Heroes Not Zombies

Posted in creativity | 4 Comments

4 Responses

1. on January 25, 2008 at 8:17 pm | Reply amypalko

   How funny! Great minds really do think alike, don’t they 🙂

   
   
2. on January 25, 2008 at 8:43 pm | Reply bobleckridge

   Spooky, Amy (go see Amy’s post on Burns Night on liveslessordinary.wordpress.com – we didn’t collaborate! Honest!) Really, Amy, it’s enough to make you believe in the power of genes, huh!?

   
   
3. on January 30, 2008 at 2:42 pm | Reply Martin Waddell

   Burns is a bit of a hero for me too, albeit a flawed hero – I recently read an article (can’t remember where) in which it is claimed that Burns had an ambition to make his fortune in Jamaica, where of course the whole economy was based on slavery – his “A man’s a man for a’ that” sentiments didn’t seem to extend to black slaves. But I suppose that all heroes have their flaws. I started reading Burns in detail several years ago, at the time of the Free Presbyterian Church’s attempts to discipline one of their members, the great lawyer Lord Mackay, for daring to attend the funerals of two prominent Roman Catholic judges. What a time to discover “Holy Wullie’s Prayer” and other Burns poems about the “unco guid” and the “rigidly righteous”! I particularly like these lines from Burns’s poem to Gavin Hamilton –

   Be to the poor like ony whinstane,
   an’ haud their noses to the grun’stane;
   ply every art o’ legal thievin’ –
   No matter! Stick to sound believin’!
   Learn three mile prayers and hauf-mile graces,
   wi’ weel-raised loofs and lang, wry faces;
   Grunt up a solemn, lengthy groan,
   and damn all parties but your own –
   I’ll warrant then you’re no deceiver –
   a sturdy, seadfast, staunch believer!

   Says a lot about some forms of religion all too prominent today!

   
   
4. on January 30, 2008 at 9:20 pm | Reply bobleckridge

   Ah yes Martin I read that article too. In fact, I think it was a review of a book which takes that line. You’re right – all heroes have their flaws cos all heroes are human. But I do agree with the reviewer of that book who asked us to remember the context of Burns’ life. It’s easy to be judgmental of others in distant times.
   Thanks for the quote – I like it too!

   
   

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