Elephant Mess #27
Dan Murphy
Author David Deida has written that there is one significant
truth that a man must understand: that everything he builds in this life will
erode and crumble into nothingness. Our work here is ephemeral at best. When
men can understand and embrace this reality, and do the work we love anyway,
we’re theoretically emotionally healthier.
Reading Elephant Mess 27, thoughts of the ephemeral kept
flowing through my consciousness. Dan starts out with a meditation on the
ephemeral and journeys into some intensely personal territory. The thoughts,
concepts, feelings that Dan shares are cathartic and an antidote to cultural
insanity. There is incredible wisdom within these pages: confronting apathy,
moving purposely, navigating the darkness, examining the illusions and
realities of love.
Zines that speak to men’s internal landscapes are so
important – at the risk of being labeled a sexist here, I believe that men have
been maligned, dehumanized, and abused by the culture at large. Watch
television for ten minutes – any channel, any show – and how you will see men
portrayed in the media is deplorable. The truth is – many of us deal with
emotional struggles, feel deeply, love the earth, and are not flaming narcissists,
violent ignoramuses or corporate zombies. Sharing our interior, given the
hostility inherent toward men expressing their truth in this culture, is an act
of courage and faith.
Thank you Dan.
1 comment:
Thank you for this honest and sincere review of my zine. I am moved by your words...and compelled to continue.
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