Sunday, August 26, 2007

On Becoming a Blogger

This is week two in my new world of Blog. Some friends have wanted to know, “How does a 90 year old geezer become a blogger?” Ah, a good question. I have been hollering and swearing at the computer for some years now, mostly writing books like “Ten Thousand Working Days” and “Wasn’t That a Time - Growing up Radical & Red in America”, both published by MIT Press. That led me to the e-mailing world of communication. I began to send comments on the news of the day to people I knew.

There are serious changes taking place that have made me think increasingly about the growing role of the Internet as a primary news source. Being a compulsive NY Times reader, I have noticed how the paper is shrinking not only in its physical size but in its news coverage There is also a noticeable disappearance of advertising, its basic source of revenue. I have come to believe we are seeing the end of newspapers, at least as I have known them in my long life. That would leave me with the computer becoming my primary news source. But hold on there. A few weeks ago I had an epiphany that opened my eyes to the wonders that this new medium can perform. Old computer hackers will certainly yawn as they read this. But anyway.

I attended a play on Broadway called “Eurydice” that is based on Greek mythology. In the world of the Greek Gods, Orpheus is known as the divine Lyre player. It was said that he played so beautifully that he made the rocks sing and the trees followed his music as he walked in the forest.

Orpheus and the beautiful Eurydice get married. While walking through the grass at their wedding a poison serpent bites her foot and she dies. She is in the Greek Underworld, which is sort of comparable to Christian Purgatory. Orpheus goes down to the Underworld to reclaim her and the headmaster says, “Okay, you can have her back on the condition that you do not look at her until you are back on earth”. Orpheus is delighted. Off the two of them go with Orpheus leading the way and Eurydice behind him. As they come near the end of the voyage home Orpheus, unable any longer to resist seeing his beautiful bride, turns and looks at her. Zippo, she is gone forever into the Underworld.

As a child I had been told that story by my father while listening to Offenbach’s Overture to “Orpheus in The Underworld”. Then, and now, I was never able to understand why he looked back at her, broke his pledge and lost her forever? I was sitting at my computer, so I thought, “Oh what the heck, why don’t I ask Google?” A long list of citations and explanations of what happened on the way out of the Underworld came up. “Orpheus got the sun in his eyes.” Thinking he was already out of the Underworld, which he was not, he turned and looked at Eurydice. And with that she was gone. Like in the Willie Nelson song “Tougher than Leather” where he sings, “Never shoot when you are facing the sun.” Too bad Orpheus never heard of Willie Nelson.

Another “don’t look back” admonition was uttered by a famous Black baseball pitcher, Satchel Paige. Long before Jackie Robinson made it into the major leagues, Paige was pitching in what was then called “The Negro Leagues.” In exhibition games Paige was striking out the major leagues greatest hitters, including Ruth and Gehrig. Paige’s quote, “Never look back he might be gaining on you”, was often used as an admonition to just go forward. Though I never heard Paige explain it, I assumed the “he” referred to was none other than the Grim Reaper. Unlike Paige, I think looking back is essential if we are to learn from our earlier mistakes. Eighty-three of my 90 years was lived in the Twentieth Century. I intend to spend a lot of time there learning its lessons.

Getting back to the Internet, I have been overwhelmed by the information that can be retrieved there. I spent hours looking up all kinds of esoteric questions. I thought, imagine if this had been available when I was in my late forties and going to college at night. All those hours digging in the stacks, I could have been having a beer at a local gin mill. It’s almost too easy. Now I wonder, can one really learn if it is made too easy? Is there any relationship between what is learned and how difficult it is to learn it? Another question for another day.

For some time now I have been sending out “missal’s” to my friends as a way of sharing my thoughts and getting discussion going. Recently three of my grandchildren in their thirties were visiting from the west coast. “Grandpa, you should do a blog. Whether what you have to say is current or from the early Twentieth Century, you can always connect it to the contemporary. We’ll help you set it up.” And so here I am.

As always “thanks Kate”. N H W Y. Love Roberto

3 comments:

Elaine said...

Roberto:
Of course, you would become a blogger. It is totally consistent. I would suggest that one of the reasons you are still around, “pushing 90” (to our great joy), is your amazing ability to adapt, to change and to go where the action is – as you have done all your life. Most of us struggle mightily with moving out of our comfort zone and the habits that we’ve acquired over the years. While I value the internet for the incredible, almost overwhelming, amount of information I now have access to, I can’t imagine ever eating breakfast without the NYTimes. I have visions of dribbling my cereal over the keyboard. But if that’s the way the world is going, I will reluctantly follow. Rather than writing letters to the editor, I can now dash off my comments regarding your latest thought provoking epistle. At least then I know I’ll get published! I look forward to the continued dialogue, Elaine
P. S. Here’s another addition to your looking back admonitions: Lot’s wife (Genesis 19:14-17, 23-26)
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Robert Schrank said...

ElaIne: Thanks for the "alert" that sent me to Genisis 19:14-17--23-26 So ther it was "do not look back." We need to keep in mind that Greek Mythology came before The Bible. Clearly the scribes back then were doing the same as we do now, copying from each other. So interesting. Thanks RS

Anonymous said...

Roberto: The blog is great. I am sixty- two and will never be able to adjust to a world inj which books aren't the main source of knowledge, but then you have always been much "younger" (adventurous)than I am. Like Elaine, I can't start my day without the NYTimes, and I just hope that it will still be published as long as I live (although If I live to be as old as you ,I will surely outlive newspapers). I think you mean "misssives" not "missiles" Jim O'Toole