I was lucky enough to be raised by parents who didn't give a fuck about holidays. If you need a holiday to remember something is important then it ain't really that important.
Now Memorial Day is supposed to be about celebrating/honoring those who died in our nations service.
"Whatever. Just pass me a beer."
Now as a Black man I could give you the usual rigmarole about why I don't give a fuck about memorial day. Mention all that Plymouth rock landed on me, shit. But why bother. The truth is that Nationalism is dead but they just forgot to tell the poor folks.
Dying for your country isn't a noble thing, dying for your principles is.
My Dad was brave enough to tell me about the lies this country tells and my smart ex-wife was wise enough to take me traveling around the world. You know, the world which buys our movies and coca-cola while we buy their clothes and electronics.
My good friend Hank who told me that he like me because "If I had to bury a dead body you wouldn't ask any questions you would just show up with a shovel," deserves his own day. But actually he has it. He's in my head everyday.
He died driving home to wife and kid. Fell asleep behind the wheel. I went to the funeral with my mistress and cried. His mom told me to get my shit together because Hank loved me more than almost anybody.
Hank was a white guy who spent most of his time hanging out with rednecks. He took me to biker bars and country radio stations when we got together. I would take him to Black clubs and let him hang with my friends when he came to my town. It was our unspoken way of changing our small part of the world. Showing the friends we saw everyday that there is a world of interesting people who don't listen to country music or wear Sean John but are still cool. Fuck tribes. Fuck nationalism. Just challenge the individuals and let the chips fall where they may.
I could tell stories all day about Hank. Like when he took me to his all white Catholic High School and I pretended to be a student. He got suspended. The 80's were cool to us. The 90's we both moved and pursued our "careers" but we still found time to steal my Dad's AMEX and drive to Florida to pick up girls we had met on vacation a day before. The chick I went to see became my first ex-wife.
Hank's life ended in 2000. 2000 years too soon.
Whatever.
I'll spend today working. I'll follow the advice of some white dude: You vacate while others pretend to be working and work while others pretend to be on vacation. I'll also read more of the famous Jewish chick I offended and maybe send my second ex-wife a letter in a real envelope. I'll leave the celebration of those protecting our country from aliens to you. I'll also spend a moment thinking about Hank, like I do everyday, who really tried to make the world better.
I find this post offensive. Worst.Post.Ever.
Posted by: tina | Monday, 30 May 2005 at 10:36 AM
I disagreee. I get what you are saying. I don't agree totally but I get it.
And Hank seemed like a cool guy.
Posted by: george | Monday, 30 May 2005 at 11:00 AM
Bill Hicks did a damn good bit about patriotism. Something about none of us choosing to be here. Our parents F'ked. That is it. Move on. Gotta love that guy.
Posted by: jscott | Monday, 30 May 2005 at 12:37 PM
Bill Hicks is my kind of white guy.
By the way, your site kicks ass.
Posted by: princec | Monday, 30 May 2005 at 01:43 PM
Thanks for dropping by and nice comment you made. I dig people her stir shit up.
We should do a white guy black guy rant sometime. Not sure how to flesh it out. Maybe you do.
I am a business guy and not a writer. A hack I am. However, this is my voice and I have no desire to do Plastic Surgery.
I am digging your write ups. I need to be schooled on studios in about 10 years, btw.
Posted by: jscott | Monday, 30 May 2005 at 06:20 PM
Bro: Das some real ish. As a six-year USN veteran, I know and understand the wicked methods of this country. I've always used my 3rd eye vision, so I'm in no way offended. Nonetheless, I'm not sure that you can crush tribalism in the minds of people. It's part of the fabric of man. The idea that we can all just get along is quite utopian.
Posted by: AG | Monday, 30 May 2005 at 09:46 PM
Glad you didn't take offense AG, I wasn't trying to.
Jscott, I'll email you privately but I'm thinking about a letting you guest host for a day. Let a white post what he things we Black folks should be paying attention to. Put first we need a publicist...
Posted by: princec | Monday, 30 May 2005 at 11:34 PM
Oh god. That would be interesting. It could very well be the death of your site.
I am not sure my tongue and cheek approach would do well. But hell, what is their to lose ;).
Posted by: jscott | Wednesday, 01 June 2005 at 01:08 AM
That would be "there." To which my first post is obviously going to be pointing to Little Brown's Handbook of Gram.
Posted by: jscott | Wednesday, 01 June 2005 at 01:09 AM