He wouldn't be human if he didn't feel like that sometimes. But gosh, don't be so tough on the old guy. He's a freaking genius.
Here is a quote from Bukowski (oh, no!) that I copied into my journal about 10 years ago.
"God oh mighty, another lecture. Is this a sign of old age? Let me tell you that by saying these things to myself, and to you, I protect myself from rot. I've seen so much rot. And I may be rotting myself and may not know it. It's just like when someone else is sleeping with your wife: you are the last to find out, or you never find out. Such is the soul. We are tested when we lace our shoes, or in the manner in which we scratch our back."
I used to have a good friend who worked for the Leonard Peltier defense committee. This is when I worked at a health food grocery store. We used to fax each other handwritten notes with pictures and things on them.
Really stupid, only-funny-to-us jokes like...
a box top for cage-free eggs with a note: to Bill at the Poultry Defense Fund
Fax to: Ruby "If I hadn't have stalked you, we wouldn't be friends" Cooter, from Bill "It was funny when Hitler did it [a line from the Simpsons] Ray"
Although the subject line implied it, I don't mean because they're old. I don't think that has anything to do with it. I think it's that you get surrounded by yes men and money and you lose perspective. Your ego eats your talent. Or you lose your inner critic. Or like Castro. How he was the sweetest cat untill he won power.(actually, he still is a sweet cat)
Old ain't nothin'. Mark Twain kicked ass when he was old.
I watched a story on PBS yesterday about Mark Twain, you're right, I don't think money and fame ever spoiled him. What a great man, and he had such tragedy in his life. Maybe the tragedy kept things in perspective, I dunno.
I think Roy is right about artists who become insulated from the real world and lose their perspective. But let's face it, life waers everyone donwn. As people get older, they forget the ideals of youth. They become more conservative, lose their sense of adventure, of wonder.
Yes, but how do we know it isn’t us life has worn down? McCartney’s words might have a different message now, Kaufman may have a new joke, and we may be clinging to the ideals of youth. Just a thought.
