Another day in American life mostly isolated from the rest of the world. We are largely unaware of the goings on elsewhere. Did you know that there is tremendous political turmoil in countries all over the world? Out of 193 acknowledged states approximately one third of them had an armed conflict that killed more than 100 people. Think about that, imagine reading in the news here in the US that two armed groups of people were large enough to inflict 100 deaths. If you said 200 total, each side had 50% casualties would get you there. Imagine the magnitude of such an event here. In this list of states to which I am referring, this is chump change, I mean were talking about thousands and there is no out right war, just internal conflict. Just because life is not good. We used to be the purveyors of peace through prosperity. We brought prosperity to the world after the Big One and now it seems we are the manager of the biggest Fight Club in history. And not for good!
While we’re all here stateside consuming ourselves with drivel, most of the world seems to be coming apart at the seems. Please, get offended. You need to be, snowflake. Why do I say such a thing? To quote Tyler Durden, “We’ve all been raised on television to believe that we would all one day be millionaires and movie gods and rock stars, but we won’t!” That’s why. The American dream has come down to being one of these. Drivel! Drivel! Drivel! Being a millionaire isn’t all it’s cracked up to be; its a lot of work, which is contrary to the reason most people want to be millionaires, is to not work. Movie gods seem to be so disconnected with reality, not to mention, it is quite an exclusive club and they don’t just let anyone in that doesn’t suit them. Hardly a free market. Interestingly enough it has become easier to be a rock star than ever before. Take a look at Christopher Lunsford, made a song, sang it on the internet and bam he’s a rock star touring the world. There’s hope yet I guess for those who can do that. My point here is that most people want all of this for the money! Not a dream of their own, not for eternal happiness, not for anyone but themselves.
When I was young I saw this place in life where fathers didn’t die early, roofs didn’t leak, cars lasted 10 years like they should, and when all of that allowed you to get in a good days work that satisfied you and then be at home each night with the ones most precious to you it would be a dream come true.Still fighting that one out. Once people are gone, other people take their place and you realize how thankful you are for what you did get, if only DNA. It’s who I am in more ways than one. After doing construction for a long time I did get the roof thing down, at least for 50 years or so. I gave up on cars, their not so exciting anymore, especially the new ones. I get more excited to think that I’ll have a restored one that I worked on with someone special or at least shared a good time with a group into the same ones.
What does Fight Club have to do with all of this? In the concept of the movie a bunch of guys who are bored, unhappy, disenfranchised, lost, confused, angry, depressed, misguided, arrogant,…… Read that as “dead”; found a way to come alive and experience living. Real living. How barbaric you say. Eh, maybe. But here’s what I do know for a man to learn his true place in life is priceless. Not a better thing can come upon him. When a man knows his place in life he will walk into his future like God himself sent him into that room. When a man knows the calibre of the man standing next to him he gets direction. All great things that have ever been done have come out of this understanding. One man provoked by another to do something worth his salt. That’s a Fight Club! Men need it. Not only need it should be requiring it. And like the narrator said, “along comes a woman to mess it all up.” How true. Not just women though, profiteers also.
Professional sports used to be a Fight Club. The rivalry of two men working things out on the battlefield. Most men whether they realized it or not watched for a fight to break out. Their team winning was a secondary event, mostly for afterward, to go on about being a winner for choosing the best fighters. The hockey guys still fight but now with all kinds of ‘safety’ gear. Especially panties. MMA was the last one to go down, sports are so lame now I can hardly stand to watch. The Fight Club is gone, the men are soft, the edge is missing and the most dangerous part of the whole thing is TSA at the airport getting to the next city. Sad, its so pervasive and our men are getting softer than the Stay Puft man.
Back to my American Dream. Even at my age there’s still a lot of good fight left in me. Can’t seem to find a local fight club, actually finding it difficult to find any, it seems. All of my acquaintances are consumed with relaxation, stuff or vacation. So I’m starting a fight club of my own. My Fight club is going to rebuild my version of the American Dream. One where men come around and knock heads to see who is worthy to stand in our midst. To see who has grit, chutzpah, sand, fiber, moxie, audacity or mettle.
Since we started with the movie analogy, I’ll end with it. If you get that nervy feeling run up your spine and across the top of your pate at the hearing of any of these lines from Hollywood, you’re my guy. I’m looking for you to join my Fight Club. “Fill your hands, you son of a bitch”, “When I need one there will be plenty of them lying on the ground”, “You gotta ask yourself one question, do I feel lucky? Well do ya punk?”, “I love the smell of napalm in the morning”, “you want a war? I’ll give you a war you wouldn’t believe”, “This is Sparta”, “Come take them”.
Go start a fight today, you big hairy, toxic man you,
Greg