Some thoughts . . .

I've been reading Mary Beard's SPQR (2015), sort of renewing my acquaintance with Rome and the rest of classical antiquity. But before I went back to that book, which I began reading earlier this year, I read Eric Clapton's autobiography -- a cheap Amazon Kindle deal having caught my attention. Clapton was (still is) a pretty good guitar player, and someone whose playing I always admired. It turns out he's not a bad writer either, a master of the plain style who writes clearly and affectively about his life and his struggles with addiction. He's a wonderful example of someone who more or less consistently made life harder than it needed to be, but perhaps he had his reasons. Certainly, he had some personal hangups, starting with his illegitimate birth and the resulting confusion during his childhood. But by his own testimony, he was raised by his grandparents in a loving household and allowed, even encouraged, to pursue his dreams. So one comes away wondering why he insisted on making things so hard for himself and those around him. Perhaps it is, after all, just a story of addictions, and some pretty amazing musical talent.

Meanwhile, Mary Beard has made me aware that political life really never changes. All the many characters and personality types we lament today were already in evidence more than 2000 years ago. Politics appears to attract flawed personalities and then encourages them to exaggerate those flaws on their way to greatness, fame, and infamy. Of course, there are always a few earnest types trying to do the right thing, but mostly they labor in vain. The great mass of people, whether citizens of Rome or of some other state with a fading semblance of democratic institutions, act largely from ignorance and seem easily swayed by smooth talking demagogues, whether they are Roman patricians or a latter day imitation, so long as they are willing to tell their followers what they want to hear. The Roman masters of this kind of manipulation were often brought down by their ambitions or appetites, Julius Caesar being the most famous example. But even old Cicero was not above varnishing the truth to get the results he desired. And the youthful Octavian must have been paying very close attention, because he succeeded in fooling nearly all of the Romans for a very long time by delivering what they truly wanted: a civil service that worked reasonably well, relatively low taxes, and excellent benefits, especially for the military. Everyone else got good entertainment at very cheap prices and government subsidized food. But most of all they got centuries of Pax Romana and vast government sponsored building programs. The fact that their republic was by then only a sham was a small price to pay for such political comforts.

In any case, my reading has reinforced my ever growing sense that life is really very simple, it's we who make it difficult. Having survived this long, I'm somewhat relieved to discover that if I just ignore most of what is going on around me (and mostly well off in the distance anyway), I'm in a pretty good place. It's hot and dry, but then that's Texas in the summer. So I'm trying to focus on the moment and enjoy my small pleasures: seeing old friends, playing music, eating fresh and healthy foods, swimming in the city pool in the heat of the afternoons, and tending my yard and garden. The biggest mistake I seem inclined to make is paying attention to the news. The old saying "no news is good news" seems truer every day. I'll never figure people out, so I'll just continue on my own path and try not to run into anyone. I advise others to follow a similar course if they can. I'm signing off now for a while. Got some living to do before I get too old, and a lot more reading. As Spock used to say: live long and prosper. That still strikes me as good advice, if you are fortunate enough to pull it off.