The Last Lost City

American Happiness

I like many of the people I’ve come to know, or I think I know. And I think most are trying. Some people put their entire soul into everything they do; others put just enough to get through the day. Here’s the issue though. I don’t think anyone is truly happy. Maybe I’m just blinded by the rampant pessimism found in our area - you don’t become the third most miserable city in the nation overnight. But it feels like no matter what anyone does, no matter how much they’re awarded, or how much money they pile up, happiness seems to be out of reach.

It’s difficult getting moving every morning when you wish things were different. Is this the burden on everybody’s mind? We all make mistakes, and we all have hardships. And they seem to weigh heavy for some time. People think of these trials like a grieving period, something that passes with time. It can’t be like that. The middle-aged son trying to find worth from his parents would disagree. The teen on welfare trying to escape the trap she was born into would argue against it. And the inmate serving time for the child he killed when he was drunk knows it’s nothing like that.

The older we get the more things push down on us. We’re all told we can do anything when we’re young, then we get thrown into the reality of modern day America. We proclaim that the spirit of the individual is what makes this country so great. If that’s the case then why does it seem, as we become more self absorbed and apathetic than in any other time in history, that no one can successfully pursue happiness? I think it’s because we’ve destroyed almost every aspect of community which was once existent. Families don’t stay together, few create lasting memories, and nobody takes a day off. When you find yourself thinking about what you’re going to do next, think about how it will affect those around you. The more I live and the more I see, the more I realize this life isn’t about me.

One To Watch

Road To Perdition is a great film; along with a generally superb cast, it’s one of Tom Hanks’s most believable and well done roles.  Set during prohibition, Road To Perdition shows the negative affects of organized crime on families while keeping the money of the business in the background.  Paul Newman plays a local mob boss whose reckless son, played by Daniel Craig, creates a rift between Newman and his ‘adopted’ son, who is played by Hanks.  When Hanks’s oldest son witnesses Craig’s lack of control, Craig goes after their family, and turns regional mobs against them in the process as well.

While the film is definitely negative and far from uplifting, there’s a moment where Hanks and his son find refuge with an older couple in the country.  This is a pivotal moment for the movie; the sharp constrast between the harsh city and the peaceful countryside creates a brilliant perspective for the viewer.  The couple might not have much money, but they’ve always been content - and isolated from the pain others could bring to their lives.  But does money corrupt the individual?  When the oldest son returns to the couple at the end of the film, it seems like he believes this is the one place he can be safe - and happy.  Given his situation, he discovers money isn’t important and finds value in the only people he has left.

Modern Day Enemy

I spent my driving time today (and some time at home) listening to Public Enemy. Their music didn’t really click with me as well as I hoped in the past, but today it was much better. I think a big chunk of it has something to do with my changing political point of view - which has shifted quite abruptly as of late. Anyway, the group inspired me to write something, so I wrote a short verse about the current governmental situation, Flint (Michigan) in general, and its people’s lack of aspirations.

People say that the mind is a terrible thing to waste

yet we wonder why we can’t keep up the pace

with other countries, in progress

I think its time to blame those bums in Congress

do they care about you and me?

or are they here to destroy humanity?

working on bills to shutdown the Internet

people out in the streets in tents trying to start a movement

so sick of the ignorance

people hating on others just for the heck of it

and people are fed up

blame them, or the government?

take a look at the city of Flint

three thousand homeless out on the streets

pushing carts from the Target to the VG’s

it’s apparent we can’t even care for our own

and many lack respect for their own homes

burning them down, playing with fire

but they forget no fighters are being hired

a planned takeover by the state

yeah it’s great

but take a look at the interstate

no cars - no jobs - no money - no future

that’s where we’ve been

and that’s where we’re headed

the path to nowhere

and it’s deeply embedded