The three chords of easy listening
Well the leaves are falling once again and as I watch them fall outside the window my thoughts turn to all the other years I have watched the same event. A year has passed since I last witnessed this scene and with the winter chill making itself felt once more I wonder how much has changed in any of our lives since this time last year. Yes loads of changes have happened around us but are we more or less the same as we were this time last year: thinking and worrying about the same things, doing the same things and talking about the same things. Did we learn anything at all about ourselves this past year or did we spend our time caught up in celebrity and TV lives when we weren’t doing our best to earn money for food and shelter and look after kids.
What about our village here, are we all still happy in our little village that we still have our health thank God and we have normality in this little world of ours. Is that all anyone wants around here: normality. Is ‘normal’ as good as it gets, is that what we all aspire to? Does anyone believe in better anymore, is the status quo as good as it gets: just three chords of easy listenin’ and a lot of gyrating over very little.
This week here in our little village the gossip doing the rounds is about one of the teachers who’s ‘playin’ away’ as they say and there’s talk about Fr Fiachra movin’ on. The gossips have set the judgments flyin’ and the jokers are busy polishing up old jokes that suddenly seem relevant: the jokes and gossip seems to somehow protect everyone from the push towards better, the push to a real life outside a meagre existence within normality.
But normal seems to be what everyone wants. I suppose that’s why so many people get excited about Donal Óg coming out as if it’s anyone’s business. Did some people think there were no gay people in the GAA? Whatever gave them that idea?
Speaking of normal: the drink driving laws are back in the news again. Isn’t it strange the way we used to talk about drunk driving and we were nearly all against that, then some smart alec comes along and changes one letter and people start talking about drink driving and before you know it people are trying to outlaw drink driving not drunk driving.
Zero tolerance they’re calling it. The only time they adopt the zero tolerance approach is when the laws impact on the less well off. Steal a €25 bottle of whiskey from a shop and they will fine you and probably put you in prison if it’s your second offence. Make off with millions and they won’t even bother looking for you or question your relatives about your whereabouts. As we all know crime is what the lower classes engage in, opportunism and initiative is what it’s called when the middle and upper class get involved.
So when we know the system is rotten, what can we hope for? Is normality as good as it gets? Keeping quiet the best option because if we speak out there’s a good chance the bullies will leave us alone. It’s like we’re all back in school again except we’re adults now. The leaves are still falling.
Saying of the week
‘Lifestyle is more about style than life.’
Wally ‘the wart’ Walsh
You can contact the column at [email protected].
