The Silver Trumpet Brayed

My Fair Lady

My Fair Lady - that joke - "Send the bill to Buckingham Palace" a joke of the 1950's set in the 1800's and still valid today. Like the churches which we take for granted yet which stood, in some cases, 500 years ago and more. These things which stand as markers for history - I can see them leaving after some tedious sermon in their kyrtle and hose. They were not Edwardians, Victorians, Tudors, Stuarts or what the hell, they were just people getting on with their lives as best they could.

My grandfather was not a Victorian, though he lived in the age of Victoria - he was a miner, then a shopkeeper. He started by selling stuff through his window to supplement his miner's wages, then, when the authorities moved, he moved to the address where my father was born. My father, a young man when Hitler moved, joined the army which bought excitement to what would have been a life in a cotton mill.

That song by Jacques Brel - The Statue - the statue erected to the glory of some dead "hero" - the view of the hero we have all seen and here, in the song, the view of the soldier. "Our Glorious Dead" - and here the reality - "Me who got killed in the war, because I couldn't help it."

The opera by Harrison Birtwhistle - Sir Gawain. When Gawain comes home from his adventure, home from the war they all ask him what it was like, "tell us about it" "Tell us about the glory" - "all as it was, all as it was". And that woman who whispers to the side "tell us of the deceit, the betrayal, the lies" Only she knows what Gawain knows, but they don't listen, they want it "All as it was", but only the glory they imagine. Gawain says "I am not that hero" but they do not listen. They want only their truth, not the real truth.

But as I have noted before, the truth does not matter, it's the perception of the truth which is important. You may see the truth that the wall is white, but if he believes it to be black, he will react only to its blackness.

"You are as old as you feel" they say - not true. You are as old as you look - it is that to which they will react and force you into their box. If you are 21 and look 50, they will treat you as a 50 year old and will not allow you to act as a 21 year old.

posted by Weasel @ 12:15 AM