I had just finished my workout at the Y the other day. I was quite sweaty, and was heading for the disinfectant spray and a paper towel to wipe down the machine — so the next person to use it could suffer in safety — when I noticed a copy of Allure lying on top of a pile of magazines. This in itself was unusual — at my Y, in the heart of Berkeley, you’re more likely to find The Nation or Macrobiotics Today than Allure or its like. But what really struck me was the cover headline: Next to a photo of a glamorous young woman, it said: “GET A SETTER TODAY.”
What a wonderful message!, I thought to myself as I attempted to remove my middle-aged perspiration from the machine. Usually these sorts of publications seem to focus on superficial beauty — but here, we had a noble call to bond with our fellow creatures. Perhaps this was a sign of a paradigm shift in how our consumer-citizens were looking at the world. Could connectedness now be “in”? Having finished my little task, I went on to clean off my sweat-covered glasses as well. And that’s when I happened to glance at that copy of Allure again — and, with a new clarity of vision, realized what the headline really said: “GET A BETTER BODY.”
Bummer. But maybe, I thought hopefully, the inside feature on cover girl Hillary Duff would at least touch on participatory democracy and its central tenet: We’re all in this together. …
It happens a lot that I get things slightly wrong. Several years ago I was at a benefit luncheon for a local branch of the National Lawyers Guild, waiting to perform, and watched them honor two legal activists. The first was being celebrated posthumously, as he had passed away that year from a heart attack; his wife and children were there, to accept in his stead. I looked in the program: The honoree was stocky and bearded, as my father had been, and as I was (minus the beard). Next they presented an award to another guy, about the same age as first one, and it was obvious as he strode to the podium — wiry, vital — that he was in the pink of health.
The first thing he said was, “I’d like to thank all my friends in the Viking community.” I thought, Wow — that’s cool: I’ve never heard anyone thank Vikings before. Maybe there’s a whole progressive Viking-American subculture that’s been under my radar to this point. The man went on to talk about how regular exercise had changed his life, giving him the spirit and energy to face the deep needs of an ailing society. And so on. It wasn’t till later — when he was going into deeper legal matters — that I realized what he actually must have said: “I’d like to thank all my friends in the biking community”!
Ah, yes — that would certainly explain the lithe physique, and the references to exercise.
Later on, after I did my shtick for the progressive lawyers, I reflected on the contrast between the two honorees. I was on the path to continuing, and probably increasing, out-of-shapeness. My dad, who battled weight problems all his adult life, died at only 59. I wanted to see my son grow up. I wanted him to see me grow up. So I began the weird, modified-low-carb diet that I’ve been on pretty consistently for a couple of years, and also began going to the Y — sweating to the oldies (in my case, ’80s Boston punk) and quixotically (and pelvically) tilting at strengthening what is now known as my “core.”
Fear of getting things wrong hampered my academic years and hobbled my youthful attempts at journalism. Now, thanks to the wonders of modern technology, I don’t have to worry about messing up — because I’m a blogger! This is the first entry in my new blog. Please visit often and comment profusely — I’m looking forward to conversing with you in this space, about strengthening our core values, and other stuff. Maybe, all in this together, we’ll even get some things right!
Hooray, hooray, a new Josh blog!!!
In this age of instant Googling, what about the advantage of less information? Thurber preferred to walk around NYC without his glasses….Beckett preferred to write with less memory…what if a crystalline vision of all those details blinds us to reality? I.e., I think that speaker really was a Viking; and think of all the setters (fetch, fetch, fetch) that read Allure….
Best wishes from –
United Viking Setters
Yay, Josh! I’m so excited to keep better tabs on you this way and get my Kornbluth fix. Btw, not enough blogs have such awesome tags as ‘setters and vikings’. That needs to change – thanks for leading the charge!
Still going to be at BAM in early June?
Cheers,
Summer
I’m so glad to see this blog — I used to read only one and now I will read yours, too. I hang on your every word. I grovel in appreciation. Please write again tomorrow. Oh, and that Ashby Stage website you sent a link to in your email doesn’t list your run of Citizen Josh. But whyyyy?
Congrats on the new website and blog Josh! I’d been getting worried, it was so long since I saw anything from you – glad to see you’ve got new and exciting projects in the pipeline!
Nice one.
I am pleased to find your site, and that you are on the Berkeley Energy Commission as well as the more narrowly focused group: Berkeley Climate Action. With all respectful enthusiasm for the Action’s goals, I fully expect to be able to meet the goal of a reduction of my CO2 contribution by 80% by 2050. 🙂
Wow! Love the site, Josh. Really clean and nice. Have fun with it!
Hi Josh,
It’s great to see your new blog! It’s always a pleasure to know what you are going to do next. I look forward to checking in at your page frequently to see what’s up with you.
Best,
Karil
Hi Josh. Welcome to the Wild Fronteir.
Hey Josh,
I am too busy and too annoyed at stupidity to read blogs, but I love yours and will read it religiously (since I am totally lacking any other religion). More on why the primary season is driving you nuts? I understand why it is driving everyone else nuts but why you???
Joan Mandle
Hey Josh –
Love your entry. I will definitely be checking back.
Great website, much improved. Sorry I am going to miss you tonight at the JCCSF, but I have another engagement (and I am not one to “take the better offer”). Have fun with Ben! Terry Rosenstock, JCCSF Outreach Coordinator
Dear Josh,
I love this new blog and the attitude that spawned it.
I am sorry to say I hadn’t read or heard anything of yours until this (a friend just sent me the link), but that ignorance is all over now!
Your new fan,
Amy
For the past ten years (since i turned 50), i often misread words by one letter so that the meaning i get is scatalogical. At first, i found this shocking, but now i’ve come to enjoy the tottering slippages of my mind. It could be a form of Tourettes Syndrome, and I’ve noticed that some of my older (male) friends talk scat far more frequently than they used to.
Glad to hear someone else has experienced the aural version of this condition. Maybe we could find some relevant research?
Thanks, everyone, for your wonderful comments on my very first blog item! I can’t begin to tell you how cool it was to see each of your messages come in — you made me feel instantly that I was in the middle of a community. Take care.