By Peter Molenaar
“Angst” is a German word which has achieved vernacular status in the contemporary English. It means: anxiety with a little depression thrown in. For our purposes, the word connotes an omnipresent but less than full-blown anxiety, which normally remains repressed by the requirements of daily living.
To the discerning eye, an under-current of angst was revealed among the gathered “masses” at this year”'s State Fair. We are the masses. Unfortunately, our angst has become a playground for dishonest politicians.
So, the annual reaffirmation of Minnesotan identity has passed. The cow barn displayed again the Jersey Cow with beautiful eyes and baby face. The sheep were proudly groomed, snow-white and alert. Even the hogs were giddy.
Note:Â The price of admission has once again gone up and is a form of regressive taxation.
Fortunately, my traveling companion directed me to some free concerts within the fair. May I say that the uniquely soulful Alison Scott caused her front row gaggle of guys to melt in their seats? Moreover, the nuanced sophistication of Chaney Moon of Roma di Luna transfixed us while the small children came forward to dance.
After thought”¦
In the realm of live performance arts, the feminine form prevails. Yet, in a worker”'s socialist society, no ballerina condescends (witness: Moscow Ballet, 1982). Her gift was granted to intellectual and “simple peasant” alike.
Why then do the Sarah Palins of the world tell us that educated (“liberal establishment”) people must necessarily “look down” on us? Truth is, “common sense” dictates that intellectuals and workers must unite for a better future.
As for the revolutionaries among us, they see the future through the eyes of children (our beautiful dancing children). They do not declare superiority but feel only sorrow (and angst) that they may not live to see the day.
