| I've spent a few years in the realm of the people. During those
years, I've learned that not everything is as it appears. When we are poor, we have hopes and dreams. They inspire us, they give purpose to our lives. Our joy is more in the striving than in the
accomplishment. There has to be a reason why The Great Depression, which was a period of pervasive poverty was marked by such upbeat songs as
I got plenty of nothing
And nothing's plenty for me
I got no car - got no mule
I got no misery
Folks with plenty of plenty
They've got a lock on the door
Afraid somebody's gonna rob 'em
While they're out amaking more -
what for?
and
I can't give you anything but love, baby
That's the only thing I've plenty of, baby
Dream a while, scheme a while
You're sure to find
Happiness and I guess
All those things you've always pined for
and
Got no diamonds, got no pearls
Still I think I'm a lucky girl
I got the sun in the morning and the moon at night
Got no mansion, got no yacht
Still I'm happy with what I've got
I got the sun in the morning and the moon at night
Sunshine gives me a lovely day
Moonlight gives me the Milky Way
Got no checkbooks, got no banks
Still I'd like to express my thanks
I got the sun in the morning and the moon at night
And with the sun in the morning
And the moon in the evening, I'm alright
Got no silver, got no gold
What I've got can't be bought or sold
I got the sun in the morning and the moon at night
Sunshine gives me a lovely day
Moonlight gives me the Milky Way
Got no heirlooms for my kin
Made no will but when I cash in
I'll leave the sun in the morning and the moon at night
And with the sun in the morning
And the moon in the evening, they're alright
and
Every morning, every evening
Ain't we got fun
Not much money, Oh but honey
Ain't we got fun
The rent's unpaid dear
We haven't a bus
But smiles were made dear
For people like us
In the winter, in the Summer
Don't we have fun
Times are bum and getting bummer
Still we have fun
There's nothing surer
The rich get rich and the poor get children
In the meantime, in between time
Ain't we got fun
You may not be able to appreciate those lyrics without their melodies that still ring in my mind, but maybe, if you can imagine being out of work with no hope of getting a job, often dependent on the largesse of friends and relatives just to survive, you might get a glimmer. The point is, we humans have an ability to accept what is and make the best of it - and that ability is a springboard for our lives.
The relationships that underlie human happiness are so deep, so
complex that it's difficult to get a handle on them. The music of the Depression years was inspirational. The war generated it's own kind of music, some martial, some nationalistic, some the blues of loneliness. In the period after the war, the music slowly took on a different, less joyous tone.
The Great Depression spawned the Swing era, which was decidedly upbeat. People with nothing found joy in hope. Could their music suggest that affluence has an adverse effect? No, that's too simplistic, but somewhere in there lays the germ of an important idea.
Academics are slowly coming to realize that the United States is more an oligarchy than a democracy, but it will take time to loosen the grip of the democracy myth on the people. While, once, it was to our personal advantage to turn a blind eye to our own poverty, we must learn that it's not wise to blind ourselves to our status as subjects of the elites that control our government.
Somewhere in the midst of all this bustle and noise, we may be getting a clue that affluence is not the answer, but what can we learn from our experiences? How can we use our knowledge to create a better society. That may be a question worth pursuing.
One thing we know for certain: Dope is a solo fix. It does nothing to help the rest of us, and ultimately it destroys the user. Life is too precious to be wasted on self-indulgence.
Fred Gohlke
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