the Eternal Love Revolution

The trip certainly slowed since arriving in Canton. I missed one day of blogging, conducted less than one interview per day, and dallied on my essay for the book (which I plan to finish after writing this blog). I am improving in some ways. I feel much more comfortable talking with people, and employing a strategy my friend Jeromy told me a number of years ago, which is treating people I have just met as friends. It’s one thing to infuse my life with agape, and another to friend everyone I meet. I love doing it, and it works well. My people skills are definitely increasing on this journey, as well as my confidence. Certain things I de-prioritized while in Los Angeles, like working out, call to me out on the road. I’m definitely going to spend more time on my body when I get back to LA. The urge to do narrative work also creeps up on me, probably because I miss collaboration so much, though I know if I did not do this the compulsion would rend me.

Some Fireworks

One of the things I talked with my cousin Matt about as we watched the beautiful explosions is that these chemical reactions probably appear very similar to the initial (and continued) expansion of the universe. I find it interesting that the creation of the universe probably looked a lot like incredibly destructive devices.

More explosions

One thing I noticed about America is that people love to drink booze. Even in the dry county in Texas people drank. Perhaps I am just attracting alcohol fanatics since I have chemical dependency tendencies, but it seems that everyone, especially on a holiday like Independence Day, loves a healthy buzz. This makes me wonder why communion involves alcohol. While some people argue that the original communion was unfermented grape juice, the small amount of internet research I have done is inconclusive, and most people who argue grape juice are prohibitionists. Alcohol initially breaks down inhibitions, so possibly it was chosen as sacramental to bring people closer together, the way mushrooms and peyote are used for their hallucinogenic powers. Chemicals that propel us into altered states put us into contact with the divine by allowing us out of our perceived limitations. I am not, and will doubtful ever be a prohibitionist. Hallucinogens opened my mind to the scary, ugly, yet contenting, embracing universality of existence. Perhaps if our culture treated all mind-altering chemicals as some sort of sacrament with a specific end, we would have less issues with chemical abuse, though somehow I doubt it. People like drugs because they  have a specific pleasurable, escapist aspect. Maybe we just need to reinforce the fact that the escape is never truly possible. I don’t know…drugs always confuse me.

L&P,

Mark Maccora