Robert Gale Ongley

Category: Uncategorized

  • RECEPTIVITY AS AN ART FORM

    Being receptive and open isn’t always easy. Some would say it isn’t even a good idea. Being closed and shut off is effective defensive behavior for those so inclined. I would say the person who lives that way is missing a lot and would be better served to live openly. There’s a certain aesthetic in going about our lives open to what comes our way. The cultivation of that aesthetic qualifies receptivity as an art form.

    Receptivity and Creation

    I borrow now from the website, “3 Quarks Daily” and Dwight Furrow who wrote this excerpt from his post Creative Receptivity. “Aesthetic appreciation is often described in terms of adopting an aesthetic attitude, a state of mind in which one attends sympathetically and with focused attention to the aesthetic features of objects. Part of that aesthetic attitude is a willingness to be receptive to what is in the work, to refrain from imposing preconceptions on it, to let the work speak for itself. The viewer or listener must open herself up to being moved by the work and to discover all there is to be discovered in it. As important as this attitude of openness and receptivity is to appreciating art, it would be exceedingly odd if this aesthetic attitude was not also part of the process of creating the work. But if we take this receptive attitude seriously it shows the limitations of our assumptions about artists as ultimate masters.”

    Furrow goes on eloquently to reason that receptivity is not solely what makes an artist. Creators of art do create. Receptivity isn’t everything. I agree with him completely on that point, but to amplify it would take this post in a different direction than intended. I wish to enhance understanding of the importance of receptivity and to illuminate its suchness as an art form in itself.

    Why An Art Form?

    There are many human activities that qualify as art. Eric Fromm famously wrote of the art of loving. There’s the art of diplomacy. The art of conversation is an oft-discussed topic. (nudge nudge wink wink.) Obviously, these are not the creative arts, per se. Yet, when it comes to achieving excellence in some endeavor, a certain amount of serious work has to be put into it. Study is likely to be required. And practice, practice, practice. With most creative arts and their individual expression, a generous portion of finesse is part of the recipe.

    When one has mastered an art, it comes as second nature to perform it. The dancer dances with grace, the singer sings with easy control of the voice and the painter lays the paint on the canvas with strokes of virtuosity. So it is with the examples mentioned above on topic. Have you ever met a person who truly has a loving heart free of contradictory emotion? It may have awakened the same loving nature, if only temporarily, in you. The diplomat has the remarkable ability to navigate smoothly through treacherous waters of potential conflict to bring people together. An excellent conversationalist seamlessly uses their skills to make discussion easy and interesting.

    In the same way, receptivity can be cultivated to open yourself to everything the universe is offering you. Conversely, numerous pitfalls await in which we run the risk of closing ourselves off to what can be. Painful experiences such as abusive relationships, lost loves and failed goals can make a person recoil from living life fully. We can lose trust, faith and self-confidence if we allow negative experiences to take away our natural zeal for life. That is sad, indeed. If we find ourselves in that situation, it would behoove us to take one aspect of our lives where we have chosen to be unreceptive and change that decision, at least a little at a time.

    Pointing the Way

    “In order to reprogram the subconscious mind, you need to relax the body. Release the tension. Let the emotions go. Get to a state of openness and receptivity. You are always in change. You are always safe.” – Louise Hay

    Allowing the world in can pave the way for resolution of problems and unresolved conditions. “By surrendering, you create an energy field of receptivity for the solution to appear.” – Wayne Dyer

    When you’re receptive, you are in a position to create your day as you choose. It doesn’t mean you believe or act on everything you hear or see. It’s simply that you allow yourself to process it. With your creative brush and your receptive heart, you can paint a virtual work of art on that blank canvas before you.

  • LIFE IN THE LABYRINTH–FINDING YOUR WAY HOME

    As a writer, I know that every project leads me through a virtual labyrinth which I must resolve to reach my destination. I’ll know the destination when I see it. I have a concept of it in my mind. In the longer works, such as a novel, I even have a road map (also known as an outline) to help me find my way. However, there’s one factor that’s key to making it through the labyrinth, maybe the most important of all. I have to trust the inner storyteller who is leading me from station to station, armed with ideas and inspiration.

    The Inner Guide

    I fully believe there lies within the creator of art, no matter the discipline, some awareness of the final product which the creator strives to produce. It isn’t just the final product. We usually have a goal for a project and can imagine how it will be when the finish line is reached. It’s as though one’s intuition can be tapped and if followed will bring the artist through the necessary changes to the satisfactory conclusion. This inner guide knows the key points that need to be touched in order for the work to unfold as it should for maximum effect.

    Maybe there’s a deep sense of the finished product from the beginning, but I tend to believe that, like a puzzle, the pieces have to be discovered one at a time. Without the framework in place, the details of the interior are more or less guesswork. I don’t see this as a hard and fast rule. Works of art can come about in a variety of ways, but I would say we usually work our way through them with a progression of ideas coming to the surface that flesh out and develop our creation. The point is this. There’s the inner tactician putting this all together along the way on a subconscious level, probably even working when we’re sleeping.

    Art in Action

    Television artist and instructor Bob Ross said something to the effect that he never knew exactly how a painting started at the outset of his broadcast would turn out. He said he had a general idea and what colors he would use, but he didn’t work out all the steps from A to Z. This was evident when he would say–and I paraphrase–“How about if we put a tree right here?” It was an idea that popped into his head as part of the process. Typical, right? It’s just a basic example of our creative process.

    It goes deeper than that, though. Bringing the project home requires this willingness to go with the flow. If we have it all taped out before we start and we stick to the plan with no allowance for diversions down different passageways of the labyrinth, we deny our art a certain richness. We deny it life and vitality. In my stories, I’m surprised at times when following the route of my outline, I write something that shines a light on a new aspect of the tale. It may open the way for new understanding of a character or it could bring the plot more depth.

    That small element, be it a phrase or sentence or paragraph, was written with one purpose in mind, but it couldn’t have been more effective for introducing a whole new dimension to the story if it had been intentionally done in the full light of consciousness. I’m convinced that another level of consciousness was at work that brought me to the stage where the element mentioned above was perfectly placed to import the new phase of the story from a reservoir of ideas usually below my awareness.

    Writing fiction is how I came to realize this phenomena. I want to emphasize, though, that I’m quite sure it applies to all kinds of writing and all kinds of art. In creating a dance routine, the choreographer will lay out how it may go and in the process be struck with a new step that will dazzle. A composer may come up with a brilliant melody and in so doing write a sequence that almost magically leads to a counter to the melody that fairly takes the breath away.

    My Giveaway Takeaway

    We may view this part of ourselves that lives above the sleep horizon, that walks and talks and eats, as the sole proprietor of our persona of artiste. Maybe it’s true, but still we don’t have much of a clue as to the depth of our own minds. We should accept that we’re getting help from subliminal forces which are in league with our highest aspirations. Sometimes, perhaps, we’re more proficient when we allow all parts of our minds and being a role in finding our way home.

  • A WAVE FROM THE OTHER SIDE (OF COVID, THAT IS)

    Well, it happened. I came down with a formidable illness and a week later I tested positive for COVID-19. I had taken a few risks since March of last year and skated through. I mostly followed quarantine protocols, though. Christmas presented a couple significant exposures, but it’s really unknown how I got it. I was definitely sick in a way that was different from anything I’d ever experienced before, so the positive test result wasn’t really a surprise, but it was nonetheless a shock. I thought I might have it, but the actual confirmation of being in the throes of the dreaded virus was a surreal development I could not easily accept.

    It All Started When…

    On or about New Year’s Day, I noticed I had chills. I was also coughing more than usual. The fact is, I’d been struggling for months with a mostly morning routine of having to clear my throat a lot and it usually culminated with a less than satisfying cough. So, the increased coughing and dry tendency of it didn’t mean that much. The fever got my attention, though. I had hardly developed a temperature in my life, so that seemed significant. I started taking my temperature at home, but for the first few days it was mainly in the 99-100 degree range. Unfortunately, it persisted and climbed up to 100.7 at one point. I started feeling pretty miserable with very low energy. It felt like influenza, but I have had the flu only a few times and I had received a flu shot as a precaution in November.

    I called the NurseLine provided by my health insurance carrier. I hadn’t really sunk into the depths yet and after a thorough conversation about my condition, the nurse didn’t think I needed further evaluation yet. My temperature was still in the 90s, the cough was still light and no other symptoms had surfaced. After a couple more days, however, my worsening condition prompted another NurseLine call. Now they recommended contacting my primary care physician’s office, who then set me up for a virtual examination the next day. The nurse practitioner there interviewed me and suggested a Covid test. I went in that day, January 8th. On the 10th, a Sunday, the nurse practitioner called me with the results. I was infected.

    Moanin’ and Groanin’

    By that time, my sickness was peaking. I didn’t know that, though. I was feeling plenty bad–that I did know. The fever was over 100. Chills and occasional sweating made me keep wrapped up almost constantly. I was moving slow and with tremendous effort, as extreme fatigue had set in. Sitting down and getting up or sometimes just changing position elicited a moan or groan. My muscles and joints ached. On top of that, my skin felt overly sensitive to the touch. It was as though the nerve endings were inflamed and touch might set my body on fire. A touch of diarrhea, a runny nose and a lack of appetite made my misery complete. Oh, and one more thing. Intermittently, I had bluish-colored hands up to the middle of my fingers.

    What I Didn’t Have

    There was good news in this ordeal. Shortness of breath never became an issue. I was worried that it would be, considering I’ve had some minor shortness of breath occasionally due to atrial fibrillation. My heart and lungs performed admirably while the virus was taking up residence in my body. I never lost my senses of taste and smell either. I was fortunate to be spared a sore throat and headaches as well.

    The Creative Well Went Dry

    Not surprisingly, my daily writing and guitar practice fell by the wayside. I had no energy for it. I gave myself permission to leave the creative work alone. My hopes to finish the first draft of my current novel by the end of January were dashed. Oh well. I did facilitate a memoir writers group zoom meeting the first weekend, but I bowed out of the one the following weekend. I was back on the job the third weekend, though.

    Feeling Blessed

    Our country’s death toll has surpassed 400,000 now and worldwide the related deaths are calculated in excess of 2,000,000. The numbers may be rising faster than ever. We may just now be peaking, so there is still much suffering ahead. Hopefully, vaccines will stem the tide this year.

    I count myself truly fortunate to have survived this virus as well as I did. Considering I am in a high-risk category due to age and prior conditions, I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome. Approximately 20 days out since my first symptoms, I feel pretty much 100% recovered. May I be forever immune going forward! And may all of you in this orbit be the same. Now that would be an ideal outcome.

  • WHAT YOU CAN TAKE FROM 2020 INTO THE NEW YEAR

    There’s a lot of talk out there about what a terrible year 2020 has been. For many, it’s been a year of walking through fire. First responders must have that thought, at least from time to time. It’s been a year of adjustments for most of us. Even if you don’t socialize, your life has been disrupted more than usual by newscasts that remind you of the horror of things beyond your control. Fear and anger, disbelief and outrage all have taken a toll on your sanity.

    Nonetheless, we humans are adaptable. We bob and weave as the punches come our way. We head into a new year with some lessons learned and coping mechanisms added. There are changes in routines, improvements in everyday life and new ways of operating that can benefit us in the years ahead. Many are obvious, hopefully some are not and a few haven’t been realized quite yet.

    The Obvious

    One of the first things we heard from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised us to properly wash our hands and not touch our faces with our hands. We had heard that before, but with greater application of these advices, cold and flu numbers are lower than usual.

    People can work from home. Who knew? Well, at least to this scale. Many businesses are sure to use this model more in post-pandemic times. It’s likely to save employers money and help reduce air pollution with long-term lighter traffic.

    Not So Obvious

    I recently read an issue of IBPA Independent, a magazine from Independent Book Publishers Association. It was the July/August, 2020 issue. The theme of that issue was coping and adjusting to the effects of COVID-19 on the publishing business.

    One of the articles illustrated how independent publishers can be more flexible than the major companies. For example, “Stormbird Press went from releasing four titles at a time to single releases that get full marketing attention for two months before the next title comes out.” They are focusing on increased reader interaction during the post-release period in the hope of developing deeper commitment to their authors, their messages and their titles. It is hoped this approach will be more sustainable than the prior program.

    For musical groups that are avoiding traditional rehearsal, there are online solutions. A church choir I’m part of meets on Zoom. Because the system has lags, we can’t all sing together at the same time. The director or pianist can play or sing and we can sing along with our voices muted. We record songs individually to tracks that help us keep our rhythm. I’ve discovered a better solution for the trio I play with and that is JamKazam, a platform that offers the opportunity to make music in sync. That will surely be used more going forward than it was before the pandemic.

    On a personal level, we can learn how to creatively deal with isolation. Some folks find it easier than others. There are ways of embracing solitude that might not occur to the super-social. For instance, sitting in meditation allows a person to feel a strong connection to one’s fellow spiritual beings. Expansion of the awareness of self to a greater sphere can bring about a sense of oneness with the universe.

    Coming Down the Pike

    This world is always full of uncertainty. Currently, we can multiply that by two at least. What’s coming in 2021? It’s a scary question on several fronts. A presidential coup d’etat attempt? Civil unrest or even civil war? Vaccination issues? Economic recovery challenges such as dying small businesses and unemployment?

    When we reach the point that it’s deemed by the CDC to disregard social distancing, whether that comes in 2021 or later, there will be a variety of speeds at which people will be willing to resume pre-pandemic habits. Going to social and religious events, maskless, hugging each other, eating together and laughing at short range will give many of us pause when we attempt to return to normal. How to act will be something to grapple with for those who were careful about observing protocols meant to slow the spread of the virus.

    I’m confident our experiences thus far will guide us through the uncomfortable situations ahead. With the possible exception of chaos and havoc the outgoing quasi-President manages to inflict on the American people, I believe we will be able to use the same tools we have in 2020 to bring us through the challenges of the future.

    Our Tools

    As a nation, we have learned a great deal about moving out of our comfort zone, about pulling together, about patience and much more. As we face the unknown, these manifestations of flexibility, love and teamwork will serve us well. May it be so.

  • FROM BOOGALOO TO BALLET

    “Let it be a dance we do. May I have this dance with you? Through the good times and the bad times, too, let it be a dance.

    Let a dancing song be heard. Play the music, say the words, and fill the sky with sailing birds. Let it be a dance. Let it be a dance. Let it be a dance.

    Learn to follow, learn to lead, feel the rhythm, fill the need to reap the harvest, plant the seed. Let it be a dance.

    Everybody turn and spin, let your body learn to bend, and like a willow with the wind, let it be a dance. Let it be a dance. Let it be a dance.

    A child is born, the old must die, a time for joy, a time to cry. Take it as it passes by. Let it be a dance.

    Morning star comes out at night, without the dark there is no light. If nothing’s wrong, then nothing’s right. Let it be a dance. Let it be a dance. Let it be a dance.

    Let the sun shine, let it rain, share the laughter, bear the pain, and round and round we go again. Let it be a dance.”

    These are the lyrics to one of my favorite hymns, Let it Be a Dance. It was composed by Ric Masten in 1977. Looking at life as music to be danced to is one of the most beautiful metaphors I’ve had the privilege to reflect upon. Dance is one of the best ways to express our emotions and should be embraced in just about whatever form it takes. I wish in this post to examine a few of these forms and convey their meaning to me. Hopefully, we can share an emotional connection in what dance means to us.

    Rituals

    Very early in human history, dance was used in celebration. It’s been flaunted in courting, as with birds and many animals, and continued down through the ages around the world. People who weren’t even aware of each other, from the Mayan civilization to Chinese dynasties, were moved to dance in expression of meaning in their lives.

    The courting rituals have had remarkable lasting power. With subtle sensuality in the minuet and the waltz, dancing gave young people opportunities to approach and retreat, to touch and to move in tandem aesthetically with a sometimes suggestive grace. These dances gradually became less subtle until they blatantly mimicked the sex act. But rituals they were, hardly more than mating dances.

    Dancing in the Mirror

    In my life, there were dances for many occasions. There was the twist, which was a way to contort the torso while maintaining an air of innocence. The jerk showed us how to project our chests boldly to our dance partners under the pretense of it being meaningless, which was how it became in due time. I remember doing the boogaloo, taking my cues from the cool guys from the biggest small town in our county. The way they did it was extreme and primitive, yet innovative.

    Watching dance troupes on TV and in movies brought me to recognize the class and elegance in choreographed routines. They informed us on the possibilities of putting rock and jazz into a visual realm, enhancing both greatly.

    The pinnacle of the art of dance has to be ballet. The skill and training alone place it in the elite class of the art–of all arts, perhaps. If the prehistoric ancients were trying to reach the gods with their ritualistic dancing, ballet would have been what they had in their highest Mind.

    Romeo and Juliet

    I happened to run across a moving ballet (no pun intended) on PBS’ Great Performances last week. Here’s the written announcement from the network that introduces it better than I ever could. “Experience a ballet of Shakespeare’s classic from choreographer Kenneth MacMillan performed by dancers from The Royal Ballet set to a score by Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev filmed on atmospheric locations throughout Budapest.” I was taken by the visual beauty of this film. The characters were striking and their presence was seemingly made more compelling by the absence of dialogue. I found myself with a new appreciation for ballet.

    The Nutcracker

    A few years ago, my wife was singing in the Tucson Women’s Chorus when they were invited to provide a choral accompaniment to a local production of The Nutcracker. As I recall, the Tucson Symphony Orchestra was providing the incomparable composition by Tchaikovsky. The ballet performance backed by the fine music was spellbinding. This was only the second ballet I had attended in my life. It was the primary highlight of that Christmas season, providing us all with holiday feasts for the eyes, the ears and the hearts. May we find our joy in this challenging year’s final days. Let it be a dance!

  • HAS JOURNALISM BEEN ABANDONED? (PART THREE)

    In working toward an answer to the above question, we have established that news organizations have become increasingly biased in their reporting and thus less trusted by the public at large. Political agendas leaning left or right result in a slanting of the information provided to sway our opinion in a direction desired by those running those media outlets.

    The goal of this final post on this topic is to address what this accusation is really saying and to see just how much truth there is to it. To do so, let’s take a look at the source.

    Rush Limbaugh

    It was on a recent broadcast of this conservative talk show host that I heard him make this declaration. It was probably in October of this year. Chances are he’s been saying this for a long time and that it has been echoed by other conservative talking heads. On Limbaugh’s website, I found the text of one conversation he had with a caller on September 25, 2020. The title for this on the website is “We’re in the Midst of a Violent Revolution Started by the Left, Not by Us!”

    Limbaugh refers to New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, a three-time Pulitzer Prize winning writer, and an interview he did with Anderson Cooper of CNN. He was asked by Cooper about whether he was surprised that the president said he might not be accepting of a peaceful transfer of power if he lost the election. Friedman said “it’s stunning, but it’s not surprising.” He went on to say that we have a president saying he will either win the election or delegitimize the election. Limbaugh questioned the sanity of the journalist, claiming Trump didn’t say those things and that Hillary Clinton had actually suggested to Biden that he never concede if he lost the election.

    Limbaugh continued, stating that the mainstream media doesn’t understand how it is perceived. “I’ll tell you how you’re seen. You’re not seen as fair. You’re not seen as objective. It isn’t even biased. It’s so far beyond bias what you people are. You have abandoned journalism. You have all become activists who exist for one reason, and that is to defeat, however you think it’s necessary, Donald Trump. And journalism obviously is not enough to get that done, so you’ve had to become activists.”

    It has been a longstanding complaint of Limbaugh and other conservative talk show hosts that the media is liberal and doesn’t offer balanced coverage of world affairs, international or domestic. I hadn’t heard them make this charge, though, that journalism has simply been abandoned for the sake of furthering their agenda. Limbaugh and the others probably consider themselves journalists who are giving us the truth. Fox News trumpets their “fair and balanced” coverage. The approach by all of these conservative media toward journalism has long been called into question for its lack of objectivity.

    Where Do We Stand?

    While I do believe there are valid grounds supporting claims of biased journalism on both sides and plenty of reporting that is plain sensationalism, I think it’s going too far to say journalism has been abandoned.

    A friend of mine who is a writer and publisher went on a cruise with an organization of journalists shortly after Trump was elected. There was a great deal of concern about his attitude toward the press. They feared for the direction of the country and for their freedom to express the truth as they saw it. While they may have had an agenda that leaned left and even openly favored one side over the other, there was still an intention on the part of these journalists to use some degree of truth and honesty in giving us the news.

    I realize now that Limbaugh was targeting journalists for their reporting of political and social events, not necessarily all of what goes on in the world. Local news is reported and investigated with far less agenda in my opinion. Coverage of non-political matters such as philanthropy or sports or human interest stories or daily weather requires no slants, so they are usually straight journalism. No opinions needed. Still, even in the political and social arena, I believe a great deal of journalistic reporting occurs without commentary.

    There must be many examples of this in today’s world. The COVID-19 pandemic has been politicized and there are many opinions about it from many sides, but I see in local news a reporting of the facts (as they understand them) based on official numbers. Field correspondents covering war and weather catastrophes are out there providing an accurate picture of the events they’re covering. Investigative reports into hallowed organizations such as the Catholic Church, the Boy Scouts of America and the Red Cross have given us truths that needed to be revealed when no one wanted to hear them. This is journalism.

    Don’t Give Up

    May the pendulum swing back the other way. We need more unbiased presentation of the news, less agenda-driven journalism. We could certainly use more information on how to build unity, less divisive commentary. But journalism has not been abandoned and we should not abandon a pursuit of the truth. We should demand it.

  • HAS JOURNALISM BEEN ABANDONED? (PART TWO)

    At the end of the first installment of this article, we had established that trust of the media is very low. The question of whether journalism has been abandoned by journalists deserves greater examination without prejudice. That’s where we begin.

    Truth Decay

    The first stop on my journey into the state of journalism is The RAND Corporation. On their website, we read who they are. “The RAND Corporation is a research organization that develops solutions to public policy challenges to help make communities throughout the world safer and more secure, healthier and more prosperous. RAND is nonprofit, nonpartisan, and committed to the public interest.”

    In 2018, RAND published a book by Jennifer Kavanagh and Michael D. Rich titled TRUTH DECAY: An Initial Exploration of the Diminishing Role of Facts and Analysis in American Public Life. The authors define truth decay as “a set of four interrelated trends: an increasing disagreement about facts and analytical interpretations of facts and data; a blurring of the line between opinion and fact; an increase in the relative volume, and resulting influence, of opinion and personal experience over fact; and lowered trust in formerly respected sources of factual information. These trends have many causes, but this report focuses on four: characteristics of human cognitive processing, such as cognitive bias; changes in the information system, including social media and the 24-hour news cycle; competing demands on the education system that diminish time spent on media literacy and critical thinking; and polarization, both political and demographic. The most damaging consequences of Truth Decay include the erosion of civil discourse, political paralysis, alienation and disengagement of individuals from political and civic institutions, and uncertainty over national policy.”

    When CNN was launched in 1980, it became the first all-news network and the first 24-hour news network on television. While there is always something happening on our planet, it doesn’t necessarily qualify as news. Ratings are important to any television network and such things as scientific breakthroughs, new inventions or personal accomplishments usually don’t make the grade. Repeating what are deemed as major stories, which often have to do with war and all manner of violence or conflict of some kind, needs to occur so we are all aware of the events that could ruin our sense of peace and security. Okay, I’m letting my cynicism filter through here, but no one can deny that bad news trumps good news in the news universe. So, the big stories are repeated.

    Somewhere along the timeline, CNN executives must have realized it would be interesting to have newscasters, contributors and guests editorialize about the news. Enter opinionated broadcasts. Of course, this wasn’t new. There had been op-ed pieces as part of the newspaper business for a long time. Radio was doing talk shows with political argument since at least the 1940s. Commentators on TV had been analyzing the news since Meet the Press back in 1947. Only thing is, there is a big difference in the discourse of those shows and what we see on cable news networks now. Kavanagh writes, ““Journalism in the U.S. has become more subjective and consists less of the detailed event- or context-based reporting that used to characterize news coverage.”

    This phenomena has become so pronounced now that some news outlets are clearly compromised in their presentation of current events. Our recent election coverage is an excellent example. Trump boasts months beforehand that the only way he can lose is if the election is “rigged.” He then took actions that could hamstring the U.S. Postal Service when it comes to mail-in ballots. He demanded the vote count be stopped in certain places and made claims of voter fraud. To date, none of the lawsuits he has had filed have found any traction in the courts. They’re finding no factual basis for these claims. The media responded along partisan lines, with the mainstream outlets calling his claims false and baseless from the outset and the conservative commentators jumping on the Trump bandwagon without waiting to see if there is any credible evidence of irregularities in our traditionally stable and secure election proceedings.

    With constant bombardment of information from television, radio, the internet and social media, we find it more difficult to discern what is true. Journalists, whether concentrating on just the facts or offering stories based on something less than factual, have a tough sell to a tough crowd. Paul Simon’s lyric from The Boxer, “Still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest” is ringing true.

    Murky Waters

    We’re swimming in a sea of doubt amid sharks with opinions for teeth. It must be frustrating for old school journalists who doggedly pursue their work with integrity and high purpose. Is it still the norm that a journalist confirms a story with a second source instead of publishing or broadcasting on the word of just one? With all the competition for breaking news and headline-worthy content, there must be tremendous pressure on journalists to produce.

    In our final installment on whether journalism has been abandoned, we’ll search for the source of this allegation and explore the depth of its validity.

  • HAS JOURNALISM BEEN ABANDONED?

    My limited experience as a journalist is practically immaterial. I wrote sports for two separate newspapers as an independent contractor. It was a long time ago. Like most of us, I’ve read a lot of journalism and seen a lot of it on TV. Oh, and I just learned that in 2011 the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit made a ruling that a blogger is a journalist. To quote Bill Murray’s character Carl Spackler in Caddyshack, “So I have that going for me…which is nice.”

    I occasionally listen to conservative talk radio. I’m not affiliated with either of the Big Two political parties. I have some conservative views and some liberal views. I like to think I vote on propositions and candidates based on their merits. I’ve noticed in my recent forays into conservative talk radio that a couple of the most popular have taken to proclaiming journalism has been abandoned. This has to do with the journalists’ liberal agenda that keeps them from being objective in relation to politics. They are so obsessed, according to their accusers, with destroying Trump and conservative government that they will cast aside reporting the truth.

    I’m going to seek out non-partisan data on the state of journalism in today’s polarized world and report on what I find. Let’s find out if journalism has actually been abandoned.

    Intro After the Intro

    Journalism isn’t what a lot of people think it is, as illustrated in my opening paragraph. I remember in high school wanting to have journalism as my college major. I didn’t even fully understand what I would be studying. I actually wanted to major in creative writing, but I was too uninformed to know it. I did know journalism had to do with writing and it sounded so sophisticated, I figured it was cool to be a journalism major.

    As I like to do, I’ve consulted the dictionary for a clear definition of journalism. The definition I think applies most is “material written for a newspaper or magazine.” This edition of 1991 was written before blogging existed, so please pardon its narrow-minded view of media. Also, the first definition notes it is “the occupation of gathering, writing, editing and publishing or broadcasting news.”

    The point here is that journalism is placed high on a pedestal. The standard suggested for the idealized journalism may be higher than original journalism. Now, I do believe that ethical journalism aims for a standard of truth that has earned for it a place of respect in the arts and in society at large.

    Remembering Tiananmen and the Berlin Wall

    Journalism on the Run

    Journalists have always been subject to scrutiny by governments, organizations and the powerful about whom they may write. The first known example of journalism was a news sheet in ancient Rome around the year 59 BCE. It was called the Acta Diurna, was produced daily and was posted in prominent locations. The printing press led to the first newspaper in Germany circa 1609. It was typical for these early publications to be censored, taxed and placed under various restrictions by their governments to control their content.

    Modern journalism was born in the 18th century as freedom of the press began to emerge. Magazines started to allow for opinion-oriented articles. Newspapers and magazines rose in popularity until they became big business. The cost of gathering news on a large scale resulted in news agencies being formed. Radio and television, satellite transmission of signals and the Internet brought us into the Information Age. Here we have nearly instant communication around the globe, meaning the need for journalism is at an all-time high. In the 20th century, there came to be a growing sense of professionalism amongst journalists. Part of that involved a greater feeling for social responsibility in their chosen profession.

    With the competition between news outlets, especially on cable networks and Internet giants (which now overlap in some media corporations), there is tremendous pressure to break stories first. The rise of sensationalism and the use of drama in relating the stories of the day created a blurring of the line between news and entertainment. The need for speed in getting news out to the public has the potential at least for less verification of facts before publishing them as such.

    With these conditions in place along with media organizations’ reputations for political leanings left or right, journalists are increasingly open to mistrust by readers, listeners and viewers. A Gallup poll taken last year indicated that the trust in mass media has dipped to 41% among Americans. That’s better than the 32% mark seen in 2016, which was the all-time low, but it’s still low. A telling statistic is that 69% of Democrats trust the media while 15% of Republicans and 36% of independents do not.

    I’m comfortable saying the reason for this division of trust is because the press is seen as being liberal in their political leanings. When you’re conservative, you can’t trust anything they say and you assume their coverage of the news and the political leaders is slanted to forward their liberal agenda. If you’re liberal, you find it easier to believe most press coverage with the exception of Fox News which you see as blatantly biased and possibly even brainwashing.

    In today’s political climate, it has become much more commonplace to figuratively if not literally wish to have the journalists on the opposite end of the political spectrum run out of the business.

    Journalism Abandoned?

    Well, you can see why people might be willing to entertain that claim. The news sources could appear to be completely in it for themselves or for the people who share their views. But it’s quite a leap to state that journalism has been completely abandoned, even if you’re pointing that finger only at one side or the other. There’s much more data to be examined and I’m going long on this article already. We’ll look at the subject in greater detail with our next post. Meanwhile, we’ll ride out the national election and watch to see how the journalists handle their responsibility in this potentially volatile time for all Americans.

    Cronkite School of Journalism

  • THE ARTISAN

    It’s a poetic word, not so much in the way it sounds, but in how it brings to mind images worthy of poetry. It might be debatable, but to me an artisan is someone who is living a life of poetry. The first thoughts that arise when I think of an artisan are leather, a potter’s wheel, and a weaver’s loom. The artisan, in my wistful daydream at least, is a person of integrity and respect, a person who is essential to the community in bridging the practical with the artistic.

    The Artisan Elucidated

    To ensure there is no confusion on either my part or yours, I will share some specifics about what constitutes an artisan. After all, the term refers to a rather broad range of people. In general, an artisan is a worker who practices a trade or handicraft, also known as a craftsperson. The term can cover not just a person, but a company as well, if the activity involved has to do with a product made in limited quantities while using traditional methods. You may think of artisan beer or artisan bread or even artisan beer bread.

    The term especially applies to a skilled craftsperson who works with their hands. They could use their mouths for that matter, as in the case of the glassblower, but the point is that they ply their skills without the impersonal advantage of mass production tools. Probably in most cases, the product is made one at a time. I dare say they are making their much needed and highly treasured works primarily as a labor of love. There are basket makers, stone masons, gardeners and blacksmiths. Also sail makers, jewelers, boot and shoe makers. And don’t forget the furniture maker, the bone carver and the storyteller. There are so many more. The truth is, they make up the fabric of our society.

    No Civilization Without Artisans

    It is believed that civilization began in Mesopotamia, where Iraq is now. As the region evolved into a culture beyond that of hunters and gatherers, agriculture developed. With ample food on hand, people were able to expand their sphere of activity to fashioning materials and goods that made their lives more comfortable as well as efficient. Commerce blossomed and currency evolved from barley to coins. In this new economy with cities and towns, the artisans were able to make a living with their diverse skills that filled many needs.

    Imagine what an exciting time that must have been. I’m guessing there was a bazaar in every town of note. People with coin and some with a sheep to trade perhaps would have been browsing through all the fascinating artisan booths and tents. Tools and jars and jewels…a mind boggling array of crafts created with artistic dedication for an affluent community!

    They’re Still Among Us

    After the assault of the Industrial Revolution on the artisan community–which continues even today–there was a lowering of the bar for excellence and lasting quality. Our throwaway economy is a testament to that. Yet, the artisan survives. It would seem there is always a market for handmade wares of merit, excellent design and durability.

    In the city where I live, a group has been part of the arts and crafts culture for many years. It’s known as Old Town Artisans. The location covers a city block in the center of Tucson. Construction of the adobe buildings in this block was started in the 1850s. There are many shops there now with items ranging from original pottery thrown on premises to Native American jewelry, artisan pasta and so much more. A good friend once had an art gallery there and my wife’s paintings plus one of my novels were on display for sale.

    Part of my inspiration for this post is a television series called The Repair Shop that celebrates artisans and demonstrates beautifully how important this part of our culture is to people. It’s a BBC production and is now available on Netflix. Each episode consists of people who bring in for repair their family heirlooms which have fallen into disrepair. A team of excellent craftspeople restore a variety of objects that apply most to their individual skills.

    The Repair Shop is a heartwarming series. Those who submit their items for repair usually have a deep connection to them and are profoundly touched when they see the remarkable transformation the skilled workers are able to accomplish. I’ve seen 19th century furniture, steam-engine toy cars, generations-old teddy bears and classic paintings restored with an expert and loving touch. These are just a few examples from the 122 episodes that have aired. The artisans do the human race a huge favor by keeping alive an ancient tradition we can ill afford to lose.

    The Heart of the Arts

    The original artisans were making products people needed for everyday living. Many of those who were called to do this work had the creative impulse within to make these items not only practical, but aesthetic as well. The modern arts were born with these generous folks. Their kind are still giving and we are forever in their debt.

  • SONG LYRICS CAN ENRICH YOUR LIFE

    I have observed that a lot of people are attracted to certain popular songs by either the music or the lyrics. Some clearly make their judgments based on how much the music pleases them while others look to the lyrics to decide if they like the song. I see no reason to reject a song because one or the other doesn’t measure up to my standards right out of the gate, but if pressed to state a preference, I might call myself a lyric guy. It probably has to do with being a writer.

    A Taste of Lyrical History

    The earliest written form of a complete song was Greek, found on a headstone from the first century, CE, in Turkey. Known as Seikilos Epitaph, it went like this: “While you live, shine / Have no grief at all / Life exists only for a short while / And time demands its toll.” Excellent sentiment that speaks to the living.

    Earlier songs go back as far as approximately 1400 BC. These were hymns. The lyrics paid homage to God, certainly meant to be inspirational. India produced its own devotional music in the first millennium CE that was certainly meant to focus our minds on our higher selves.

    It is believed the Iliad, an epic written by Homer, was written in the 8th century BC. A prominent character was Achilles, a human hero whose mother was a goddess. His father was mortal, however, relegating Achilles to the status of mortal as well. In the following lyric of a song sung by the goddess mother, we hear her reflect sadly the likely untimely death of her son.

    “…how sore my heart is! Now my life is pain for my great son’s dark destiny! I bore a child flawless and strong beyond all men. He flourished like a green shoot, and I brought him to manhood like a blossoming orchard tree, only to send him in the ships to Ilion to war with Trojans. Now I shall never see him entering Peleus’ hall, his home, again.”

    There were many songs of heroes in medieval times. I was most charmed by these while reading The Lord of the Rings. My takeaway from the Iliad is that the hero is an extension of worship, just below the status of a god. Again, they are a source of inspiration and lyrics are the vehicle bringing that inspiration to us.

    At the end of the 16th century, opera came into existence in Florence. At Britannica.com, I found this excellent quote about the origins of opera. “Indeed, Florence became the birthplace of opera at the end of the century, as the result of the confluence of three cultural forces: an established theatrical tradition, a strong sense of civic humanism, and a distinctly Florentine view of music and music’s relation to the cosmos.”

    Opera can be very dramatic. Here is an apropos excerpt from Claudio Monteverdi’s 1608 opera, “Lamento d’Arianna.

    “Let me die!
    and what do you think can comfort me
    in such harsh fate,
    in such great suffering?
    Let me die!

    Oh Theseus, my Theseus
    I still want
    to call you mine,
    cruel one, even though
    you flee from my eyes.

    Turn back, my Theseus,
    turn back Theseus, oh God!
    Turn back to gaze on her
    who abandoned
    her country and kingdom just for you,
    and who will leave her bare bones
    on these sands as food
    for fierce and merciless animals.”

    In the Baroque era, operas were sometimes comedies with a backdrop of those dramatic, even tragic circumstances. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, Gilbert and Sullivan’s English operettas became popular even in the United States. Gilbert’s lyrics are some of the most cleverly written I have ever heard. The brilliant wit keeps these fresh to this day. Witness this lyric from the song I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General.

    “I am the very model of a modern Major-General,
    I’ve information vegetable, animal, and mineral,
    I know the kings of England, and I quote the fights historical
    From Marathon to Waterloo, in order categorical; a
    I’m very well acquainted, too, with matters mathematical,
    I understand equations, both the simple and quadratical,
    About binomial theorem I’m teeming with a lot o’ news, (bothered for a rhyme)
    With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse.
    I’m very good at integral and differential calculus;
    I know the scientific names of beings animalculous:
    In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral,
    I am the very model of a modern Major-General.”

    Where Lyrics Go I Will Follow

    Musicals have carried on the tradition of creative, ingenious use of language in song. Stephen Sondheim, Andrew Lloyd Webber and George Gershwin are a few notable examples among many stellar wordsmiths in the field.

    Popular music isn’t quite so prolific in phenomenal lyric writing, but there’s so much of it that has been memorable. That’s where most of my knowledge is based. I offer several short excerpts off the top of my head that may have enriched your life.

    “She’s leaving home after living alone for so many years.” – Lennon and McCartney

    “We drank a toast to innocence. We drank a toast to now. We tried to reach beyond the emptiness. But neither one knew how.” – Dan Fogelberg

    “And it seems to me you lived your life
    Like a candle in the wind
    Never knowing who to cling to
    When the rain set in
    And I would have liked to have known you
    But I was just a kid
    Your candle burned out long before
    Your legend ever did
    Your candle burned out long before
    Your legend ever did.” – Elton John

    “Cathy, I’m lost, I said though I knew she was sleeping
    And I’m empty and aching and I don’t know why
    Counting the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike
    They’ve all come to look for America
    All come to look for America
    All come to look for America.” – Simon and Garfunkel

    “Love is My Religion.” – Ziggy Marley

    The Last Word

    I hope you’re encouraged to listen more closely to the lyrics of the songs you love and now listen to new songs you may come to love.