I was talking to my Mum the other day about how a lot of people have this weird 'that'll do' attitude towards creative things. My Mum is a florist and a lot of people will come into her shop and just ask for 'a bunch of flowers'. Now I know that I'm probably an anomaly because I know a thing or two about flowers, having worked at her shop myself, but I know that I would never ever just walk into a florist and, without looking, just request any old bunch of flowers like some of her customers have done right in front of me. However, the most alarming thing is, Mum sometimes gets this kind of thing from people looking for wedding flowers - 'well, you know, we just need some flowers.'
!!!!!?????
Similarly I was listening to Love Song Dedications the other night and this song came on for the one trillionth time and I understand that the song is emotional and about love and whatever but it just seems like 'it'll do'...you know? Like the already well worn emotional connotations of songs like that are enough to facilitate its dedication to a lover? I just don't understand? I mean of course it's different if that song is specifically requested because of a genuine reason; perhaps this was the first song that the couple danced to, whatever, I don't care - it's the notion of 'I need a love song to dedicate to my partner and I know this song is about love and so does everyone else so it'll do.' Argh no! Worst nightmare!
I spend a lot of my time carefully collating strange worlds of sound and I know that, when required, I could trawl and comb and wade waist deep through my collection of love songs to find one appropriate for many a situation. And shouldn't it be like that? Shouldn't we choose LOVE SONG DEDICATIONS based on their RELEVANCE to our own personal ROMANTIC SITUATIONS and NOT on the EASILY DIGESTED MANUFACTURED EMOTIONAL CONTENT WITHIN?
God help us all, on the day that we as a society adopt that 'that'll do' attitude!
Here are some love song dedications that get me this het up.
(not even the Bryan Adams version but the DJ Sammy version that came out when I was like ten. Speaking of horrendous techno...)
(OK I secretly love Lady in Red.)
'close enough is good enough' and 'that'll do' attitudes are already here in full force, though, in some places in the world, at least.
ReplyDeletei guess the skill is seeing past it, even if people tell you that that's all there is and that you should just 'leave it'.
as much as we are a world of people who live life to the full, we are also a world of underachievers and dreams not realised.
how eloquently you put things anonymous. you're right - the world is full of 'good enough's. the people who have the ability to see past 'good enough' are the ones who will ultimately find their lives more beautiful, more meaningful...if only the whole world could see where these kinds of attitudes land us, both on an aesthetic level and on a global conflict kinda scale.
ReplyDeletepersonally, i wouldn't hold my breath. just saying. that was me up there ^ by the way, it was being buggy yesterday and it wouldn't let me comment as me, hmph!!
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