Dearest Readers,<\/p>\n
In 1997 I began working on a play called cityzenjive<\/em> about a rock ‘n’ roll couple whose marriage is breaking up because of addiction and grief. It’s a surreal play with sparse settings, cryptic dialogue and characters named Doggerel, Trade and The Bobber. I wrote it while I was wrestling with my own addiction and grief issues, which, at the time, necessitated answering a deeper call to explore the Spiritual Life.<\/p>\n At one point in the play, Earle, the addict-husband is having a conversation with Real, the father of his wife Doggerel. They get to talking about having faith and hope and Earle is basically saying he can’t since their two kids were murdered in a school massacre.<\/p>\n Here is an excerpt of their conversation:<\/p>\n real<\/p>\n Doggerel and I have been experimenting with the notion of turning the tragic into the triumphant. Imagine that everything that happens is ultimately for the good. Even the blackest and most sinister. I\u2019m not a religious sort of fellow, Earle. But I like this idea that out of the horror is good forced. Therefore the occurrence.<\/p>\n earle<\/p>\n Yeah, well all that keep-trying jazz don\u2019t-ever-give-up it\u2019s-worth-it-to-fight shite is just not my religion. It\u2019s like, I\u2019m telling you, if I ever got my legs cut off or something man and had to be in a wheelchair? I wouldn\u2019t join the handicapped basketball team, you know what I\u2019m sayin\u2019? And there\u2019s guys that would. But I\u2019m glad as hell there is guys out there like that \u2018cause it means I don\u2019t have to be. And it\u2019s fine to me, okay? I live with it perfect. Nothin\u2019s missin\u2019. I don\u2019t feel the need to fight.<\/p>\n real<\/p>\n Did you once?<\/p>\n earle<\/p>\n I\u2019m livin\u2019 selfish. That\u2019s what you think.<\/p>\n real<\/p>\n I think you would find the strength to live in that wheelchair, son.<\/p>\n —<\/p>\n