I am always amazed by people who attempt to accomplish things that appear impossible to most others. Accomplishments can be good or bad. If the choices made are patently stupid and/or dangerous, such as those who win TV’s “Darwin awards”, I am amazed, but not in a good way. “Darwin awards” are posthumously attributed to dead folks who did something completely useless that killed them. The attempted feat also has to have had no redeeming beauty or altruistic intent. Darwin winners are not depressed or suicidal. They are those who remove themselves from the gene pool only because they have combined recklessness with no common sense. Sadly, when one watches these fatal antics on the television show, one wants to snort or giggle. (The dead people are never shown.) It feels more like watching Wiley Coyote leap off the cliff and be flattened for the fortieth time. Now that I think about it, there is something morally corrupting about a show that encourages people to laugh at something that surely is tragic. Hmmm.
Back to the topic of seemingly impossible accomplishments. How likely is the true story of Ghandi? How likely was it for four young men in Liverpool to form a music group whose work endures through the generations, with as much appeal as when it began? (In my opinion, the Beatles were as remarkable as Beethoven, who continued to write symphonies after he was deaf.) Myths enshrine the dreams of people by describing prototypes of our wishes and hopes. One such myth is the story of Icarus, the young man who made some wings and tried to reach the sun. Twenty years ago, I learned a beautiful song about Icarus, and subsequently forgot about it. At a recent concert, I heard the song again and have dusted it off to return it to my repertoire.
Fueled by such dreams as Icarus had, human beings have actually gone into space. Automobiles and airplanes were once impossibilities, and now it’s hard to imagine a time when they didn’t exist. The Internet which carries this blog to you is like something out of science fiction from the 20th century. Blessings on those who attempt what seems impossible, and don’t give up. Blessings on those who don’t give up on human nature, and continue to work towards peace, equality, and mutual respect.
“Icarus”, by Ann Lister, sung by Susan Rose
Susan Rose: Singing Grandma 