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| 'Perfect Is Imperfect Is Perfect' — a tribute to imperfection, by Guilie Castillo Created in Photoshop, December 2016 |
Utopia. To me, the word conjures visions of Huxley's Brave New World, Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, Orwell's 1984. Manic, soma-induced smiles of what passes for happiness (because everyone has forgotten what happiness—that overwhelming, inimitable joy that rises like milk boiling over and fades just as fast—feels like. Thought control. Do's and Don'ts. A shiny happy surface, and under it a roiling swamp of cruelty, of intolerance... The prehistoric, scaly skin of human nature's underbelly.
Is that possible? Current events would seem to prove it's not. But then there's Neil Young...
Do you see people being led by the righteous hand,
Taking care of everyone like they're on a piece of land.
Show me.
Show me.
Show me.
Show me.
Do you see people's lives being lost on the sacred land,
and the battle over water being fought for the baby's hand.
Show me.
Show me.
Show me.
Show me.
When the women of the world are free to stand up for themselves,
and the promises made stop gathering dust on the shelf.
Show me.
Show me.
Show me.
Show me.
Well I hear you out there when you say what you have to say.
I know how you feel 'cus that's what made me this way.
When heaven on earth is improved by the hand of man,
and people everywhere get together and join their hands.
Show me.
Show me.
Show me.
Show me.
Show me.
Show me.
Neil Young - Show Me Lyrics | MetroLyrics
Hi Guilie - yes Utopia or not ... we should be in an utopian world, but desperately sadly we're living in a melee of disturbance, or anxiety, of worry and uncertainty ...
ReplyDeleteHave a peaceful Christmas and let's do all we can to help everyone live happier lives in 2017 - cheers Hilary
So very hard to watch the big steps backward society is making of late. Human nature is what it is. No wonder so many books are based on dystopian futures.
ReplyDeleteI've never believed in Utopias. For one thing, my utopia would not be someone else's. Eventually I would want to switch around the rules myself.
Utopian turnin to Dystopian, an interesting thought that is probably all too true. I suppose it'd something that is quite outside of reach for the human race, at least for now, As Ann said one mns dream could easily be another nightmare,
ReplyDeleteUtopia is an impossible ideal and definitely subjective. Thank goodness Neil provides some hope. :) It's sad to see the world in such turmoil. Despite that, I wish you and your loved ones Happy Holidays! We must make our own joy in life, yes?
ReplyDeleteYes.
ReplyDeleteUtopia is intensely individual, and suject to change. But tolerance, empathy and kindness are its foundations.
Thank you.
Yes, I love your idea of Utopia. It is a world where the respect for life is treasured in each individual. Where each person values that breath of life in each person and where differences are seen as blessings and enrichments that make life worth living.
ReplyDeleteAn engaging piece to think about.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a safe walk over into the new year.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat Garcia
"A world without xenophobia, and a society of tolerance, where no life is worth more than another, and all life is sacred."
ReplyDeleteWell said, but your dream is a real utopia. On the other hand, it is so nice to dream, especially considering what's happening around us lately. I want to escape reality too, to lose myself in my dreams. That's why I'm writing. I guess, that's why we are all writing - to escape reality and immerse ourselves in our dreams.
A deep and thoughtful post.
I think your idea of Utopia clashes with, say, Steve Bannon's, in which his is filled with only white people like him, with the men in charge and the women in the kitchen.
ReplyDeleteThe things happening now revealed an underbelly of humanity we thought existed in the minority. We were wrong, but exposure is the only way to defeat, change, challenge . . .
ReplyDeleteA very thoughtful piece. Thanks, Guilie. I hope my comment takes. Been having trouble with that lately. Loved your last piece too!
Thanks for the entry to the WEP Challenge.
Wishing you and yours a joyful holiday and very prosperous New Year!
Hello my darling girl! This is a perfect post for our utopian prompt. No such thing, is there? At least utopia changes depending on your point of view. Oh this world of ours is definitely encouraging dystopian thoughts.
ReplyDeleteIt was lovely having you turn up again, Guilie!
Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! Be safe and well.
Denise :-)
Utopia is a product of our imagination. We can never rise above what we have now until we can do something other than wage war after war. I liked the thoughts expressed in this entry, and the Perfect / Imperfect image. Well done.
ReplyDeleteSo happy to see other A-to-Z-ers here, Guilie! You went for the 'big' idea of utopia. That would be nice, wouldn't it, if everyone cared for everyone else as much as themselves. Love the idea that being different or imperfect is ok!
ReplyDeleteYep. The world is forever experiencing that old pendulum swinging from one extreme to the other. We only have a momentary pause at the fulcrum when things seem stable.
ReplyDeleteMay you have a wonderful Christmas and enjoy the beauty that the season brings.
"a society of tolerance, where no life is worth more than another"
ReplyDeleteIt did exist. That's what I'm told, anyway. That's how the Lenni-Lenape people lived, according to the stories passed down. They attempted to explain this concept to Thomas Jefferson, but it's a bear of an idea and can eat the brain of people raised a different way.
Great post.
'Where imperfection is not only tolerated but celebrated. Where differences, and diversity of all kinds, are the only rule.'
ReplyDeleteYes, please!
All the authors and musicians listed here are close to the heart.
Dear Guilie. Never thought of Utopia this way ; you are getting very close to the definition (or it's meaning?). Loved your post and Neil Young.Enjoy the rainy Curacao season!
ReplyDeleteI'd vote for that kind of Utopia! Differences are always exciting if we take the time to think about what they offer us in terms of discovery and growth. They're frightening when we cling to our way as the only way. Thanks for the great post and the lyrics! Happy 2017.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Guilie, and all the best for 2017. Hope you have an awesome year.
ReplyDeleteShalom aleichem,
Pat