Calling The Police Is Not A Hobby

Being an artist, I don’t typically just have opinions about art related items.  There’s a new phenomenon that I’ve encountered regarding daily life in the city, and I expect it may well turn into a little rant.

To clarify where this is coming from, it helps to know about where I came from.  I grew up in a small rural community.  This is the kind of place that mostly everyone knows everyone else.  This is the kind of place that a grocery shopping trip can take an entire afternoon.  This is the kind of place that has as many liquor stores as churches. 

People have a certain understanding with one another.

For instance, if there is an unfenced field representing the backyard of 3 houses, it’s not uncommon for a father to be playing catch across a few yards with his little athlete.  There is an understanding that if there is damage caused the Father takes responsibility – which would be the insurance interpretation anyway.  However, after this method works for years, a lady from the city moves in and calls the police when the ball rolls softly several inches onto her portion of the field.

This is astounding to me. 

When I was still in public school, I hadn’t been sure of what I’d even observed.  It looked weird, but I hadn't been able to contextualize the reason why.

Now, I live in the city in my own house.  I’d been renting up to this point, so my interaction with neighbors was limited at best.  So, there's been a gap in between my home town expereiences and my current conundrum.

Here we go.  I had no idea people were so high upon themselves to call the police if someone so much as places their garbage bags a little too close to their part of the alley. 

Really? 

I used to think we just didn’t have good funding for our buddies in uniform, but it turns out that they spend a portion of their time with moronic complaints that have no criminal effect on society.  The garbage wasn't open.   The garbage wasn't obstructing traffic of any kind. The garbage wasn't making a mess in the alley. The garbage wasn’t thrown at them.  The garbage wasn’t unceremoniously scattered about their yard.  The garbage didn’t contain the remains of their child or pet, which was than thrown at them and scattered about the lawn.  The garbage sat there until the garbage wast aken away.

That got a little on the morbid side, but the concept is there.  What possible reason is there to involve law enforcement for trivialities of this nature? 

Neighbor rivalries?

Petty differences?

Are we even adults?

Calling the police is not a hobby.

Perhaps the reason our police force is unable to put a dent in titles like ‘Murder Capital of Canada’ is because they have to put too much effort into childish citizens that don’t play nice in the sandbox.  To add an artistic ranting kind of note here, perhaps our city would be able to flourish culturally if people were able to dislodge their collective noses out of other peoples’ business enough so to not require an armed person in a uniform to waste time and tax dollarson nonsense.

O_o

Anyway, this has been a rant.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

Angel and the Stickmen

University - The Arts

I went into University just after I finished getting my diploma.  It wasn’t so much a thing that I wanted for myself, but it was the common thing to do with high grades and scholarships. 

So, why not?

Such a mentality is what usually gets me into trouble.  I spent two years on campus studying the Arts before I realized that my opportunity to get a job would be quite low – especially compared to the cost of tuition and books.  I took an English Major with an Art History Minor.  To enhance my artistic skills, I figure I take some Art and Design as well.

That was very foolish.

My perceptions were ill received in the academic world.  Perhaps I wasn’t as worldly as my instructors or peers.  I was taught that art is expression.  As far as expressions go, people have a myriad of different opinions which makes art a topic for debate.  Ideally, my notion was that a debate allows people to broaden understandings and explore differing perspectives.  My mentality on this matter didn’t mesh well with the others.

I spent most of the time on the outskirts of discussions to avoid causing ripples in their minds.  When my work was reviewed, it was often to try to get me to leave the class.  So, my experience with being educated on how to create art was unfulfilling and disappointing. 

I somehow passed, but I didn’t draw for 2 years thereafter.

There are a few misconceptions I’ve sorted through since my time there.  Contrary to the academic rules, there’s no right or wrong way to produce art.  There is no right or wrong way to express ones self.  There is, however, a way to offend and a way not to offend people with art, but there is no way to have everyone like the same piece of art in the same way. 

It’s more about who’s the weak link, and how do we destroy them.

It wasn’t an inquisition, but it was a harrowing. 

My whole concept of educated people and the quality of education was skewed.

Now I read an article in the paper almost weekly about budget cuts to the arts programs.  Somehow, I still find it disconcerting.

 

Sincerely,

 

Angel and the Stickmen