Malibu Fatigue

Written while listening to “You Get What You Give” by the New Radicals.

“the bad rich...God’s flying in for your trial”

What I need is: A second tennis court….a bigger house, a more expensive car, another car, more women, more ocean view, better and more exclusive access, a fancier party, a more distinguished guest list, another dinner at Nobu's, a new car, some designer clothes, still more women, more square feet…..another remodel, more distinguished friends.

I was feeling a little bit worthless today….my daily (borrowed) mantra, "Who have you helped today, what have you learned today"*?, went largely ignored. Yes, I went to work….I saw some people…but, for the most part, I made money for my time spent...(no big deal). And, I didn't learn anything palpable today…I learned from a friend that eggs are allegedly bad for you….and I met a few people for the first time today…but, at the end of the day I was feeling empty.

I knew it was (that) time….time to visit "the Scriptures". I accessed my DVD library and put in, perhaps, the best and most sobering medicine I own: "Schindler's List". I fast forwarded straight to the pivotal scene…it is what I call, "the Awakening". It is the moment in the film…(it is an actual moment), where you can see that Oskar Schindler has made his decision to change course…the fast life was leaving him feeling empty. He was deciding, once and for all, to spend the wealth he has earned during his clever business operations during World War II…and use it to buy the freedom of 1,100 Jews. And, it wasn't just the money that he spent, he risked his life. He would be executed if anyone in power in the Nazi party became aware of his plan to deceive the War effort. This personal epiphany went against EVERYTHING Schindler had stood for....after all, he was a clever businessman who had outsmarted everyone by making millions off a War that was so tragic for everyone else. He defined himself by this ability. He hadn't hurt anyone in the process...but he took care of #1. He had women, he had caviar, he was a bon vivant, and he was "winning". If our world has taught us anything it is that you don’t “win” by giving your wealth away. “Winning” is getting wealth and power and then getting still more of it. It’s never ending monetization.

In the scene, Schindler is in a hotel room and you see a naked woman sleeping in a bed. Clearly he has just experienced the fleeting and hedonistic pleasures of the flesh...but this time it wasn't enough to stop the voice in his head. Schindler is standing by the window, pondering….that is when he "pulls the lever"…the gravity of the horrific reality before him became too great to ignore….his humanity was surfacing, he was summoning the full use of his powers. It was, in it's own way, like Clark Kent stepping into a phone booth and becoming Superman. He summoned all of his compassion and empathy at that moment…and he made his heroic and completely extraordinary and selfless decision. It was an extra-ordinary decision! There was no precedence for it.

You could see the softening of Schindler in earlier scenes…when Schindler asked the German guards if he could spray the water hose into the inhumanely hot and overcrowded train cars that housed the parched prisoners. He wanted only to shower them with water…he showed compassion and concern…directly in front of those indifferent and heartless German officers….he didn't care that they laughed, or what they thought of his empathy for those "worthless" Jews. The way he came to the aid of the helpless was astonishing...Schindler had the audacity! If often takes audacity and tremendous resourcefulness and determination. It takes much of the qualities that it takes to make tremendous wealth, but this was different. This was totally selfless. This was at the expense of his own interests. That's what (truly) great men do….men who think independently and with compassion….they don't care what anyone else thinks….they just insist on doing what is right. Nothing can stop them.

In the scene directly preceding the scene in the hotel room, before "the Awakening"…Schindler is seen sitting at an empty table with Itzhak Stern, his Jewish accountant and accomplice in his incredibly successful business scheme. The mood is somber. Schindler's Jewish workers, including Stern, were being ordered to Auschwitz, and certain death. Stern asked,

"What are you going to do with your Business now?

Are you staying?

Schindler: Krakow?, No....what for?

Stern: You have a Business to run…of course you will have to hire new workers… Poles I guess, they cost a little more but…what are you going to do?

(Schindler takes a gulp of whiskey, and pauses and looks deeply into Stern's eyes)

Schindler: YOU were my Business?

(Long pause)

Personally, I don't care how well you surf, how much fortune you have acquired, how big your house or how many expensive cars you own, how famous you are, how good looking you are, or popular, how hot your body is, how many businesses you own, how vast is your ocean view.......if you aren't spending much of your time improving the lives of others, those who need our help the most.....then you are missing the point--then a grand opportunity is wasted--then you are living a very self centered existence....a (separate) existence, as we so often all are.... It's a form of blindness...and it should be identified as such....it should allow us to park in "handicapped" parking spaces because it is a tremendous disability......but we don't even know it....we think we are on top of the world. Well, if you are "on top" of the world then that implies that everything and everyone else is beneath you.

"On Top" of the world is not where you want to be....you want to be under the world and all it's inhabitants......hoisting it up over your head.

“Afflict the Comfortable. Comfort the Afflicted”

Food for thought.....

*From a junior high commencement speech given by Winston Churchill (of Malibu)