I can't really articulate what I'd like to say here, but I'll just go so far to say that there is a pretty deep divide in our country. Much of it is rooted in cynicism and ignorance, and the inherent need some people that some people feel to embrace ugliness. It's likely what they're feeling on the inside, and it's comforting and dare I say entertaining when someone can articulate the menace, disgust, and rage that they're teeming with. Ugliness isn't innate in us, it's something that grows inside through abuse, malice, being ignored and being told we are lazy, dumb, and that we don't matter. By the way, I'm not excusing or supporting violence in any way…far from it. Some of you know where I was on 1/6. So this is a particularly personal issue to me.
That being said, if you have 22 minutes, I encourage you to watch Nick Cave's interview with Stephen Colbert. It's personal, it is beautiful and one of the best interviews I have ever seen anyone give. Nick's point on hopefulness is one that I think must be highlighted. In the last few weeks, many Americans went from a place of despair, hopelessness, and resignation to a place of joy, optimism, hope, and sheer excitement. Though I agree that a victory for Trump isn't far from his grasp, I think Nick's point about hopefulness being combative is on point. The country is dying from the thirst and need to feel joyful and to have a path forward. People think I'm crazy, but this isn't entirely about politics, it's about a deeper and more challenging divide that shows a cultural and existential split in our country. There are many factors in that I won't get into. But there's a reason why people are reacting to the shift and change in the Presidential ticket. For a change, this all feels entirely new, and I think that will motivate and drive people for the remainder of this cycle. But Nick Cave sums up much of what I feel: to embrace hopefulness, you have to understand loss, how dark things can get, and how if you're given enough time on the planet, life experience can teach you that in order to keep moving forward you have to let go of cynicism. It's OK to be hopeful realist: prepare for anything (including the worst), but realize that it's OK to acknowledge the good in other humans and have faith that there are many more people that see the good in others too.
https://www.brooklynvegan.com/nick-cave-talks-working-with-johnny-cash-new-album-wild-god-more-on-colbert-watch/
