FREAKY DEAKY COMMUTING

Recently, my potentially soul sapping commute to work has been enhanced by the presence of wise cracking shylocks, fraudsters, hit men, burnt-out cops, deceitful debutantes, extortionists and bomb yielding ex-hippies. No, I am not carpooling with the mafia, but rather listening to some fabulous audio books by yarn spinner extraordinaire Elmore Leonard.

Leonard is probably best known for his books that were made into movies ("Get Shorty", "Be Cool" ,"3:10 To Yuma"), and these stories pretty well offer a consistent snapshot of much of his work. There is usually a large cast of characters that are interwoven by a combination of some elaborate scam and/or vendetta that plays out in some outrageous fashion towards the end.

While the main characters are often a little more complex with some sordid history behind them, they are often complimented by a litany of two-dimensional characters that adhere to various exaggerated personality traits, including, but not limited to, some wannabe low grade gangster character that is often too stupid for words.

Leonard's stories work well as audio books due to the fact that they are primarily driven by rapid fire dialogue rather than traditional narrative devices. They play out like some 30's or 40's era radio drama mixed with some late 20th century irony and some pop culture references thrown in for good measure.

I have picked up a few more of his audio books from the library recently and I have been so engaged with the stories that I am often reluctant to get out of my car while in the midst of some rather witty and engaging pieces of dialogue. The stories are gripping and often pick up the pace as the multiplicity of characters end up coming together for a dramatic clash towards the book's climax.

Right now I am listening to one of his books from the late 80's, "Freaky Deaky" about a couple of ex-hippies looking to extort some cash out of some fellow former radicals who are now yuppies, while eventually getting mixed up with a prototypical burnt-out and relationship challenged ex-cop. Of course I am only about a third of the way through, so things should get even more interesting.

It is all great fun, and in addition to providing temporary respite from the minute by minute swine flu updates on the radio, it is also great fodder for my imagination. Even better, it transforms the road I travel on a daily basis into a platform to explore and enjoy the absurd, farcical and wonderfully sordid tales that are an inherent part of the human condition.

ALL HAIL THE SWINEHERD

I have just finished listening to Homer's epic The Odyssey during my otherwise ordinary commute to work everyday. Derek Jacobi's narration is delightful, and listening to this every day for the last few weeks has transformed my otherwise mundane commute into something that I actually looked forward to, filling it with tales of revenge, valor and conquest. This is much more desirable than the typical office drama and politics one has to face!

What really struck me while listening was the significant role taken by those small, tried and true secondary characters in these type of epic tales. In the case of the Odyssey it is the faithful and true swineherd, Eumaeus, who faithfully tends to his job during his master's 20 year absence despite facing circumstances that were anything but hopeful.

Not only does Eumaeus remain loyal and carefully tend Odysseus' heard of swine during his prolonged absence, he assist his master upon his return even when he does not know his identity and offers him food and clothing. Later on the old man dons some bronze armour and helps his badly outnumbered master fight off and kill the vile suitors who have taken over his household and attempted to woo his wife during his long absence. In this epic poem he is portrayed as the essence of virtue and commitment.

It made me think of those people who in my mind are the "swineherds", who like Eumaeus may not get all the ultimate glory but who through their dedication to higher ideals make a profound difference in the long run.

First of all, I was thinking of some of the social workers I have worked with here in BC, who despite having insane workload issues, remain positive and try to build on the capacity and strengths of their clients, often under difficult circumstances. There is no glamour in this job, and it can be stressful and feel thankless on a good day. Despite this, I see dedicate folks who manage to keep their sense of humour and hopefulness intact, doing their best to make a difference within a large and often dysfunctional system.

Also, I was thinking of the folks I have come across here in the blogosphere who either through humour or direct commentary are poking holes in the inane analysis and discourse we get spoon fed in the mainstream and corporate media. Nothing earth shattering here, but these folks in their own way are trying to engage in a new form of discourse that cuts through the old and tired categories and perhaps present a bold new way to define how we discuss what really matters in this new century.

Finally, I truly admire the millions of unseen folks currently in the U.S., who despite enduring 7 awful and despairing years under the destructive ideological zealotry of the current administration, are working tirelessly behind the scenes to move their country forward and bring about change, refusing to give into apathy or despair.

For you all, I offer the highly coveted Eumaeus award;


I think from time to time I will post virtual Eumaeus Awards to those specific folks who inspire me with their unwavering commitment to higher ideals. It may be you, you have been warned!

(Also - if you don't have time to read or listen to Homer's marvelous Odyssey, here is a fun and extremely abbreviated version that you can zip through in a few minutes.)

MY OWN PRIVATE ODYSSEY

Like many of my fellow North Americans, I spend countless precious hours of my life commuting to work. Canadian commuters spent an average of 63 minutes a day making the round trip between their place of residence and their workplace in 2005. That's the equivalent of nearly 275 hours of commuting, based on a 260-day work year.

I would venture to guess that my commute is a little longer than this, though working within the confines of these statistics I have vowed to fill every one of my approximate 275 commuting hours with brilliant fodder to feed my imagination in the form of audio books. Since the start of the year it has utterly transformed my usually soul sapping commute into a wonderful opportunity to elevate my spirit above the status of a commuter drone stuck in auto pilot.

Presently I am finishing up Tishomingo Blues by Elmore Leonard, though the next highly anticipated audio book for my impending work week is Homer's the Odyssey. So as I accelerate onto the Iron Worker's Memorial Bridge, and cross over the Burrard Inlet I will be filled with the image of Poseidon in the water below me seeking vengeance on poor old Odysseus. Perhaps while I am traversing my little portion of the Trans Canada Highway I will be listening closely for the Siren's seductive call by the road side, tied in by my seat belt just as Odysseus was tied to the ship's mast in order to avoid temptation and certain doom.

This will transform about 9 out of my 275 commuting hours this year, not a bad start really. I am actually quite giddy at the prospect of embracing an ever growing list of audio books and I may even keep a log and see what ideas emerge from these marvelous stories that fill me ears each day.

So please excuse if I am grinning madly as I veer towards the off ramp into Surrey in the morning, as I may be so very enraptured and filled with delight at the efforts of Odysseus to outwit the Cyclops Polyphemus that I may forget that this is not supposed to be a pleasant experience.

Traffic updates and talk radio be damned - I am on an odyssey!