TV on the Radio

Golden Age

TV on the Radio – Golden Age

The only positive thing that I can see coming out of these Cheeto years is an energetic push to reclaim what we used to take for granted, and then to bolster it and guard it fiercely. Perhaps if the GOP hadn’t so easily capitulated to the truly cult-like devotion seen amongst Twitler’s followers, they wouldn’t have lost as many seats last night. Not that I think they weren’t always slimebags but it feels like in the past, often enough people didn’t like a Republican candidate but they didn’t think they were going to subvert democracy. Now they can see that these politicians have no trouble flat out lying on tv. I don’t think anything can change a Trumpette’s mind but for those who haven’t completely taken leave of their senses, the lying and corruption are now, finally, obvious to everyone. Where we differ is whether we stand up and say no, shrug and turn away, or rabidly defend a fascist and say that anything he does is fine. Children in cages, rolling back EPA regulations, betraying allies, they don’t have a problem with any of it.

I am not someone who leans toward being hopeful about the future but with each state or town seat we wrest control of from people who don’t mind sharing a stage, or even just a party line, with the orange menace, is something to be celebrated.

Could You

TV on the Radio – Could You

For New Year’s Eve, I took the kids down to Brooklyn because my sister was having a party. Two of my other sisters would be there and my nieces and nephew, so there would be lots of family hang time, even if it was a big, noisy party that went on until 4 a.m.

My nieces were having their friends over as well so there was a pretty good sized teenage contingent at the party. Some of the kids were the children of my sister’s friends and in some cases both the kids and the parents are friends. One of my niece’s friends, a 13-year-old boy I’ll call Joe, arrived with his parents and quickly disappeared with my niece and her other friends. My sister had been telling us that just before school let out for the Christmas break, Joe had come out to his parents and his friends. It seems like they all suspected as much already and having it out in the open was a relief. The big news was that he had also let another guy in their class know, and told him that he was interested in him. Much to everyone’s great delight, the other boy had written YES on a sign and was waiting outside of school for Joe at the end of the day.

My daughter (also 13) said that at midnight, Joe got a text from his new boyfriend and everyone was so happy for him. I spent some time talking with Joe’s parents that night and started 2015 off feeling good about people and about the next generation. No one would have been open about being gay when I was in eighth grade. In fact, I’m pretty sure I was someone’s beard for about two weeks back then. Here, not only was Joe confident and comfortable about coming out, it was practically just a formality, and the one relationship that changed because he did so, was one that changed in his favor.

I know this is far from everyone’s reality. I’m just glad for Joe that it is his. And I’m glad to be a part of a community with people like Joe’s parents and my niece and my sister and her other friends. I’m glad that my kids are growing up among people who are accepting of differences and that they are modeling that behavior themselves.

One of my Christmas presents from my mother was a gift card to the record store where I once worked after college. I picked up Seeds by TV on the Radio and it’s been in heavy rotation ever since. I highly recommend the whole album.