Turn on, Tune in, Drop out! This World is not enough!

It is sometimes strange, to see a black sheep in a crowded white sheep. Or another way around, what so ever; it is so, sometimes you are the other sheep, and you must fight for your rights. I just followed my instinct. I thought I have sacrificed so much grief for the lie of my mother in the case of my father’s death, then I let my feelings explode, let them go their way, I just needed it! Then I was also promised with my abilities to arts, I began with drums as I was lucky to get a birthday present from my cousin; a small compact drum with two small snare-drums on bass-drum and a little drums basin swinging above. I hammered it so perfect that all the people around were amused. Therefore, I decided to make music.

I have got friends, in the downtown who were very active in the music scene, and I had to get there to achieve my goal but this was dangerous in my outfit walking in Tehran’s downtown. Before the revolution, Tehran was separated into two parts; uptown and downtown. Uptown belonged to not only rich people but also modern livings and in the latter were living not only poor but also a very traditional and religious people, it is clear that there was a big difference therebetween. We (the Fazel family) didn’t belong to any part; as I believe the artists have their own class in the society, not up, not down, somewhere else! And my appearance, in this figure; somehow European but being a fellow-citizen, was an offence in the religious life of the peoples in the downtown, and every time when I got in there, to play the drums at my friend’s stay, I had to ignore a lot of mocking reactions. Even sometimes I had to defend myself. I don’t want to write on this part here, I was convinced to be what I am, therefore I am.

As you might read in my face (if you could recognize something 😉) I felt and found myself as an Alien those days. I had just a few friends who thought and lived the way like me. Then, I have discerned the solitude, and slowly but surely found my way.

Sex, Drugs and Rock & roll I said, and yes! I was ready to try all kind of these things. Let’s be misbehaved!

As I remember well, once I wanted to meet a friend; Mahmud, from downtown, also with long hair, my mother didn’t agree, but I have insisted to go. I was about eighteen years old and I felt free to decide (though it was not so common!). Al had noticed and wanted to stop me. I must confess that we had some different opinions about the way of life in that period of our age. He was mostly rather indoor, he knew what he wanted; became a writer. I didn’t know what I really wanted to be, just wanna breaking through!. Of course, he was not against my decision in this very evening to get out and meet my friends but because of our mother’s disagreement, and his love towards her was stronger than letting me go. We have argued a little and a little more than we have struggled! Of course not so as it might sound, he had tried to hold me back and I wanted to go. Anyway, I won or he gave it up, I went to meet my friend and it was really an amazing adventure for me, to meet some musicians and have a lot of fun. Let me tell you an example that you can better understand my excitement; we went to a music studio in which some guys were playing, suddenly one of them on guitar said; hey mates, have you heard this new song? then had begun to play Popcorn! Do you know or remember this? dido dido dudido, dido dido dudido… and me as a layman: 😳😮😍

After that I have found out that Al was not so decent as I have thought, he had a secret relationship with the sister of Mahmud and didn’t tell me a word!

I want to cut it here and let it be continued again because I hate to be too long and boring, I know you read my story just because of me, 🙏 therefore, I will write a Third episode, there I will try tell about the differences of drugs and their working (on Al and me at least). Thank you heartily 💖🙏💖

I must confess that I also belong to the poor unknown blind peoples (artists?) or such crazy philosophers who are standing still on the hill like the fools; looking for the meaning of life… or the main of these so-called folk who trying to stabilize themself their own kind!

Complicated, isn’t it? but I had to take out this anger! I have once a discussion with a friend who was not an Egyptian but living in Egypt, the problem was that I have posted some old Persians history just for the adoration the history of the ancients, but she took this as I claim the old Persians are one of the first civilized nations to exist (though, I did never mean so)
WHAT? Is there a question of existence inferior?? It sounds like; I was but the first…!

Anyway, the problem has been solved, as the time went by, but the main question remains; what the Hell? What are we aiming to? To prove or let it be proved? We have a wealthy history, we must just remember; independently.
To put it bluntly; isn’t it a matter of lack of intelligence?

So! I think I have shown my pessimist side again enough. But I belong to this kind of pessimists who are not seeing just black. There’s always a Zeus, Artemis, Apollo… who gives a hope that there must be something behind it all. One of them is this great Italian poet and philosopher Giacomo Leopardi. In his short life, he has presented us with a lot of words to think about.

In his philosophy, Leopardi is a pessimist with a bright view! as Schopenhauer( http://Arthur Schopenhauer), one of the greatest philosopher who opposed optimism, wrote:

But no one has treated this subject so thoroughly and exhaustively as Leopardi in our own day. He is entirely imbued and penetrated with it; everywhere his theme is the mockery and wretchedness of this existence. He presents it on every page of his works, yet in such a multiplicity of forms and applications, with such a wealth of imagery, that he never wearies us, but, on the contrary, has a diverting and stimulating effect. http://— The World as Will and Representation, Vol. II, Ch. XLVI

In the Zibaldone “a heap of things”, (an Italian vernacular commonplace book), Leopardi compares the innocent and happy state of nature with the condition of modern man, corrupted by an excessively developed faculty of reason which, rejecting the necessary illusions of myth and religion in favor of a dark reality of annihilation and emptiness, can only generate unhappiness. The Zibaldone contains the poetic and existential itinerary of Leopardi himself; it is a miscellanea of philosophical annotations, schemes, entire compositions, moral reflections, judgements, small idylls, erudite discussions and impressions. Leopardi, even while remaining outside of the circles of philosophical debate of his century, was able to elaborate an extremely innovative and provocative vision of the world. It is not much of a stretch to define Leopardi as the father of what would eventually come to be called nihilism.

Quotes;

• No human trait deserves less tolerance in everyday life, and gets less, than intolerance.
• Real misanthropes are not found in solitude, but in the world; since it is experience of life, and not philosophy, which produces real hatred of mankind.
• Children find everything in nothing; men find nothing in everything.

2 poems by Giacomo Leopardi

By SearchingTheMeaningOfLife 🙏💖

( In the original, they are 6 poems but I took two of them just to short the post.😁🙏)

Giacomo Leopardi (June 29, 1798–14 June 1837) was an Italian romantic poet and philosopher, one of the great Italian poets of the 19th century.
From rich and educated parents who, in combination with the suffocating provincial environment of his hometown, negatively affect his later life, he studied from ancient Greek and Latin writers and, at a young age, wrote essays, essays and poems. With fragile health, lonely character and incompatibility, he travelled to many cities in Italy, trying to break away from the environment of his hometown. He died at the age of 39
is considered the most important Italian poet after Petrarch. A multi-faceted, multilingual, philosopher and archaeologist, he was a descendant of an old family of noble landowners who originally intended him for church life. From his early youth, he possessed the filthy earl the feeling of loneliness and pessimism. He took refuge in the study and prepared a number of papers on scientific, philosophical and philological issues. He lived from time to time in Rome, Milan, Bologna, Florence, Naples. He felt exiled in the world, which he called “the grave of the living” and stigmatized moral, intellectual and political decline by opposing scepticism, irony, devotion to his art.
With his poems, which he collected in the volume Asmata (1835), he “romanticized the purity of the ancient Greek emotion”. His other major works: Ethical Works (1827) Thoughts (1845), Zibaldone (Analects, 1898-1900).

POEMS

THE INFINITE My favourite has always been this hill
the desert, and these trees that hide from me
the far horizon. But here I stand
I envision the vast expanses
the sky and the supernatural peace
and I shudder. And as I listen
through the foliage the rustling of the air
I compare the immaculate silence of infinity
with this sound. And I feel eternal,
and the extinct seasons, and our
living and pulsating. And my thinking
drowning in the deep vastness.
In this sea, the shipwreck is sweet.

From the Greek of Simonides Everything in this world
It is in Zeus’ hand, my son
Of Zeus, who arranges everything
At his will.
But our thinking, blind, cares and weakens
For distant times
Even if it is our destiny in the hands of heaven
And the course of the people
Day to day.
Beautiful hope feeds us all
With sweet visions, which make us tired.
Others dawn
Others look forward to the future in vain.
No one lives on earth without thinking
That next year
They will be merciful, yes, forgiving
Pluto and the other gods.
But before the hope reaches the port
Many are already tied to old age
For others, the disease leads to dark oblivion.
This tough Mars, and he
The sea wave has swept away.
Other black worries melt
Or sad knot tied around the neck
Underground seeking shelter.
So they are tormented by a thousand passions
Wild and dissimilar mob
The unfortunate mortals.
But I say that whoever is prudent
And he doesn’t want to be wrong
He would not tolerate suffering so much
And just love
Suffering and his own pain.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giacomo_Leopardi#Philosophical_works

Turn on, Tune in, Drop out! This World is not enough!

Do not let yourself be misled; I might look so nice and well-behaved; with such a look. I wasn’t that nice! You just couldn’t imagine it well, if you were born in such a conservative and religious country, you were a devil on the top! And to be aware of this, it is a masterwork, I’d say.
It was my first riots in the time of my teens which mixed up all the rules in our whole families’ upbringing. My lovely mother was a free-minded one, and as she every time began to convince me to cut my hair, my arguments were stronger and she accepted and respected. She always said at the end; I cannot argue against that.

I have begun my riot when I was a child, and in our short-time TV programs, (in the early ’60s and all american products, of course ) in which run among others there were Disney productions, and also a dancing show with children in my age; girls and boys together. There came my first critical view; why they are dancing together so freely and happily but we have not even joint schools; they are all separated ?! It was not because of the rules of Islam as it is now, it was of traditions, and I was against the traditions. From that time I felt very strongly drawn to the western way of life. I let my hair grow longer, I found out that I could play the drums well and got into the music scene, and there it’s; Sex, Drugs and Rock&Role.

In the beginning, there is always a beginning; we were a trilogy like every rebellion; Al, I and a friend Mohsen. We had much good time together with listening to the music; from 50’s as the Italia rules the top, into the sixties as the Beatles came out. And as Al and I have such a relationship through our uncle with a privet club; we could get there and look at the beautiful girls and also throw some coins in the box to watch videos. That was a premiere; You know; music videos which were at their beginning: There were two in the offer: San Francisco; (if you going to… you know?) and Night in white satin by Moody Blues; and it was such an experience;

There I have look at these band, these musicians, and think; why shouldn’t I? But it is always easier said than done. Life is not so easy, why, I don’t know, sometimes I think that it really happened; the sin of Adam and Eve, what We must give! There I have decided to swim against the stream; oh how could it be so easier, but it is written, and it shall be done!

to be continued 🙏💖

His name is surely famous enough, a writer, poet and definitely one of the best thinker of our time. And every thinker has a philosophy of own.
That is really strange but very interesting that the peoples who immigrate or run away from their birthplace, have a wider ability to view the world and its curves and circles in another way.

“Your children are not your children./ They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself./ They come through you, but not from you./ And though they are with you yet they belong not to you./ You may give them your love, but not your thoughts./ For they have their own thoughts/ You may house their bodies but not their souls./ For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams./ You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you./ For life goes not backwards nor tarries with yesterday./ You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.” The passage on Children, The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran.

A fascinating man, and as I know I am not of his abilities but I understand him well.
Here is a “Poem”? which we might read it several times to see our seven (seals?!) selves of our own.

The Seven Selves ~ Gibran, Khalil, 1883-1931

By http://SearchingTheMeaningOfLife With a great Thank 🙏💖

 Gibran, Khalil, 1883-1931

The Seven Selves 

In the stillest hour of the night, as I lay half asleep, my seven selves sat together and thus converted in a whisper:

The First Self:
Here, in this madman, I have dwelt all these years, with nought to do but renew his pain by day and recreate his sorrow by night I can bear my fate no longer, and now I rebel.
The Second Self:
Yours is a better lot than mine, brother, for it is given to me to be this madman’s joyous self. I laugh his laughter and sing his happy hours, and with thrice winged feet I dance his brighter thoughts. It is I that would rebel against my weary existence.
The Third Self:
And what of me, the love-ridden self, the flaming brand of wild passion and fantastic desires? It is I the love-sick self who would rebel against this madman.
The Fourth Self:
I, amongst you all, am the most miserable, for nought was given me but odious hatred and destructive loathing. It is I, the tempest-like self, the one born in the black caves of Hell, who would protest against serving this madman.
The Fifth Self:
Nay, it is I, the thinking self, the fanciful self, the self of hunger and thirst, the one doomed to wander without rest in search of unknown things and things not yet created; it is I, not you, who would revolt.
The Sixth Self:
And I, the working self, the pitiful labourer, who, with patient hands, and longing eyes, fashion the days into images and give the formless elements new and eternal forms-it is I, the solitary one, who would rebel against this restless madman.
The Seventh Self:
How strange that you all would rebel against this man because each and every one of you has a preordained fate to fulfil. Ah! could I but be like one of you, a self with a determined lot! But I have none, I am the do-nothing self, the one who sits in the dumb, empty nowhere and nowhen, while you are busy re-creating life. Is it you or I, neighbours, who should revolt?

When the seventh self spoke like that, the other six looked at him
with pity and said nothing else; and as the night grew thicker
one after another they fell asleep wrapped in a new and happy submission.
But the seventh self remained to look and observe
nothing, which is behind all things.

«The Madman» 

ΥG.  I know it’s not a poem but K. Gibran is a Poet…

source : http: //monopoihmata.blogspot.com /

Today is the fourth anniversary of Leonard Cohen’s “changing the level” I use this term on the thoughts of my brother Al, he had used this word for the death, and he loved Cohen; I can just remember the first time when we have heard him; by his LP’ Songs of Love and Hate.

I must thank first my adorable friend  luisa zambrotta because of her reminder to this special day, though, it might be a day of leaving but it is also a day of staying, not physically but spiritually, in mind and heart!

We have known him by a friend, a nice bassist in my band those days; he came and said: don’t you know! here is a new door for us, and it was; a new feeling to be in the beyond.
We were at the beginning of our neu stay of being addicted (that is another story) but it might be a door to understand him; to be burned: Now the flames they followed Joan of Arc.
She said, “I’m tired of the war,
I want the kind of work I had before,
a wedding dress or something white
to wear upon my swollen appetite.”
Well, I’m glad to hear you talk this way,
you know I’ve watched you riding every day
and something in me yearns to win
such a cold and lonesome heroine.

I have sometimes a feeling of reincarnation, it means to me sometimes when I get knowing someone whom I never knew before, that is bizarre but it seems to be true. Then Live well and live forever dear Leonard, you are always there.

We all send our regards 💖🙏🙏🙏💖 Sincerely.

It’s four in the morning, the end of December
I’m writing you now just to see if you’re better
New York is cold, but I like where I’m living
There’s music on Clinton Street all through the evening.
I hear that you’re building your little house deep in the desert
You’re living for nothing now, I hope you’re keeping some kind of record.

Yes, and Jane came by with a lock of your hair
She said that you gave it to her
That night that you planned to go clear
Did you ever go clear?

Ah, the last time we saw you you looked so much older
Your famous blue raincoat was torn at the shoulder
You’d been to the station to meet every train
And you came home without Lili Marlene

And you treated my woman to a flake of your life
And when she came back she was nobody’s wife.

Well I see you there with the rose in your teeth
One more thin gypsy thief
Well I see Jane’s awake —

She sends her regards.

And what can I tell you my brother, my killer
What can I possibly say?
I guess that I miss you, I guess I forgive you
I’m glad you stood in my way.

If you ever come by here, for Jane or for me
Your enemy is sleeping, and his woman is free.

Yes, and thanks, for the trouble you took from her eyes
I thought it was there for good so I never tried.

And Jane came by with a lock of your hair
She said that you gave it to her
That night that you planned to go clear —

Sincerely, L. Cohen

Hello dear friends. The last days were of the most exciting days for us all through the election in the USA, and it might be a motive for me to write about this issue concerning Donald Trump.

I myself have had a problem with this; Narcissism, all through my life. As a child, I was very much prized by everyone, especially about my eyes, the family and friends uttered it permanently (not only my mother meant that!) But before I could build my ego on this, my nose in the time of puberty began to grow terribly bigger and it prevented me to look into the mirror. although it is known that famous genius have mostly big noses, but I could relinquish. I just missed the vows for my eyes and didn’t want the laugh about my nose.

Of course, I was not the only one, our father had it and also Al, but both of them have had also a big head and big face, that fits with the big nose, mine is not enough big to fit the nose. Now it is enough to talk about the noses, I just wanted to say that I have grown up in this way that I got used to having an egoless life without Narcissism. Even when I played in the theatre, I used my big nose with talent on mimics, to make the people laugh and it made me happy enough to fix my complex. Though, as I believe now that a little from both (Narcissism & Epoism) is needed to be successful in life. Nevertheless, the keyword is love.

First, I can begin with the creator of this subject; Narcissus; an instructive story by Greek Mythology;

Narcissus, in Greek mythology, the son of the river god Cephissus and the nymph Liriope. … He was distinguished for his beauty. According to Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Book III, Narcissus’s mother was told by the blind seer Tiresias that he would have a long life, provided he never recognized himself.

It’s actually clear that his beauty and all the admiration by the youth around him, made him proud, too proud and I believe that there had already begun the “Egoism”. He had hurt many who felt in love with him. One of the youth’s most ardent admirers was Ameinius, but Narcissus merely sent him a sword to do away with himself, which he did. On dying, Ameinius cursed the object of his unbound affections and asked the gods to punish him. He had prayed to the gods to give Narcissus a lesson for all the pain he provoked. Narcissus walked by a pool of water and decided to drink some. He saw his reflection, became entranced by it, and killed himself because he could not have his object of desire.

(Mythology) here is a Mythological tell which I like so much.
Several versions of the myth have survived from ancient sources. The classic version is by Ovid, found in book 3 of his Metamorphoses (completed 8 AD); this is the story of Echo and Narcissus. One day Narcissus was walking in the woods when Echo, an Oread (mountain nymph) saw him, fell deeply in love, and followed him. Narcissus sensed he was being followed and shouted: “Who’s there?”. Echo repeated “Who’s there?” She eventually revealed her identity and attempted to embrace him. He stepped away and told her to leave him alone. She was heartbroken and spent the rest of her life in lonely glens until nothing but an echo sound remained of her. Nemesis (as an aspect of Aphrodite, the goddess of revenge, noticed this behaviour after learning the story and decided to punish Narcissus. Once, during the summer, he was getting thirsty after hunting, and the goddess lured him to a pool where he leaned upon the water and saw himself in the bloom of youth. Narcissus did not realize it was merely his own reflection and fell deeply in love with it as if it were somebody else. Unable to leave the allure of his image, he eventually realized that his love could not be reciprocated and he melted away from the fire of passion burning inside him, eventually turning into a gold and white flower.

As we read these all, we can recognize that Narcissus was made an egoist by his desirers. He had no idea about his beauty till he found it out by looking into the “clear” water. The people were enchanted by his beauty and yet, gave him the pride of being loved. You see; the “Narcissism” means today rather egoism; or idiotic self-lover, the narcissist had not seen itself in the mirror yet, and when it happened, he/she falls in love with ownself (foolishly) and might kill oneself!

But in reality, in our modern life, there are enough fools to help them to survive. They don’t look into the mirror, they stay being loved and enjoy the fools all around. One of them was the Shah of Persian; Muhammad Reza Pahlavi who came on power with the help of foreign force and has thought he’s the only one who could do the right things and nobody else, and there were enough beggars around to cheer him as a god. We know what happened at the end.

Another one is the (still) President of the US; Donald Trump. He was actually, as we might remember, not so brazen at the beginning, he even never expected to win in the 2016 Election, and now just look at him; he can’t even believe he maybe should get out of his post!

He surely knew his “Splendor” before he became President but now, with the help of millions of fans, feels like a god, or being sent as an angel! and It is the main problem; the Narcissism will be made by the mass; the fools. He doesn’t need to look into the water.

Honestly, I thought that I’d not post anything today because I could not concentrate my mind; this election makes me confused; I am not in the opinion that we need a Massias, Joe Biden is not the one who makes all better, but Trump had shown that he can just make everything worse. We must still wait.

Anyway, this disease as I may call it, is very common all in the world these days; in Germany is a loved issue as this famous adage; Schadenfreude (malicious joy), says all. But it is not only in Germany it is everywhere. We must be aware of it with the open-minded heart. 🙏💖

Sources:

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Narcissus-Greek-mythology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissus_(mythology)