David Crosby’s Crucible

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.newsweek.com/david-crosby-mourns-late-s...

Crosby responded to a fan wishing him support with the straight out of the Book Of Job response "Maybe it's a test" referring to the death of his 21 year old biological son Beckett from an opioid overdose.

He has been having a tough run lately.  Neil Young won't answer his messages, Graham Nash has stated that CSNY is done, his heart is failing, he didn't get to join Phil for highly anticipated shows to celebrate Phil's 80th, while he has kept creating meaningful new music-he can't tour because of the COVID-19 shutdown, and he's considering selling off his guitar collection to keep from losing his house because he has arthritis so bad that he can't play them anymore.  
 

Man, who's spirit animal did this guy grudge-fuck?

 I took a great class on Existentialism offered by the Religious Studies department when I was an undergrad at the University of Virginia.  It was taught by Professor Nathan Scott, who moonlighted as a Southern Baptist preacher.  We studied all the classics, Descartes, Camus, Sartre, Kierkegaard, Martin Buber, etc., but the first thing we studied was the Book of Job from the Old Testament. I'll never forget Rev. Scott's imposing oratorical style as he argued that Job's story was the original existential dilemma.  He would loudly intone, "the Devil tried to break Job, but Job was a RIGHTEOUS man!"  Prof. Scott's preaching would clear out whatever cobwebs the previous night's partying and sleep deprivation had implanted and get you fired up for that day's trip through academia.

Anyhow, best wishes for Crosby, and for Beckett's parents, his biological mother Julie Cypher (years ago, also in Charlottesville, I worked as a cook in a restaurant managed by one of her cousins) and her ex-partner Melissa Etheridge.   Makes me wonder about the risks involved in asking a recovering addict to be your sperm donor?

Tough times all around.  In the words of one of the songs Crosby used to sing with the Byrds who's words come from another biblical text that Pete Seeger borrowed from to write these lyrics:

To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time to every purpose, under heaven

A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep

To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time to every purpose, under heaven

A time to build up, a time to break down
A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together

To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time to every purpose, under heaven

A time of love, a time of hate
A time of war, a time of peace
A time you may embrace, a time to refrain from embracing

To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time to every purpose, under heaven

A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew
A time for love, a time for hate
A time for peace, I swear it's not too late