Damsels in Distress
When I was a young rock drummer there were plenty of romantic opportunities with willing young women. The sense of celebration was contagious and everyone was feeling the liberation of psychology from what had been the Eisenhower mentality, very conservative, but humanistic with the focus on fulfilling the American Dream for the family. This evolved into the Summer Of Love for the following generation; all things possible. But with the largesse of prosperity also came emotional strain never experienced before in such a land of plenty. Anxiety, bad judgement, disillusion in the status quo, seeking of a new family without the prejudices of our biological, earthbound parents. So, instead of the wanton desecration of virgin temples I often listened to their stories. In an attempt to understand my own stories. After all these years, I am still doing the same thing. I am getting to be a good listener while I am going deaf. I drum with a lot of women. Different kinds of women drum. Admittedly some of the younger of the generations I drum with are a total mystery. But thats what happens when men get blind sided on purpose. The shadow is projected from the warrior male and the women, a certain type of women, will take on the shadow, the Great Sorrow, and deal with it, to turn it to the good. The Sacred Whore, as perceived by some. Instead, I am the listening drummer and their stories are amazing. I envy some of them, feel great sorrow for others, while they hit the drum in a relaxed manner, a very slow forgiving groove. This liberates psychology and they come to terms with what they have to negotiate to move on. Some men tend to just hit it until it breaks with little concern for cosmic repercussions. Although there are a few men willing to ride the groove to higher consciousness with good intentions. But clearing the path for the story teller is what I have been doing, keeping out extraneous distractions while they spin their yarns.
Excerpt: “History of the Groove” Russell Buddy Helm ©2015 buddyhelm.com