Apple Shoes

Lewis Black
Louis Black, after a good nap.

BOULDER — Louis Black was in Boulder last night, chatting up the locals. He looked and sounded a little tired of it all, you know— having to tell jokes about all the adult children who are happy to continue shitting on the levers of capitalism until their butt skin is raw— and made the point we should all lower our expectations about 20% to reflect the economic downturn.  Twenty percent? Huh. That’s nothin’.

He confessed that he had actually lived in Colorado for a year, and he knew of Boulder’s reputation as a wretched hive of liberal scum and communist villainy;  also of Colorado Springs’ rep as a repressive fascist hive of fundamentalist Christian lunacy— with a cowboy rodeo clown twist.

You probably already know that Louis says the word “fuck” a lot when he talks.  I didn’t really notice, because what he was talking about was, as with anyone, more important than the words he used to say it;  that’s what personalities do— they make self-expression unique.

He bitched a little about his iPhone and thus Apple, chiding the Boulderhoids about having their Apple Store hidden in the mountains, and the probability that special Apple shoes were necessary to even get to it.  And he’s right, of course.  It does take special “shoes” to get to a special “place,” metaphorically.  Special shoes are a mindset that allows one to explore— and see— the already well-known terrain in a new and special way.  If the shoes fit, why not wear them, beaches?  How much time do you think you have, anyway?

He riffed all over the fact he’s 60 years old and his generation hasn’t accomplished squat.

And that’s really at the heart of what’s wrong with the Republicans and the Democrats, too;  both of whom received equal and virulent scorn from Mr. Black;  for they both lack the special shoes they need to actually see what must be happen before the necessary changes can get done.

He wondered what any young person in school today might see as an accomplishment by either party, anything that would induce their loyalty. Some might think the Democrats should get the credit for elected an African-American as president;  but that wouldn’t have happened if the youth of America hadn’t gotten behind Obama.

Louis was just expressing the anger and existential angst that he and all boomers eventually have to face— that they’re probably going to die before they get anything done, or figure anything out about life.  It’s typical of the age we live in I suppose, that sometimes, despite being born into the auspicious beginnings of the Age of Aquarius, blah blah fucking blah, the majority of them actually forgot to look for God.

All is not lost, however.  Some of them may yet use the motivation anger can provide to stumble onto the insight necessary to get their philosophical and spiritual house in order.

Hyeah;  and monkeys may fly outcher butt.

Prove you're human: leave a comment.