Dealing With Headaches

George Carlin was one of my heroes, partially because of his love of wordplay and partially because his jokes could make me laugh even when I was suffering from migraines. For a while, I could bathe in his soothing absurdity (which often made a great deal more sense that just about anything else you’ll read.) No other human being could say the word F*** and make it sound like art.

As you’ve probably heard, George Carlin died on Sunday of heart failure. The news broke this morning. It makes me wonder if George did this on purpose, another “yet another reason to hate Mondays” sort of thing. I wouldn’t put it past him. He could be a cantankerous old sod at times.

But then again, according to his own jokes about euphamisims help brainwash people into things are much better than they really are, no one ever dies any more. “Dies” is too harsh and final-sounding of a word. They just “pass away”.

I discovered that he’s not very well known in England (to my advantage). George’s monologues helped me adjust to the culture shock of moving to England (especially his diatribes against airplane travel) — and then moving back to America. One of the ways to break the ice with strangers in a country you are not native to is to tell a few jokes. Boy, was I looked on a comic genius in the Bath homeless community, or what? And since I didn’t revcieve any money for those jokes, I don’t think it quie falls under the category of “plagerism”.

Life is full of headaches, both real and metaphorical. Just look at the evening news. Just makes you want to curl up in a ball in the basement, coat your thumb with tramadol and suck on it, doesn’t it? George was a preacher, in a way, but with a far more catholic message than from…well, from Catholics. He wanted to try and get people to think for themselves and demand better from big companies and governments, but he also made you laugh while subtly getting his underlying message across.

At least there are recordings from George’s routines from vinyl to DVDs to help soothe us when life’s headaches get to be too much.

Thanks, George. Hope you’re reunited with Tiny the dog and having the Bong to End All Bongs.