Sad Day in Paris
By: Dr. Mark Goodman
… So I scored my first solo piece from my comrade McNaughton. She told me to write about champagne. I got 100% authority to write whatever I wanted, no ad hoc editing, yippie.
The champagne was called ….. It was a delightful and seductive epicurean treat. A celebration of intrigue upon my tongue, a rapture of profound and deep flavors yet smooth enough to remind me I coveted more. The color of the vintage was surprising pristine considering the effervescence of the yummy potion.
It made me feel great. I had no hang over, a testimony to the fact that something can be so desirable and yet without dire consequences.
… but then some crazed idiot shot and killed 12 people in Paris for sketching cartoons about Muhammad, presumable before Muhammad was able to get his beach body on. Now I would be pissed if someone caricatured me at a time when I was less than totally ripped with an awkward smile on my puss. But murder and mayhem …so middle east, not Miami or Paris. We are lovers, and sometimes backstabbers (figuratively speaking). Instagram and twitter are our the battle fields, no prisoners just poor fashion choices mocked, side boobs recklessly posted, and cheating romances choreographed by happenstance encounters…
Our enemy is not a faith or group of people but a cowardice, a fear of champagne . There are those whom fret a reality filled with excitement and adventure, where desires and human potential are uncorked to be consumed and rejoiced .
There are those whom wish never to be tempted, they are in angst about their ability to control all that, which makes them human. Instead they cloak themselves, hide their desires, ferment hate for all those whom preside over a glass of champagne, enjoy a dance, touch a partners lips publically , or educate a woman’s mind to know more than threats and depravity .
We are at war but the winner shall not be arbitrated by body counts, number of buildings destroyed, boastful threats, jailed combatants or territory controlled. The winner goes to the team that bridges more divides that those whom cause them. The winner goes to those whom embrace other religions as a delightful alternative to their own rather than those whom tremble from self-doubt when a story line is not theirs. The winner goes to those whom can provoke our understanding by satire , exaggeration, and irony. The triumph goes to those who preside over convictions that allows for intrusions not to negate them but to strengthen them by battle.
It seems some of the human herd is in strife from ignorance, lacking of higher cognition, and imbued with a weakness that is only soothed by dominating those beholden to their threats. You know, beer drinkers.
Which takes us back to champagne. No one needs to die to from thirst nor drown from over indulgence. A drink and a life should always be measured affairs, a taste of other spirits ,liquid and otherwise, can only help us understand and respect the greatest gifts we have, that which gives us fulfillment. As long as one drives responsible it seems we should just let each other drink what each of us desires.
… One more thing about this “god is great” stuff. It seems god should be a bit better than a fragile immortal coveting continued praise with a need for shitheads to disseminate his judgment . Perhaps God , Muhammad, Jesus, Budda etc can square up with all of us on his timetable, based on his rules and issue rewards and punishment as he sees appropriate. I don’t know how these “religious “ losers decided they could throw the big guy out of his job. It seems completely disrespectful and self-assuming. Even worse than drawing cartoons.. almost. I would be pissed if I were he. God forgive if all the virgins are used up before the shit heads get to heaven. I hope they find their maker in Miami , we are in drought here.
The champagne was great. I might even say divine… please don’t behead me for that.