Boobs, Memory, Muslims, or Terrorists

Locust Walk was interesting today. Besides the usual shameless advertising for on-campus events, students were promoting some important social causes. On the right, a group of students barked that I should support Alzheimer’s research. On the left, a girl forced me to take a breast cancer flyer. Yellow balloons swayed in the wind, signifying the start of Islam awareness week. Above me, a banner screamed that we were in the midst of Terrorism awareness week as well.

In most cases Locust Walk is the perfect venue for the ideas expressed there. I don’t need more than a passing glance to decide that I’m not going to be attending the next a capella concert or buying a lollipop to support a sorority event. Today, though, I found myself thinking about the Walk’s issues long after I passed 36th Street. The messages seemed more strategic than usual. By setting up shop next to a competing ideology, each managed to get inside my head. Should I have listened to the guys on the right, or the girl on the left? The balloons or the banner? I was suddenly faced with moral dilemmas that I was wholly unprepared for.

Boobs or Memory?

Muslims or Terrorists?

I’d never given much thought to these age-old dichotomies, but Locust Walk had given me no choice but to consider my positions. What good are boobs if you don’t remember them? What good is memory without boobs? Should I be aware of Muslims, or be aware of Terrorists? What if I chose to ignore both? What if they weren’t two dichotomies, but one quadchotomy? Boobs, Memory, Muslims, or Terrorists. They almost seemed elemental; how could I be expected to choose between them? And on a humid day, at that? I was long past moral or philosophical – these seemed impossibly paradoxical.

Luckily, I didn’t have to wait long for my mind to be put at ease. The Crazy Christian was out in front of Van Pelt with his easel, markers, and dogma, assuring me that the Apocalypse was near. Nothing like the threat of fire and brimstone to clear your head.

Buffalo Springfield - Sad Memory

Blue Merle - Bittersweet Memory

Iron & Wine - Weary Memory

Bowerbirds - My Oldest Memory

Corey Smith - In Love With A Memory

Dispatch - Questioned Apocalypse

-Danny