I've realized a profound truth about our busy lives, and it's a sad truth. You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone. Sure, it's not a breakthrough. The 80s Hair Metal band (from Jersey) Cinderella wrote a song about it. More specifically, I think, is the notion that you don't care until it's gone and then you realize it's too late to care. I'm a nostalgia freak. I can't throw anything away. I insist on keeping in touch with every cool person I've ever met. But even I take things for granted. Which makes my indictment of you-- the royal you-- that much more profane.
Basically my point boils down to this, "you" only show up for the funeral, and if you can make it, the wedding. As long as someone, or something, is accessible, we, in America, take it for granted. That person will always be there if I need or want to talk to them. That sucks.
It's the same with obituaries. Why did Johnny Cash become 10x more famous after he died? Ray Charles? Once they're gone, even if they haven't made amazing music since the 1960s (which I'm not accusing either of my examples of) suddenly people give a shit? Why must we make the moment of death the point at which we reflect and appreciate the life? I know it has to do with logic. It's an identifiable point, a defining moment. Death is the trigger for the memories; it's the peg of the story. Well, it ain't helping them when the worms are eating their brain. Wouldn't it be better to appreciate the living to their face? Maybe pick a birthday? 65? Retirement age. Write a big newspaper article about an extraordinary person when they turn 65. Yeah, some don't make it that long, and others haven't peaked at that age, but it seems like a decent middle ground. Then they can get the fan letters, and the appreciation.
Here's a list of some of the people who died in 2007 that probably affected your life and you never got to bless or curse them to their face.
- Kurt Vonnegut, Norman Mailer and Ira Levin-- Authors
- Hilly Krystal-- founder of CBGB
- Momofuku Ando-- created Ramen noodles for the poor in postwar Japan.
- Paul W. Tibbets-- dropped the A-bomb on Hiroshima.
- Brad Delp-- Lead singer of Boston. Just picture Erich singing "More Than a Feeling" at the top of his lungs on Comm. Ave.
- Alfred H. Peet-- Founded "Peet's Coffee and Tea" in 1966 ,thus introducing Americans to coffee not out of a can. His protégés Gordon Bowker and Jerry Baldwin went on to found Starbucks.
- John Woodruff-- First black gold metal athlete; enraged Hitler in 1936
- Edwin Traisman-- Invented Cheez Whiz and helped create Kraft singles. Also, created a process for freezing McDonalds French Fries. Was the first to hire women at his McDonald's franchises; breaking company rules.
- Josef Engressia a.k.a. Joybubbles a.k.a. King of the Phone Phreaks-- one of the first hackers in history. Was blind, and hacked the phone system by whistling tones into the receiver.
- J. Robert Cade-- Invented Gatorade.
