Bright, late-afternoon Sunday here in California’s Central Valley — reportedly 71 degrees; I was just outside (in the small, apartment-sized backyard doing a bowl) and the air felt barely-chilled by quiet wisps of a near-about warmish breeze. Preview maybe of a coming scorching-ass summer. Yet for the right now and being a bit selfish, it’s really fine.

In reality, however, according to what’s going on in that right now, both in my little zone of living and upwards and outwards to encompass the whole, freaking, wide world, the environmental ambience I’m feeling could easily be another one of life’s sometimes dream sequences. The horror of the actuality hidden behind a gorgeous afternoon. We’re living through most likely the darkest period in history, at least in my lifetime (I’m in my 77th year) — in all aspects of life nowadays, we be fucked.
Of course, a way-way prime factor for this period of bad-future-in-the-works scenario is that rotten shit of a human, the T-Rump, a man with no redeeming facets at all, cruel and mad-crazy at the same time, and frightfully incompetent, and deeply stupid. And he’s in charge.

Anyway, some topical/related music — first the fabulous Annie Lennox and her way-long-time cohort, Dave Stewart. My favourite, much more emotional and true to living than the 1983 version:

And what’s our destination:

Although the 4 Non Blondes original is peak, a most-wonderful cover by The Running Mates, an incredible husband/wife duo:

So carried away by the Mates’ music, I posted a series on their sound a few years back — if you’d like, click here to get the last episode, then if you want, click backwards from there to get the lot. The Mates are indeed awesome! ‘What’s Up?‘ became the anthem of the series.

And hence from that great big hill of hope:

25 years AND my life and still
I’m trying to get up that great big hill of hope
For a destination
I realised quickly when I knew I should
That the world was made FOR this
Brotherhood of man
For whatever that means

And So I cry sometimes when I’m lying in bed
JUST To get it all out what’s in my head
AND I, I Am feeling a little peculiar
AND So I wake in the morning and I step
Outside AND I take deep breath
AND I get real high
And I scream from the top of my lungs
What’s goin’ on

[…]

And I try, oh my God do I try
I try all the time
In this institution
And I pray, oh my God do I pray
I pray every single day
For a revolution

And So I cry sometimes when I’m lying in bed
JUST To get it all out what’s in my head
AND I, I Am feeling a little peculiar
AND So I wake in the morning and I step Outside
AND I take deep breath
AND I get real high
And I scream from the top of my lungs
What’s goin’ on

[…]

25 years of my life and still
I’m trying to get up that great big hill of hope
For a destination

Bonus track — Collective Soul with a reality check:

Sounds to wash away the tears, or not, yet here we are once again …

(Illustration out front: ‘Shelter in the Storm,” found here.)