Misplaced Mannequin

Tags

Digital Art, Flash Non-Fiction, Mannequins, Phil Gennuso

by phil gennuso

When I was a little boy, sometimes my Dad would take me down with him to where he worked, Saks Fifth Avenue, in New York City, right in the heart of Manhattan. He would often show me the famous windows facing out to the public, which always were a marvel. One of his good friends was a window dresser, i.e., someone who designed and set these windows up. The beauty of it all was quite wonderful to me, a six year old!

Sometimes my Dad’s friend would take me behind the scenes and show me what went into this art of window design. Mannequins would be strewn hither and thither, in various states of dress. I was totally fascinated by these mobile statues and kept waiting for them to get up and say hello! I swear, some of them winked at me!

That was many years ago. But to this very day I am still fascinated by mannequins wherever I may encounter them!

Arizona and New York #Flash Non-Fiction

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Arizona Law, Flash Non-Fiction

Arizona is a strange state, as the recent bizarre and bigoted legislation requiring gays to wear a scarlet letter in effect, attests. I remember just before I could vote, Barry Goldwater (remember him?) said something about cutting off the East Coast and letting it flow away. Here in New York we said, Where is Arizona anyway? I can’t find it on the map! The country as a whole has tended to agree with us, as elections and culture show.

I don’t know if it is the desert dust, the mesquite, or the ancient mescaline, but we rarely take Arizona seriously. We do like the great artists of course, but that is different. New York loves art no matter where it comes from.

John McCain is always given respect, not so much for his views, but because of what he went through. We don’t blame him for being born in Arizona, he seems to transcend his place of birth, at least some times.

It is hard to imagine why the good Lord put New York and Arizona in the same country, but the ways of the Lord, truly, are mysterious.

Perhaps that is one thing New York and Arizona can agree on.

Liberty and Justice, Socialist and Libertarian #Flash Non-Fiction

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Flash Non-Fiction, Justice, Libertarian, Liberty, Socialist

You cannot have liberty without justice.

You cannot have justice without liberty.

The socialist prefers justice and is willing to sacrifice liberty to obtain his ideals.

The libertarian prefers liberty and is willing to sacrifice justice to obtain his ideals.

The radical independent chooses to live in the nuances of this dramatic, creative tension.

He does not embrace liberty, exclusively, though he lives and speaks freely.

He does not embrace justice, exclusively, though he treats all fairly, including himself.

He tries to balance both and attain harmony, with his own individuality, the universe and all other humans and living things.

For he would say, what is liberty or justice without harmony?

Is this an unreasonable guideline for a new politics?
To look at liberty and justice through the prism of harmony?

Perhaps they are not in such deep conflict after all.

Haven’t the great individual minds and individual souls of our collective history hinted as much?