“Eighty percent of the people who hear your troubles don’t care and the other twenty percent are glad you’re having them.” –Tommy Lasorda
The power went out for about a 20-block radius in our neighborhood so a friend and I decided to get out before we withered away from boredom and our muscles atrophied. I was happy to read by candlelight but consented because she had anxiety and OCD and it was impossible to concentrate with all the pacing and agonizingly trivial jabbering in front of me when she became bored of the infinite scroll on her phone. I’d imagine her internal and external worlds were in perpetual battle with each other over perceived micro-humiliations and misplaced mojo.
“I know a really chi-chi wine bar that just opened where we can get free drinks,” she said, “and then we can hop on over to the museum.” Pacifying this incorrigible monster was an overture to trouble to say the least. “When you’re single after 30 it’s like you’re playing a game of hide and seek except no one’s looking for you.”
We wobbled into the museum two hours later when I took notice of this piece titled, “The Game” by David Middlebrook. The artist’s statement is as follows: In this work, the enormous baseball, a symbol of the American pastime, is a metaphor for corporate America. The funnel represents the tunnel vision of this greed, whereas the umbrella is meant to suggest a narrative that the system will protect the less fortunate but, being crafted from wood, will ultimately not keep them dry.
Of course, the artist could be using a metaphor about the angst-ridden life as an Oakland A’s fan or even the slow diminishing of the middle-class and social security–either interpretation fits well and I nodded my head slowly in a pontificating “art critic” pose with thumb and forefinger placed expertly on the chin as if I was laboring over unseen details.
“Let’s go…this place smells tragically of lavender Fabuloso and perfume,” said the girl. And we did, returning to the chi-chi wine bar where I spent more money than I wanted to before walking home with my brains feeling like mayonnaise. The power was still out and I lit a candle before quickly falling asleep in a room that had the ambiance of an icebox that hadn’t been cleaned for months.
P.S. Please give Horror Fashion Review a look and perhaps a follow. Grace does a wonderful job of reviewing the clothes worn by the dames in horror movies. Funny and forward-thinking stuff!
Coco Crisp's Afro 
What’s a chi chi wine bar? It’s freaking -15 today in Montreal. Thank god the heat is working. I like your multiple interpretations of the art piece. I didn’t know what to make of it at first other than it sparking memories of being at games during a rain delay and kind of liking that a lot of people would leave.
I’ve been to a few rain delays and for some odd reason, I like them too.
It’s 35 here in California and people are freaking out. A lot of fallen trees.
A “chi chi” wine bar? You might have them in Montreal…it’s the type of place that is and looks expensive and you always feel under dressed.
I laughed aloud at the lines:
_ When you’re single after 30 it’s like you’re playing a game of hide and seek except no one’s looking for you.
_ falling asleep in a room that had the ambiance of an icebox that hadn’t been cleaned for months.
I enjoyed your description of your art critic pose. That also works well in pretending to listen to chatter at Super Bowl parties and visits with relatives.
Thanks for a clever read.
Thanks, Mark. I never thought about it before but thumb and forefinger on the chin DOES work well in awkward social situations. Don’t forget the slight nod of the head at random intervals. It’s best to throw in a “huh” as well.
You have a solid future as an art critic based on the observations you took away from viewing that piece. An icebox that hasn’t been cleaned in months…yeah, that doesn’t sound too welcoming. 😀
Thanks Bruce. Yeah, I suppose next time I should close the window. Art critic!? I’m not sure that world is ready for me. lol
Pingback: “Eighty percent of the people… – Urban Fishing Pole Lifestyle