Friday : A Week’s Recap

We’ve successfully made it to the end of another week. And, like most weeks that we’ve been encountering for the last several years there was plenty of evidence to support the idea that the end times are coming along nicely. From continued genocide in parts of the world, to yet another American school shooting, to a famous Christian Nationalist hatemonger getting shot in the neck by a sniper in front of hundreds, to the ignoring of the fact that our government is covering up that our commander-in-chief was a child rapist and good friend to infamous sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

Real banger of a week.

Like most Fridays I’m ready for a couple days off. Between seeing democracy crumble in front of my eyes and work not doing much to make me feel confident that anybody knows what they’re doing, a couple days to decompress is much needed. I’ve got no time off until October 10th, which is a month away. On that day my wife and I are heading up to Ann Arbor, MI to see one of my favorite musicians, Makaya McCraven, perform at the Michigan Theater. I’m very excited for this show. McCraven is a drummer, as well as being a producer, arranger, and in his own words a “beat scientist”. A lot of his albums are live sessions recorded, then he takes those sessions and cuts and pastes them into new works. He approaches recording and records much like Teo Macero and Miles Davis did. Hit the studio or stage, record hours of jams and improvisations and then edit them into something new. I find that process fascinating, really. These are more explorations than writing songs. To see him perform live will be something else.

After the 10th I won’t be off again until Thanksgiving, but then I’m off the entire week after Turkey Day which I’m very excited for. It’s also my birthday week, so I know my wife and I will be doing something. What? No idea. Christmas and New Years after that and then goodbye, 2025. I can’t believe we’re already looking down the barrel of a new year. 2025 hasn’t been the best, but I’ve had worse years. From June until the end of July was rough with moves and our daughter’s health issues. Thankfully we’ve finally moved past all of that. Our daughter had an appointment with her therapist yesterday, as well as with a new primary care doctor. Both went really well. She hasn’t seen her therapist since early summer of 2024. Her doc went on medical leave and has just returned to her practice. Our kiddo is happy to have her back, as she really grew to trust this therapist and with what’s gone down the last year and a half she could have really used that objective ear. She saw a couple other therapists in the same office but didn’t connect to them at all.

The primary care doctor visit was also great. She felt pretty comfortable with him, and when she told him about how she was treated by one of the emergency room docs he called that “bullshit”. I like the guy already.

This weekend I’m going to go see my best friend. Just hang out for a bit Saturday afternoon and watch a movie. I’m also planning on doing some recording in the studio. The week didn’t provide much downtime for that, so I’ll make up for it this weekend. I also have plans to do some painting. My wife is excited to do nothing, as the last couple weekends were pretty busy for her as well.

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It’s weird, but I feel like we’re just living in some screwed up simulation anymore. The reality I see seems to be a mirage, as so many other people in this country are moving about their days like all is normal. “Great”, even. This all feels like an episode of 24, and I’m waiting for Jack Bauer to jump in and fix all of this. There has to be some shadow government that has some insidious plan for us all. How else can we have a president like Donald Trump? He’s literally falling asleep at a 9/11 memorial on live TV. He is a convicted felon. I was under the impression that you can’t be the President if you’re a convicted felon. And he’s got like, what, 30+ convictions? He’s being allowed to essentially turn the US into the villains of the world. Taking the side of warmongers like Putin and Netanyahu. He wants to give a clown like Charlie Kirk the medal of freedom? Kirk literally said how can he trust a black airline pilot can actually fly a plane. Like they gave some black guy the keys to a jet airliner because of DEI. And now some congresswoman wants to put up statue of him? To permanently memorialize this racist homophobe?

What timeline is this?

I can’t tell real people from bots online anymore. The insane things they say and comment are so bizarre and messed up that it just feels like bots sent to antagonize real people. And yet, I know people that say stupid crap like that. I work with some of them. I know things have been bad here before in the country. Each generation has dealt with some pretty awful things. Rewatching Ken Burns’ The Vietnam War was eye opening. Reagan’s “morning in America” decade, Bush Jr and his illegal war in Iraq, and of course decades of racism that continue thru today. But there’s something about what’s happening right now, the people in charge now and their need to roll back all the progress we’ve made in terms of LGBTQ, civil rights, and their constant push to force Christianity down our throats makes this all feel like some scary, dystopian movie.

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Sorry to be such a “Debbie Downer” on a Friday morning, folks. This is all just sitting pretty heavy in my head and heart. I’ve detached from watching news on the regular ever since the election of 2024. I just figured I’d go about my life in my little bubble of America here in the Midwest and just do what I like to do. Be with my family, listen to music, read books, watch movies, and make art. There’s nothing I can do about what goes on outside my four walls anyways. I can drop my vote in the ballot box when the time arises. Outside of that I just try to be a good person; empathetic to others’ plights and help when I can.

But where we’re at now, it feels like ignoring what’s going on in this country is like avoiding a mushroom cloud right outside my window. It’s getting to the point where ignoring what’s going down is irresponsible. I’m still going about my day doing my thing, but I can’t go on and just assume things will work themselves out. I don’t know how it can.

Maybe I can express these things through making art. That’s really what art is about, freedom of expression. That’s why art is so important to keep a society from completely crumbling under it’s own dumb feet. My music, and by extension the paintings and collages I make, were these emotional releases. My internal life and all the mess that came from that. Now, I’m feeling more and more like my art needs to be an expression of my external life. That might just be the ticket to keep my head and heart balanced, while also keeping my head in the game but not go insane from it.

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Wherever you’re at, I hope you’re doing well and keeping yourself as sane as you can. If you’re feeling like things are starting to spiral find someone to talk to; be it professional help or just a friend with an empathetic ear. Who knows, maybe they’re feeling the same way. Just don’t get swallowed up by the dark, okay? I don’t know how we get out of this current alternate reality, or when we do. I just have to keep thinking we will. Eventually.

Until then, enjoy your Friday. And the weekend.