Darren's ramblings
Darren is another one of my friends who email's me now and again to expound on a new philosophy. Here's one of his latest. Quite entertaining.
Passion is a
quality which gives life meaning. To be awe struck by a painting
or to weep from the loss of a muse.
To become frustrated by your restrictions or praise freedom from
the top of a mountain.
It is our right to roll on the floor convulsing in laughter or to
protest our indignation with fury.
I was on my religious rout to work with the radio up high to
still the buzz of the traffic,
"The Gauteng Water Department will be introducing fluoride
into the city water."
The news reporter continued "Now we will all have health,
strong teeth.
An elderly woman was shot dead on here way homeà"
Something about that last report ebbed me for the rest of my
journey.
Why would the government spend so much money making sure everyone
has
healthy teeth and gums when seventy percent of the population don't
even
have houses never mind toothbrushes, and further more why was it
on the news?
When I got to work I did a net-search on fluoride, looking for
something out of the ordinary:
-"Protect your teethà"
-"The fluoride solution."
-"Fluoride in interstellar space."
-"Wasting time - penitentiary blues"
What do prisons have to do with fluoride?
Bla bla blaà "Inmates receive a daily dose of Bluestone and
fluoride." I read on.
It seems that the prisoners are fed this brew to keep them
peaceful during their incarceration.
Bluestone is a well known and widely used salt, used to appease
sexual urges in men.
If ingested frequently and in the correct dosage, fluoride can be
used to placate and dull
conscious activity. Obviously so that no one throws a temper
tantrum over being locked up in a two-by-four all day.
By choosing to live in the city I have given up a lot, plenty of
little seemingly insignificant pleasures. I trade light switches
for sunsets, space for accessibility, tanned skin for success.
These are choice we all make for own reasons and I have made mine
but if they want my passion, they're going to have to rip it from
my snarling jaws.
Darren Lipschitz
10/23/97