The long sulk

The bass player and lead guitarist of Apocalyptic Dream were coming to practice here on Sunday with Billy, their rhythm guitarist and lyricist. I installed some software to let them record themselves on my computer, so that they could have a CD to work on between practices, to prepare for their next concert on April 7^th.

I took a picture from their first concert last summer and spent quite a lot of time creating a CD cover for Billy to give to Ryan, the singer.

I suppose I expected him to be pleased, or maybe even slightly impressed (!) but he pulled it out and binned it with hardly a cursory glance.

"I went to a lot of trouble to make that cover” I wailed.

“That photo’s no good, wait till April 7^th and take a real photo” he retorted.

Hmmmmph.

That would have been a good excuse to go in the huff, if I needed one, but I don't feel that the world is deliberately trying to offend me anymore. I can't swear that the opposite is not true. Yes, psychoanalysis is expensive. It is a long-term undertaking. It is not for the fainthearted. It is an investment in the not-for-profit enterprise of well-being.

Under capitalism, people who do not own capital spend all their time struggling to survive, and find themselves lacking when they can't quite reach the carrots being dangled at them. Those who fail completely blame themselves. People who manage to survive think the system is ok. Those who profit from it defend it to the hilt. All of these postures are part of the human psychic configuration. We’re living in a winner takes all world.

I see psychoanalysis as a way of toppling the inner, materialistic tyrant, and giving a voice to the altruistic, spiritual side of life. As a way of achieving individual democracy, which is necessary for peace within the individual, which is a requisite condition for peace between individuals, groups, countries, generations, etc.