I suspect that many of us who inhabit the blogosphere today would be considered a little bit outside the mainstream. We are most probably here because we think we have something to say; perhaps we have time on our hands; perhaps we have interests (hobbies?) that are provided an outlet though this medium; perhaps some of us are fortunate enough to belong to the minority who are in a position to lead lives beyond the seemingly never-ending need to earn a living. Seen in this context, some of us may be considered a little crazy, and craziness in the eyes of the mainstream of society can sometimes take you in a different direction in your life. Witness the story of Elijah Alfred “NatureBoy” Alexander, Jr that I found in the Washington Post today. It includes the following quote:
“I’m the freest man in America.”
Reading the article led me to do some more searching about this gentleman. I came upon another blogspot called Invisible People, and a page about the gentleman noted above. The blog includes the following video interview.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GO3IULOrrlM#t=17
Many thoughts come to mind when reading about Nature Boy. Some of them are perhaps captured in the comments that follow the Washington Post article. Some of them come from reading about the lives of the Invisible People. I wonder how many of us think we are qualified to pass judgement on people like Elijah Alfred Alexander, Jr? And do we think that the existence of the invisible people in our societies today is acceptable? If anything, I think all of this is commentary on the kind of society that we inhabit today. And I for one certainly think it is possible to do better.
Splattered Brains 