The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1951-06-13
This Rock
Of Our"
By BILL GLIB

Inc tOWH SeSItlS 10 nave 1Ol1GA
up and gone into summer hiber-
nation. The only subject being
talked on the streets is the pres
ent drought and heat wave Even
the politicians are keeping quiet
about newsworthy matters. At
least, | haven't heard the usual
I've done this for you, and I'm
going to do that for you, etc,
which is usually broadcasted
daily on every street corner.
Perhaps this is a good time to
make sort of a true confession
column.
You see, quite often This Rock
talks about more or less abstract
subjects. Such things as moral
ethics, spiritual values, decent,
normal behaviour.
1t is amazing but true that
here is more reader reaction
from these discussions than when
I'VE devote ourselves to such i'm
portant tangible items as danger
ous buildings. unwarranted politi-
cal interference with city govern
ment, etc.
Some readers express apprecia-
ton that word or thought
from this column has hit them at
the hour they needed ii most
Others have been quite vehement
because apparently they had ac-
cidently read the column and had
been Jared into a few moments
meditation. The general reaction
If our citizenry today is that if a
subject requires thought, then it
belongs in the children's text
books at school or the old folks
reading material by a front porch
rocker.
Sadly enough, modern journal
ism has a tendency to cater 10
this latter type Of reaction. A
popular supposition that edited
material is prepared for a thir-
Teen year old mentality is wrong
only because ii does the thirteen
year olds a grave injustice thru
insinuation. They are really much
nmarter and more wide-awake
than their elders
The abstract subjects dealt with
in "This Rock" are not aimed at
the general public. They are for
the solitary individuals here and
there who are lonesome and blues
worried ard insure OF themselves
the folks who have at last de-
cided that happiness must be at
tanned not through the particular,
but through consideration of the
whole
I've never touched on religion
though spiritual values have Of
zen been mentioned. The differ
ence between the two can be great
or small, depending upon the in
dividual, However, it pleases me
to hear that different people
think I'm Protestant, Catholic, or
Jewish. BY the same token, my
face would be sort Of red if all
three of these denomination in
sisted simultaneously He doesn't
belong to u.s..
Most OF us love the words of
poets that bring into existence a
true, deep. otherwise unexpress-
ible emotion. For this reason, /
often try to work them into the
column. How, except by quoting
a Kipling's Envoi". could an
average man express such under
standing as
Il have eaten your bread and
salt
| have drunk your water and
wine.
Inc deatns We ulea nave
watched beside,
And the lives that ye led
were mine
Or Is there any better way Of
expressing honest humility than
10 twist a certain phrase and say,
Not my will, but Thy Will be
done?
And SO This Rock winds up
by saying that it is written TO
each and everyone oil you read
ers, not as a group, but as individ-
uals. Your own comments and
criticisms win guide the column
into writing what You want 20
read if. and this is important, IF
you tell us Of this desire.