One day last week, I found myself feeling pretty low and wanted little to do with the outside world, but the fridge told me that we needed eggs, cheese, and a 12-pack of fresh IPA; so, off to Ric’s, the local grocer with a good beer selection, I went.
I quickly did my shopping and was soon in line, trying to avoid eye contact with others, especially the obligatory, stereotypical “red-hatted” old white dude two people behind me in line who was probably paying with a Bridge Card, but got in the cult because now he has permission to be a racist bigot and THAT is what makes America great in his mind, NOT help paying for his groceries and healthcare!! I digress.
It was soon my turn, and as I was running my credit card, the dude right behind, who was roughly my age and looked like he was on lunch break from a real man-type job, but wearing eyeglasses that gave away his closeted hipsterness, saw the “SMITHS IS DEAD” T-shirt I was wearing that features an image of Oscar Wilde. He then said, “The Smiths and Oscar Wilde on one T? Wow!”
To which I replied, “You know, I’ve had this shirt for over a year and you’re the first person to ever get it or comment, ha!”
He went on to say that an ex-girlfriend of his had been a big Smiths fan, so he got the reference. “And, well, Oscar Wilde,” he said matter-of-factly, as if everyone in our middle-of-nowhere Michigan town has read his works and would know what he looked like.
Soon, I was ready to split with my beer and food, and he said, “Have a good one, dude.” Then the mousy-looking young girl bagging my groceries, who looked as if her cats and reading are her favorite things in the world, handed me my bag of items and super shyly said, “It really is a cool t-shirt.”
“Hey, thanks! You have a good one.”
And with that, I walked happily to my car, safe in the knowledge that while the Red Hatted Cult is all too real, there are still some folks out there who “get it” and don’t need hate to feel accepted or part of something bigger.
Minutes later, I was hurling myself towards home, with a live bootleg of the unreleased new Moz song “I Ex-Love You” playing on the stereo of Escape II.
Maybe I’m the one in the cult? Well, if so, I’ve been a card carrying member for 40 years!
Later.
NOTE: Listen, I know Mozzer can be a divisive artist, and with good reason sometimes. I’ve struggled with him at times as well. However, he and The Smiths have been there for me to escape from and/or attempt to make sense of the real world since I was 14. I’m going to be 54 in a couple of weeks, so as you can see, that’s a fucking long time! And since I don’t do change that well, I’ll be riding this one out to the end.
Other ramblings on The Smiths
This Tape, from December, 2020.