Last month I had a business meeting in Chicago (CDC) on a Thursday-Friday, so decided to stay over the weekend. Those first couple nights I stayed downtown at a Wyndam off Michigan Ave and was able to see my friends Wade Nelson and Ellen Warren for a drink, then go to Andy's jazz club. And just as satisfying, ambled around the area and hung out in cafe's writing. On Saturday, though, I headed out to my aunt's and then went to Bob Allen's and then Dan's to go over some "picnic" music. Dan was very helpful, if not a bit domineering.
Bob, however, has begun to seriously try my patience. He kept me in a discussion outside his house until 1:00 a.m. babbling on about 9-11 conspiracies, "chem-trails" and other nonsense. I've been brutally frank with him, pointing out that he's uneducated and has no ability to evaluate any of this information. Barely a high school education, no college; he refuses to read books, magazines or newspapers (the jaded mainstream media), has never been in any management position or position on responsibility...but understands how these things could take place by watching RT (Russian) television and reading internet blogs in his basement (?!). My inclination is try to persuade him that these theories are just lunacy, but I'm afraid he's beyond that. He's uneducated and doesn't know what he doesn't know.
On Sunday I went back to his house to practice with him and Matt. The practice was reasonable; but then Bob launched into a couple more delusions. They are embarrassing to even recount; but the first was that the recently arrested IMF leader, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, on charges of sexually assaulting a hotel housemaid was simply a conspiratorial trap by the banking establishment to keep him from pushing some monetary policies. Never mind that the guy has a history as a sexual predator or that both matching saliva and sperm DNA were found (but since Bob doesn't pay attention to the 'mainstream media' he would never know that). The other - which forced me to abruptly leave -- was an assertion that a conspiracy of bankers manipulated the Civil War and were responsible for Lincoln's murder. Now, I've read a lot of Civil Was histories, but I've never come anything that had any mention of the influence of bankers. But, in Bob's mind, everything is about manipulation of our lives and events by bankers.
I had been hopeful that Bob would tire of this nonsense, but I'm afraid he blew a mental circuit a few years ago; maybe because he's a frustrated, middle-aged white guy who feels victimized by forces he doesn't understand. So my respect and certainly loyalty have worn very thin.
I just went back to my aunt's house. When I walked in, she was cleaning up a plate of food she's dropped while trying to get back to her room. I had intended to talk to her about coming out to visit us in VA, but she was way 'into her cups' and beyond having a real discussion with -- at least that she'd remember. This is a problem that Jack and I are going to have to resolve eventually -- and there are no good answers.
Since I had to get up early, I excused myself, said goodbye and went to bed. The next day I was relieved to get on that plane and come home.
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