The Day the Music Died

Something has been missing in my life recently. I haven't been consciously aware of it, but there has been a pall...a mist hanging over my world and travels. I think I've figured out what it is.

There is no laughter, there is no joy...there is no music anymore. I don't mean in a fleeting, random moment here and there, but I mean in my social discourse and interaction with the people I meet. Where has it gone and how do we get it back?

I remember, not too long ago, when music and laughter was everywhere...in the subways, on the streets, in conversation. The default expression seemed to be a smile. There was hope in the air and people were actually looking forward to tomorrow.

All that seems so long ago and it all seems so gone.

Am I just personally depressed, or has there been a real shift in our national psyche? And, if so, has it been the result of a conscious effort?

I remember so clearly the absolute joy that I and, I think, the nation felt when Clinton was inaugurated and Fleetwood Mac's anthem was everywhere. It wasn't just the tune, but the message. Hope. Joy. Dancing. Where is it now?

I think it has to do with the GOP.

Think about it. Music appreciation is anathema to the present administration's sensibilities. Ashcroft, for example, has never danced, an idea I find unbelievable. I also can't see ANY of the administration kicking off the shoes and letting loose with some spontaneous joy. It seems so out of place, and I think their fear-ridden response to 9/11, their war, their economy, their corruption, their hate...has worn us all down and nobody seems to be in much of a mood to laugh.

Has it affected all of us? I think so, and I didn't think about it those terms until this morning, when I read a comment on the threads. Where is the music? Dancing? Laughter? Joy? Hope? It's gone, it seems and I, for one, can't wait to have it back.

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I apologize for my hiatus. Haven't felt much like writing and now I think I know why.