Monday, November 29, 2004



Occasionally I suffer from bouts of feeling more than a little "blue". In the past, this has manifested in clinical depression. Thanks to a combination of anti-depressants, understanding friends, and time; this situation is generally under control. Of course, every now and then, things seem to manifest in my mind to being something greater than what they should be. Why one person suffers from depression and another doesn't, when faced with the same life situations is a curious question?

I blame genetics, dramatic life-changing events and Hollywood musicals.

When I was growing up, I remember there being a time when due to a happy circumstance of television programming, every Sunday afternoon offered an old-time Hollywood musical. Never being a child who wanted to frolic and play in the outdoors, I was most happy to escape the outside world and regress into the world of musicals. I believe that due to this childhood "trauma", I expect life to be like those happy and heady musical days.

In musicals, life is distilled to its most simplistic elements.

These would appear to be;
(i) There is a boy for every girl.
(ii) Every situation is aided by a song and dance.
(iii) Everyone can sing and dance.
(iv) The men are always dapper and charming; the women, always elegant.
and most importantly,
(v) There is ALWAYS a happy ending.

Yesterday I retreated into the happy world of "My Fair Lady". Once again, I felt the calm and ease enter my body. I smiled at the happy demeanor of the world through the eyes of Lerner and Loewe, from the text of Shaw.

I have tried dancing and singing in my everyday existence, but rather than bringing a moment of joy to those around me - it generally just pisses them off.

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