Not super focused wording here at the moment - but …
As before - takes me two outbursts to get to my main comment: Themes here of hypernormalization - the normal is crazy and the “crazy” is healthier because there was early on such ersatz forcing sharply shown - and the reading of the Wikipedia and no one noticing or caring - this was a vivid painting of the perverse “make it” that “fake it” creates. - and the cognitive dissonance resulting.
The shift out to the desert - purifies. And like some kind of crucible - the impurities don’t disappear - they separate and concentrate - the Halacha questioned - the PC-taboo word emphasized.
But the whole time - it is the natural Good of home and children that is being self-denied by hypernormalization and exactly what is (sensibly) yearned for by the narrator.
It seems to me that so many people must share these frustrations - these yearnings past the insane superstructure of educated expectations.
I want to say so much more. My day stretches out ahead - I don’t live in that hyper normal world. I was shoved out of it (shoved myself?) some years ago - circa 2012. I never fully occupied it. I never had the stomach for those levers of reciprocity that would “game” the return on investment for compacted sawdust.
I know where this story GOES - but I don’t know how. And that is a delightful means of the literature working. Each chapter has been good.
Of course - there are signals within it all that are VERY clear and even loud to a man with my ears - and on a day like today - though I’d so much like to continue here and fit feeling to words as some sculptural expression of an answer -my own mundane *work* is what any of this “deeper dialog” (if it isn’t just purely my imagination) will properly call me to do.
On the human level - all of us reach for the pairing - the Union - the rooting that is so beautifully wished for here. Our Current Moment has played some sly joke where we get in our own way. And what could be (boomers say “is”) easy seems so hard.
To resolve any of it: productive work for me.
This piece itself is productive work for the author - so…. Something something like share and subscribe. - I mean it. Because this is Significant work, these posts.
The language part of this is very vivid - plays to the medium - the auto translate exists - anyways - the “girl who speaks Egyptian - you pass the test” - for any Omar Sharif fans will immediately recall “well, then God be WITH you English!” - intentional or not - that echo of Lawrence of Arabia is strong and effective - also and echo - the sense of loving the desert and feeling displaced from any sense of home.
Thorstien Veblen - (born in Cato Wisconsin - the oddly connected layers there!) - musings on conspicuous consumption - well-set at the beginning - the cultural ethos BENEATH it all - a perennial equation - never quite balanced. - this one is good - reading on….
Not super focused wording here at the moment - but …
As before - takes me two outbursts to get to my main comment: Themes here of hypernormalization - the normal is crazy and the “crazy” is healthier because there was early on such ersatz forcing sharply shown - and the reading of the Wikipedia and no one noticing or caring - this was a vivid painting of the perverse “make it” that “fake it” creates. - and the cognitive dissonance resulting.
The shift out to the desert - purifies. And like some kind of crucible - the impurities don’t disappear - they separate and concentrate - the Halacha questioned - the PC-taboo word emphasized.
But the whole time - it is the natural Good of home and children that is being self-denied by hypernormalization and exactly what is (sensibly) yearned for by the narrator.
It seems to me that so many people must share these frustrations - these yearnings past the insane superstructure of educated expectations.
I want to say so much more. My day stretches out ahead - I don’t live in that hyper normal world. I was shoved out of it (shoved myself?) some years ago - circa 2012. I never fully occupied it. I never had the stomach for those levers of reciprocity that would “game” the return on investment for compacted sawdust.
I know where this story GOES - but I don’t know how. And that is a delightful means of the literature working. Each chapter has been good.
Of course - there are signals within it all that are VERY clear and even loud to a man with my ears - and on a day like today - though I’d so much like to continue here and fit feeling to words as some sculptural expression of an answer -my own mundane *work* is what any of this “deeper dialog” (if it isn’t just purely my imagination) will properly call me to do.
On the human level - all of us reach for the pairing - the Union - the rooting that is so beautifully wished for here. Our Current Moment has played some sly joke where we get in our own way. And what could be (boomers say “is”) easy seems so hard.
To resolve any of it: productive work for me.
This piece itself is productive work for the author - so…. Something something like share and subscribe. - I mean it. Because this is Significant work, these posts.
The language part of this is very vivid - plays to the medium - the auto translate exists - anyways - the “girl who speaks Egyptian - you pass the test” - for any Omar Sharif fans will immediately recall “well, then God be WITH you English!” - intentional or not - that echo of Lawrence of Arabia is strong and effective - also and echo - the sense of loving the desert and feeling displaced from any sense of home.
Initial impression - must note:
Thorstien Veblen - (born in Cato Wisconsin - the oddly connected layers there!) - musings on conspicuous consumption - well-set at the beginning - the cultural ethos BENEATH it all - a perennial equation - never quite balanced. - this one is good - reading on….
your instinct is right -- definitely have kids. 26 is a great age to do it. You can be a grandparent in your 50s
Sir, you should publish on your own Substack.