By Carol Lucas
I was watching the morning news the other day, and one of the upcoming blurbs spoke of rioting in Kenya. It seems that the raising of taxes in an already over-taxed society was bringing people into the streets. For whatever reason, my mind went screaming back to a concert I had attended in college where I was lucky enough to see The Kingston Trio in person.
One song’s lyrics, most of which I was able to add to the tune running through my head, was “The Merry Minuet.” That I was able to recall the lyrics was somewhat astounding, given that these days I can’t remember the name of a person I met 10 minutes before.
But then the year was 1961, and I have come to accept that long-term memory wins out every time.
I’m going to take the necessary space in this piece to give you the entire lyrics of “The Merry Minuet” simply because 60-plus years later they still ring true. Yes, the one line is meant to be humorous, and yes, we all laughed at the concert because we knew those lyrics, and the world at that time was as troubled as it is today. Remember, it was the sixties.
Sadly some things just don’t change, or if they do, the same ‘gift’ is simply that in a different wrapping.
They’re rioting in Africa, they’re starving in Spain.
There’s hurricanes in Florida, and Texas needs rain.
The whole world is festering with unhappy souls.
The French hate the Germans, the Germans hate the Poles;
Italians hate Yugoslavs, South Africans hate the Dutch,
And I don’t like anybody very much!
But we can be tranquil and “thankfill” and proud,
For man’s been endowed with a mushroom-shaped cloud.
And we know for certain that some lovely day
Someone will set the spark off, and we will all be blown away!
They’re rioting in Africa, there’s strife in Iran.
What nature doesn’t do to us will be done by our fellow man!
When you picture three guys on stage with guitars in hand, singing these lyrics and mimicking an old English tradition of the minuet, of course there is humor. Furthermore, and just as important, we should never attempt to remove the humor from our lives. It is what sustains us during our darkest moments.
But read these again and see beyond the humor.
Six decades have passed, and we still have the threat of nuclear war hanging over our heads. The alliance of Russia and North Korea, recently emphasized with Putin’s unusual trip to see Kim Jong Un should concern everyone. The Russian leader even brought, as a gift, a car, and the two were seen driving along like old “buds.” You remember Kim of “love letter” fame. I wonder if there is any jealousy involved … but as I am wont to do, I digress.
The nuclear threat also rests with Iran, a country mentioned in the above lyrics. We recognized even then that genie, set free, could never be put back into the bottle.
As for starvation in Spain, I have to admit those words were probably used as a convenience for rhyme. However, we know there is starvation in so many countries. The situation in Gaza comes to mind, but sadly we have, in our own country, pockets of population where the source of food is a daily concern. That this is the case in a country of our wealth is very simply a blot that should not be.
Hurricanes? Climate change? Flooding? Raging fires? All of these seem to have become a regular part of our lives, and ways to stem that tide, no pun intended, seems to be a point of still one more battle.
The need to oppose what seems so obvious to many is unending. One cannot ignore the recent fighting over what caused COVID and the ways to deal with it. Masks or no masks. Vaccines, mandatory to attend school. Shutting down schools because of the disease. The list goes on.
So yes, there is rioting in Africa, specifically Kenya. But we all know that may be the least of the world-wide problems that are confronting us. And until we find a way to bring people together for the common good of all, the vitriol and the bitterness will continue to divide us.
Walt Kelly’s insightful declaration that “we have met the enemy, and he is us” is one of those wonderful quotes that seems increasingly appropriate and defies the passing of time.
Carol Lucas is a retired high school teacher and a Lady’s Island resident. She is the author of the recently published “A Breath Away: One Woman’s Journey Through Widowhood.”
