A Time Warp with a Syncopated Back Beat

One recent Sunday on the corner of Selma and Cahuenga there played a five man band, The Petrojvic Blasting Company by name. A trombone player, a trumpet player, a tuba player and a man playing the washboard were lead by an accordion player who sang and kept the beat by playing the drums with foot peddles. These gentlemen were dressed in brown with well shined shoes and fedoras slanted at cocky angles. Like a time warp with a syncopated back beat these musicians wouldn’t look out of place in an HG Wells saga or at a steampunk retro party.

It is somehow appropriate when times are hard to take a look back reevaluating foundations, embracing classics and seeking that which evokes feelings of safety and security. Looking back for a time when adversity was overcome generates strength to survive the present.

When society and institutions betray expectations it is natural to turn to the outlaw and the brilliant outsider to find heroes and inspiration. When people who are supposed to be trustworthy and dependable are caught in betrayal, freefalling individuals  prove their worth by starting over, overcoming adversity, saving themselves and succeeding beyond any expectations held before. Rather than being obsessed with money and corporate success priorities change stressing acting locally and focusing globally.

Looking to road trips, impossible quests and futuristic fantasy for temporary escape is natural. Examining the past and contemplating the future rather than dwelling on the ephemeral present provide distractions that allow forward momentum to build where otherwise seemingly overwhelming adversity tends to paralyze. A perception of positive progress is vital.  Even baby steps count.