In the Rhythm of the World– At West End Gallery
Something there is that can refresh and revivify older people: joy in the activities of the younger generation—a joy, to be sure, that is clouded by dark forebodings in these unsettled times. And yet, as always, the springtime sun brings forth new life, and we may rejoice because of this new life and contribute to its unfolding; and Mozart remains as beautiful and tender as he always was and always will be. There is, after all, something eternal that lies beyond reach of the hand of fate and of all human delusions. And such eternals lie closer to an older person than to a younger one oscillating between fear and hope. For us, there remains the privilege of experiencing beauty and truth in their purest forms.
–Albert Einstein, in letter, March 1936
This morning, I was looking for some words that spoke to the delusions that people foster. With that in mind, I came across the lovely passage above that Albert Einstein wrote in 1936 to Queen Mother Elizabeth of Belgium who was depressed over the recent death of her husband and daughter-in-law.
My intent had been to write about the way the former president*** was trying to frame his debate debacle as some sort of huge triumph by citing ridiculously skewed online polls from his social media platform as evidence of his victory. His aim is to feed the delusions of his rabid cultists, to divert their attention from his abject failure and defeat in the debate that the rest of the world recognizes.
It reminds me of the old adage: Never play chess with a pigeon. The pigeon just knocks all the pieces over then shits all over the board. Then struts around like it won.
That old loser is definitely that strutting pigeon. Unfortunately, that behavior speaks to his loyal following– the other pigeons, which is exactly what he pegged them as a long time ago.
Pigeons.
That’s the term that the Oxford Dictionary defines as a gullible person, especially someone swindled in gambling or the victim of a confidence trick.
Pigeons who live in a state of delusion, suspending all disbelief to anything their lead pigeon says or does. With a short and faulty memory, they rationalize away the truth of every loss, failure, and rebutted lie. Their pigeon hero might have been checkmated on the chessboard but so long as he knocks everything over then shits and struts on top of it, then his defeat is overlooked and viewed as some sort of victory.
That brings me back to Einstein’s words above. He writes about how, as one ages and moves closer to the end of their time here, one recognizes and sheds certain long-held delusions, then having the privilege of being able to experience beauty and truth in their purest forms. They can then avoid becoming bitter and can then find joy in what the future might bring for the youth of the world, even though they themselves might experience that future.
I think it’s a lovely statement and I hope the Queen Mother found some solace in it. It made me think about my own experience with aging.
It also made me wonder about those aforementioned pigeons. I worry that when one holds so tightly to easily disproved delusions for so long that they will never escape the spiral of bitterness that accompanies believing such falsehoods. Will they never be able to experience the full depth real beauty or wonder at pure truths?
I don’t have an answer for that outside of acknowledging that there is plenty of proof of older folks who hold onto their bitterness and hatred like it was a pot of gold. People who have no concern for how the world will be once they have left it.
I feel a terrible pity for those people who end their lives in such a way, devoid of beauty and truth. And as much as I loathe the strutting and shitting pigeons who frequent the rallies of that former guy, dressed in ridiculous costumes and spewing hateful lies and conspiracies, I also pity them. I feel sorry for how they will experience the future. Short of a personal epiphany, I believe most will go into the end of lives as bitter and angry people.
And that is just so sad. And like so many other things, it doesn’t have to be that way.
As for myself, give me Einstein over a shitting and strutting pigeon any day…
Redtree Times 