Jim Murray

4 years ago · 3 min. reading time · ~10 ·

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There Is A Crack, A Crack In Everything. It’s How The Light Gets In

There Is A Crack, A Crack In Everything. It’s How The Light Gets In

“There is a crack
A crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in
You can add up the parts
But you won't have the sum
You can strike up the march,
There is no drum
Every heart, every heart
To love will come
But like a refugee
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack,
A crack in everything”

Leonard CohenI woke up this morning feeling angry.

Do you ever get days like that? I find that they are occurring with me more often, knowing that no matter what day it is, sooner or later some weird shit is going to happen and I’m going to shake my head and think to myself…what the fuck.

I have never, no matter how hard I have tried, been able to be one of those people who can simply shrug off the amazing absurdity we are seeing virtually every day. I admire people who can do that, if they really can.

The thing is that it’s a hard row to hoe, especially if you are and have been interested in the world since you were very young. I do not really know how to be less aware. How to look at something that is patently wrong or idiotic or foolish or some kind of con and and simply shift my attention away from it.

I am no Dudley Do-Right. In fact, If the truth be told the vast majority of the stuff I see doesn’t necessarily affect me personally.

But then there’s my human empathy, which these days feels more like a curse than a blessing.

I feel for the people who are on the direct receiving end of all the weird shit that is going on every day.

And weird shit is everywhere. Stuff that doesn’t make any sense.

Like how, for example, Donald Trump, an obvious charlatan, barely literate con man, crook, and high functioning sociopath, ever got to be president of the United States. The damage that has done to that country’s reputation, and to millions of people who, before Trump came along, were actually happy, and or cared for and or supported by systems that worked off the charts.

But you would never know it listening to him...he really believes that everything is just peachy.
Myself...not so much.

I feel for the people who are on the receiving end of racist and ethnic violence from the idiots who are now feeling empowered by this Trump and his disgusting rhetoric.

I feel for the simple Americans who bought into the bullshit about making their country great again, which, in turn, made them think that it wasn’t great in the first place.

I feel for the artists and scientists whose importance has been shunted aside, in Trump’s pursuit of making America a completely anti-intellectual nation. A nation of fools who are easy to control, who will settle for less and be grateful that they have anything.

I feel for the ill who will eventually go bankrupt trying to get themselves well, many of who will become drug addicted and carry that around with them for the rest of their lives.

I feel for the farmers who have had their lives turned upside down in the name ego.

I feel for the immigrants who came to America believing that it was still that bright shining city on the hill, and found out that the hill was actually a valley and the lights were all out.

I feel for the thousands who die each year from gun violence when it’s been proven around the world that sane gun laws really do work, but that politicians in America do not have the courage to pass them. That they would much rather take money from the gun lobbyists than take care of their people.

I feel for the children, who are going to reach adulthood and be confronted with problems and challenges that will likely be insurmountable as a direct result of Trump’s isolationist policies.

I feel for a lot of people in America, and I woke up angry this morning thinking about all the enablers who sat in a congressional hearing yesterday and spewed tonnes of righteous indignation and outright lies about a president who has raised the bar for corruption to third world dictator status.

I feel for the way this greed and loathing has spread around the world, giving rise to authoritarianism when what should be happening if the world is to survive, is just the opposite.

But then again, maybe I am the one with the fatal flaw, the larger dollop of empathy, and maybe that’s clouding my thoughts and making me sound like some kind of do-goody ranter.

But I don’t think so. I think we have to scream these days. We have to scream loud and hard and irritate the hell of the complacent mob of willfully ignorant souls who just seem to want to be anything but victims.

So I will keep on screaming until cracks form in all this willful ignorance and I advise you do do the same whenever you see something that is obviously fucked up.

Have a great weekend.

jim out

MA ur

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Comments

Fay Vietmeier

4 years ago #4

Jim Murray You are not alone in your head shaking I often picture God shaking His head ;~) I love the reference to Anthem “there is a crack in everything … that’s how the light gets in” Used the same in “The Fractal State of Humanity” (fractal from Latin: “broken”) https://www.bebee.com/producer/@fay-vietmeier-pennsylvania/the-fractal-state-of-humanity-the-hidden-forces-at-work-for-you-against-you The world is “broken” and so are people who reside here … Brokenness is no respecter of persons or nations It is a spiritual condition that requires a Spiritual cure. Arrogance & ignorance abound The Founding Fathers … groaning from their graves There are blind guides on both sides Self-deception & self-interest are on both sides The Left thinks they are “right” The Right thinks they are “right” God decides Nations are filled with “fools” … that has always been true Complacency reflects how disconnected people are from reality ... “Disgusting rhetoric” is not as palatable as polished platitudes from lying lips The prior is less seductive ... but not a test of truth

Jim Murray

4 years ago #3

#3
I have been working very hard on trying to think about other things. But the nonsense feels like it's everywhere. It's a process. Thanks for the comment.

Ali Anani

4 years ago #2

Jim Murray- I am not living in the USA, but I feel your cry. It seems chaos is the name of the game and we need people to voice their opinions and shout to make the crack so that the light of hope may pass through. It is a creative thought because cracking may lead to order. Like many systems they dismantle so as new and more organized structures may appear.

Jerry Fletcher

4 years ago #1

Jim, Accept the crack that lets the light in just don't let it crack your heart. Be as surly and grouchy as you like to keep the beat. We need folks with empathy and not so glib tongues. And so it goes.

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