Will I Ever Sleep Again?

So much to experience, so much to comment on. So much to write, so much to read. So much to make... so much to fix. Too much to do, and so many hours devoured by sleep. Ah, but it is the rhythm of life. From the beginning our days have been divided by nights.

This evening, I would like to write about music, about A Whiter Shade of Pale and about the beauty of harmonies and melodies, and the complexity of lyrics that evoke moods despite their ambiguity. But it's not to be. Not tonight.

And I would like to explore the meaning of fanaticism. Today fanaticism is definitely a perjorative. Everything has a pro and con, a positive and a negative feature, as well as many interesting aspects. How is it that today being fanatical is now such a heinous attitude?

OK, I do understand the problematic side of fanaticism, but what is its opposite? Lifelessness? Apathy? If it is a crime to be too passionate, what does this do to our natural desire to yield to total immolation, total self-sacrifice to something more importasnt than ourselves?

Someone once said "Fanaticism today is as rare as the dodo."

I knew an American who once wanted to meet a true Communist so he could encounter someone who was utterly all-out committed to something he believed in. Nowadays, we have a society of people who play it safe. Everything is calculated. Zeal is a posture, not a true heartfelt attitude for most.

OK, so Winston Churchill puts a different spin on it: "A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject." This kind of fanatic is problematic, associated more with bitterness and intolerance than passion for a positive thing. Maybe the issue revolves around what we're fanatical about? Alas.... It would make for a good digression.

And I'd like to write about my screenplay Uprooted, which takes place in Estonia during WWII. And the history of aviation, Howard Hughes, the power of Hollywood, and the mesmerization of the masses.... and...

Well, here I am listening to Dylan and splattering ideas onto my blog. Maybe I should just close up shop and get the rest we all require. Don't let the bedbugs bite.