Posthumous Florist

I know a blog has rarely, if ever, been used to complain or critique's one job, or the institution of labor in general, so forgive this departure into a path seldom traveled by the multitudes.

Yesterday I was reminded of a dream I had before moving back to New York in February of 2006. I think I have written about it before so forgive me if this is repetitive for some of you. In the dream, I was working with a large group of friendly enough strangers. We were in a large field, in a single file line, picking flowers, each of us making a bouquet. While this sounds like a leisurely activity, it was very clear that this bouquet was highly important and I took this task seriously and with the utmost diligence. At the same time, I was in a good mood and enjoying this communal 'labor.' After a while I had put together an impressive and beautiful arrangement of flowers. From the field we moved to a smaller enclosed area, still in single file line. I don't know how, but at some point it become startlingly apparent to me that the bouquet I put together was for my own grave and that I was already dead.

Initially freaked, this ended up being one of my favorite dreams ever as it ultimately signified putting to death a former part of myself. And anyone who knew me when I was living in Texas after grad school in London knows that this was certainly a self that needed to die. Though I have haven't had a similar dream since, I am hoping that my actions yesterday (walking out on a terrible job) will similarly put to death a part of me that has been lingering around for far too long.

In a further vulgar display of banality, I put together some sweet jams related to my feelings about 'jobs' and the experience as a whole. It was hard to resist some of the more obvious inclusions (lee dorsey working on the coal mine, NIN head like a hole, temple of the dog hunger strike and any number of kinks songs). If nothing else, it made me realize that for some reason I associate being malcontent at a job with singers' named 'Lee.'

Posthumous Florist
1. lee hazlewood pray them bars away*
2. soft machine hope for happiness
3. skip bifferty money man
4. doris waiting at the station
5. lee dorsey who's gonna help brother get further
6. gamers in exile I am a decent man
7. the 24-carat gold food stamps
8. the people's victory orchestra and chorus a long way from home
9. lee hazlewood wait till next year
10. townes van zandt waitin around to die
11. beck forcefield
12. gorky's zygotic mynci shore light
13. the free design going back
14. lee dorsey a mellow goodtime
15. purple image marching to a different drummer

*technically a song about prison but I think it is apt.