...unfinished thoughts...

Last Tuesday, I showed an uncharacteristic display of frustration as I was more or less ridiculed by some friends for my thoughts on music. I had, with the others in question, just performed and therefore listened to a performance of Cage's 4' 33". This, for the large part, was a highly enjoyable performance. The sound of Worcestershire is far different from that of London and a rare treat for one who spends the majority of his time in the city. It is a far more subtle in the way in presents itself to you, yet no less interesting. This is all providing one listens, of course. My friends chose only to hear the sound of their own mocking in their heads and could not hide from their faces how ridiculous they thought the listening was. Perhaps inevitably, a laughter filled applause finished the piece. How long had they anticipated the moment they could use this particular 'oh-so-quick-witted' response, I wonder? I would hazard a guess at 4 mins and 33 seconds. How sad it is that folk can no longer listen. Let me quote something Cage said in response to the accusation that 4' 33" is not music;
"Ah! you like sounds after all when they are made up of vowels and consonants. You are slow-witted, for you have never brought your mind to the location of urgency. Do you need me or someone else to hold you up? Why don't you realize as I do that nothing is accomplished by writing, playing or listening to music? Otherwise, deaf as a doornail, you will never be able to hear anything, even what's well within earshot"
Why is it acceptable to gaze at a landscape, countryside or otherwise, or even a photograph of 'something' and muse on it's "composition", yet to listen to the same space is ludicrous? How sad it is that folk can no longer listen.

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I think Americans get a bit of a hard time from us Brits. Sure, Americans get a hard time from everyone, but just as our sceptre'd isle has a "special relationship" with the US, so we give them a bit of "special" flak. I need not go into especial detail of the kind of flak that gets bandied about. I've heard many a comment to the tune of "dumb", "loud", "oblivious to the outside world", "debaser of the English language", blah blah blah blah blah.... . These, of course, are just social stereotypes, yet are used with some seriousness. OK, so stereotypes don't occur for no reason, so I guess that some of the accusations brought against Americans must have been at least to some degree true, at some point. But many of the accusations levelled are also a matter of serious conjecture and are, for want of a better word, just plain unfair.
What I have found since being in London is that we Brits can be a cold, self-righteous sort. Of course, this is also a wild generalisation, but what is disturbing is that unpalatable social characteristics can rub off on people and I'm slightly afraid that I am party to the cold, unloving nature that fog the streets of London. Of all the different kinds of people I have met in the nine months I have spent here, the Americans have been far and away the kindest and most gracious. The guy who works in the Art section in Waterstones Covent Garden had the good nature just to be kind and amiable. The girl who helped me with my bike into my halls building was kind enough to spare a few seconds to help. I have found myself appreciating an American accent in London, because it seems to represent some an attitude of community and kindness. Why can I not recognise that in Londoners?
Perhaps it is a cultural thing, but if it is our culture to think of one's self above others and have the kind of self-righteous attitude to make accusations against others whilst blind to our own inadequacies, then it is time we took a long, hard look in the mirror.

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These are unfinshed thoughts. Maybe at some point I will resolve them...