the world, nor the privilege to access cutting edge anything-you-want can save your life if you're truly on your way.

He certainly had a nice face, didn't he? To see it fade in illness, as documented in the news footage -- excited and smiling as he introduces new ideas to the public, pinched and strained in his demise --  makes me very sad, indeed.

The only hope for the day is that Sarah Palin, the poster girl for spiritual bankruptcy and pure moral rot, has decided not to toss her silicone implants into the ring and run for president.

She claims she can be more useful on the sidelines. Nah... she's smart enough to realize that she can't explain away the lurid rumors of infidelity, drug use and lousy parenting.

Good riddance, Sarah.

And rest in peace, Mr. Jobs.

As for Michael, I hope they finally allow you to rest soon.

A beautiful, cool autumn day is expected today and I am going to take my cluttered head out into the sunshine. If I had an iPod, I would listen to this....






9 comments:

  1. Thank you for writing this, Susan.

    We lost someone who had a message to believe in yourself and dream big dreams. He was famous for presentations that involved what some called the Reality Distortion Field but in the end his vision did indeed shape the reality we live in today.

    Maybe Michael Jackson lost sight of his belief in himself somewhere along the way.

    It's hard to say with Sarah Palin, it just appears to me that she is portraying herself as someone she's not, so whether she believes in herself or not it's all an act.

    Today Herman Cain said that the OccupyWallStreeters should not blame Wall Street, that anyone out of work or poor should blame themselves.

    Reality Distortion Fields are springing up everywhere and it's not always a good thing. It's sad that for all the impact Steve Jobs had, this is what is going on as he leaves us.

    Paul B.

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  2. Lovely post Susan. Enjoy the sunshine XO

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  3. Thanks for taking the time to read my post and comment, Paul. Reality distortion has always been big but now, for som many reasons, it's getting bigger every day. Maybe we can take some lessons from Steve Job's wise words in the legacy he left behind...as for Sarah Palin, there are no words where I am concerned.

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  4. Thanks, Janet!! I did enjoy it--cool and bracing, it helped clear my head a bit.
    XO

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  5. I'm with you on all of it, Susan.

    Glad you enjoyed the autumn day. I'm already too cold. This weekend it's supposed to be 80 though! I may even sport a tank top. And I get to go on a walking culinary tour of New Haven on Sunday. Who's excited? This girl!

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  6. Hey, Alicia! Thanks for reading!

    I love the cool down, actually...and a culinary tour of New Haven, eh? What fun! New Haven on an autumn-y Saturday is glorious. Just get home before dark. Fourth most dangerous city in the U.S., these days.

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  7. Oh, yes, well before dark. It was my college town; I remember the nighttime craziness well.

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