Cont'd....
Friday, November 30, 2007
Thursday, November 15, 2007
If a body meet a body, coming through the rye...
I found out today that I too am a Holden Caulfield of sorts. I was reading something in the American Literary classic "Jonesy: Keep Your Head Down and Skate" that reminded me of a book I read in college, and subsequently, whether consciously or not, decided to adopt as my modus vivendi.
In "Jonesy," professional ice hockey player Keith Jones describes, in great depth, how he's managed to collect 24 of 26 signatures on a cherished picture he owns. When one of the players who's signature he still needs gets traded to his team he obviously asks him to sign it. The look on this 25th person's face alone, in that moment, is enough for Keith Jones to blurt out "Why don't you just keep it."
The book this reminded me of was a dime-novel called "Ragged Dick" by Horatio Alger in which a poor boot shine works hard all day, and then spends what he earned on his needs, but more importantly, all his friends' needs and wants. He provides his hungry friends with food, his "thirsty" friends with booze, and so on. It doesn't bother him that some don't work, and that he wakes up every morning without a penny to his name - he just gets up and does it again. That's basically the story.
Or so I thought....
I learned a practical life-lesson today: When you only read the first chapter of a 17 chapter book you don't always get the entire story. Don't worry, I got a "B" in the class, but in college I was more about seeing how well I could do without trying at all, as opposed to how well I could do generally speaking. Well, ladies and gentleman, Dick ends up getting a job with JD Rockefeller of all people. He becomes a suit and leaves his old friends behind!
I know a lot of these novels were designed to foster the American Dream (and especially reprinted in the late to mid twenties specifically to build the American worker's psyche) but my American Dream is different. It's not about washing machines and Friday night dances, it's not about working hard and getting more money, it's about being decent to everyone around you and looking out for each other, and hoping, but more so knowing, that if you're just a good person things will work out.
Can't write anymore today, the shoe shine guy is coming around the office. If I miss him again they'll be calling me Ragged Dick!
In "Jonesy," professional ice hockey player Keith Jones describes, in great depth, how he's managed to collect 24 of 26 signatures on a cherished picture he owns. When one of the players who's signature he still needs gets traded to his team he obviously asks him to sign it. The look on this 25th person's face alone, in that moment, is enough for Keith Jones to blurt out "Why don't you just keep it."
The book this reminded me of was a dime-novel called "Ragged Dick" by Horatio Alger in which a poor boot shine works hard all day, and then spends what he earned on his needs, but more importantly, all his friends' needs and wants. He provides his hungry friends with food, his "thirsty" friends with booze, and so on. It doesn't bother him that some don't work, and that he wakes up every morning without a penny to his name - he just gets up and does it again. That's basically the story.
Or so I thought....
I learned a practical life-lesson today: When you only read the first chapter of a 17 chapter book you don't always get the entire story. Don't worry, I got a "B" in the class, but in college I was more about seeing how well I could do without trying at all, as opposed to how well I could do generally speaking. Well, ladies and gentleman, Dick ends up getting a job with JD Rockefeller of all people. He becomes a suit and leaves his old friends behind!
I know a lot of these novels were designed to foster the American Dream (and especially reprinted in the late to mid twenties specifically to build the American worker's psyche) but my American Dream is different. It's not about washing machines and Friday night dances, it's not about working hard and getting more money, it's about being decent to everyone around you and looking out for each other, and hoping, but more so knowing, that if you're just a good person things will work out.
Can't write anymore today, the shoe shine guy is coming around the office. If I miss him again they'll be calling me Ragged Dick!
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