Memorial Day is, for me, about taking moments to quietly honor those who have given their lives for a greater purpose. This includes fallen American soldiers, of course, but also great artists who have left us with their legacies of beauty. Who can say if their artistic expression contributed to their demise? If that one three-day cocaine-fueled songwriting stint was the one thing that tipped the mortality scale just enough?
Specific dates have never been a big deal for me, and here’s one reason why: My dear friend and former band mate, Chris Hamley, does not give gifts on actual holidays; instead, he tends to celebrate his loved ones’ existence in his life at random, when the spirit moves him. I have always admired him for this, and myriad other of his exceptional qualities, his incredible gift for playing guitar being a prominent one.
I guess my point is, today is a government-sanctioned holiday, which, to many folks, just means a day off work and an excuse to ingest copious amounts of Bud Light. For those among us who have lost loved ones to war, today is deeply significant, but so is every day since they have left the planet. It’s not something that can be honored in a day. The loss of these brave folks, be they soldiers, artists, construction workers, every single person who has lived in a manner which propels forward goodness and freedom for something bigger than themselves, is worthy of honor today and every day.
I have never been able to listen to an entire Frank Zappa album. Honestly I don’t enjoy listening to an entire Frank Zappa song. However, I think he was one of the most gifted and bright and important artists of all time. His lifelong artistic contributions to the world, coupled with his equally lengthy and tireless dedication to the fight for artistic freedom and against artistic censorship make him one very heroic soldier in my eyes. So to celebrate this Memorial Day, I will leave you with one of my favorite of his quotes:
“Information is not knowledge. Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is not truth. Truth is not beauty. Beauty is not love. Love is not music. Music is the best.”
-Frank Zappa, November 19, 1979: Lyrics to the song Packard Goose on the album Joe’s Garage: Act III.
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Right on. Just added yr blog to my Google Reader.