Saturday, August 08, 2009

Watch Me

Of late, I’ve done a lot of watching. Tonight, I observed the need to take action.

Robert Redford directed, produced and starred in Lions to Lambs. Definitely a talkie, still we were metaphorically taken to the dance floor with a choreographed interplay of politics, journalism, education, and patriotism. Weaving between the orchestrated themes we were enticed from the safe stance of a wallflower and encouraged to move. The only heroes wore uniforms and died defiantly facing the enemy. Everyone else talked a less than adequate game.

I wanted to catch the next flight to Afghanistan. Not because I believed that there was such a thing as a winner in the war on terror but because I wanted every soldier to know that while I did not believe in war, I did believe in them.

Oddly enough, I then turned to Anthony Bourdain. He made a simple “bowl of something good” seem like the answer to warring factions worldwide. Forget the ideas behind cinematic versions of a peace march, one only needs some broth, noodles, a protein and spices to transform enemies into lovers . . . at least of good food.

I want to go. I want to board the train and ignore the drag queens selling some kind of ware and taste the newspaper wrapped thing my mother would tell me to avoid and tell the child selling dust covered plastic something or others at least three times that no, I don’t want it and smile when my companion buys three.

I’m jonesing for a journey.

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