Arrangers in the Sun

Written By: George Jennifer

If I said the word “if” (and however it may be said in all other languages) is one of the most important words, would I be correct? I think so, because it beckons a realm of possibilities i.e. “If this had been done, then perhaps there would have been no need to do that.” “If that hadn’t been done, then this may not have occurred,” etc.
And when we begin to ponder what positive and negative results may have accrued as direct repercussions of past actions, we realize the probabilities are endless. And in my opinion, the Second World War was Planet Earth’s last great influencer of the future. Oh, some will say it was the turbulent era between 1966 and 1975 instead, but I see what happened in those years as directly evolving from events that occurred between 1929 and 1945. And, yes, I’m aware of the massive technological changes mankind has experienced since then, yet the fallout of “attitudes toward life” bequeathed to those generations which followed the Great Depression/World War Two generation, cannot be denied. Those attitudes live on as undeniable realities, and challenge us to evaluate all past influences upon any society as it may have been at any particular spot in time, both prior to, and after that depression and war – all the way back to mankind’s first violation of conduct committed in the Garden of Eden.
And, as I suppose you can now see, you’ll need to use discretion to determine whether, in your mind what’s to be written in “Arrangers In The Sun,” as well as in its two companion pieces, Fighters and Innocents In The Sun, are verifiably truthful facts, postulations, and inferences. But in my mind, I’m positive that the Arrangers piece in without reproach, and I’m sure that my friends Orlon Braem and Rashon Leyf will be completely candid in their subsequent submissions to this undertaking as well.
I believe that “arrangers in the sun” are people who attempt to promulgate situations which might facilitate an “orderliness of living.” In other words, they seek outcomes well-directed, constructive, and not wasteful of Earth’s most basic and precious asset – time. And some of the members of their category of humanity have told me that in the midst of their searches for societal discipline, they’ve uncovered what seem to be some universal truths and/or matters of fact.
And when I asked of them what, in their opinion, the foremost of those truths was, they said the following which I’m quoting now nearly verbatim: “Is it an act of irony, or simply a manifestation of chance, that seemingly random fears we’ve had, have often become actualities in our real existences so shortly after they’ve entered our thoughts as dreadful occurrences capable of happening?”
And I answered those arrangers in the sun thus: “Maybe the question you’ve just put to me is actually a statement by you meant to reveal the reality of emotions you’ve felt as living beings who’ve experienced the truth of its words.”
And I think it’s because of such confrontations with real matters concerning human life as have been documented here in the few preceding paragraphs, that I’ve now imagined the existence of three distinct divisions of mankind which, both separately and as a group attempt to fashion some sense of order and human safety in a world of chaos and carelessness. And I’ve designated those three classifications as being arrangers, fighters and innocents figuratively struggling in a symbolic sun whose rays illumine both the good and evil of mankind.
And the arrangers are such people who first discover societal improprieties, and then “set the stage” so to speak so that “fighters for justice, truth and order” can combat those forces which, for one reason or another, would simply worsen individual lives upon Planet Earth. And while “fighters in the sun” struggle against all types of troublemakers, many "innocents in the sun,” while law-abiding citizens, seem to feel that if they disengage themselves from all serious disputes and conflicting points of view, they’ll then be able to live lives of quietude, peace, and of course fun.
And thus, that’s my introduction to arrangers, fighters and innocents in the sun. But my goodness, whenever I think about my ideology concerning those groups, I’m shocked to realize that all I’ve mentally and physically learned upon this planet has apparently still left me with so much more to comprehend.
But something I do know to be factual, is that I’ve stated at least once before in this forum that on the day Ralph Hawk turned the mayoral duties of this city over to me, he told me that it wouldn’t be the common or expected tasks of a mayor that I’d find to be the most difficult to contend with here; it would be the bizarre or unexplainable events which are unique to this municipality. And that’s proven to be true. But yet, something he only alluded to briefly that day has now grown to be a very significant factor here, and now demands much attention on my part; and I’m speaking now of the literary importance of the various written works (or pieces) which emanate (and mostly under my supervision) from here.
And frankly, when I undertook this job, I didn’t know that many highly talented writers lived in this city. I’d heard of course of it’s so-called “artistic enclave” which exists just north of the river, but I’d always imagined that those who lived and practiced artistic lifestyles there were basically novices to the various categories (or divisions) of artistic endeavor. And believe me, I didn’t know then of the literary possibilities which existed in this city, but I’ve found out! And recently I’ve been asked to develop what’s easily become my most difficult literary or journalistic assignment to date. The overlords of this city want a piece or pieces (however many it takes they said) submitted to this forum which will deal with their gratitude for what’s been done by those people whom they consider this city’s “movers and shakers.”
So, I’ll try to reinforce that gratitude. But it may be that my opinions concerning
“right living” and those who supposedly practice it differ from what are evidently majority held viewpoints. And I fear that may be true, because I know I’ve always tried, although often apparently unsuccessfully, to formulate some sort of order, or at least synthesis out of the seeming randomness of everyday modern life with its larger and lesser deeds, as well as its correct and incorrect deductions. But I don’t know that I’ve ever found what I could term any real “heroes of the everyday,” myself included. Still, it can most likely be said that simply fulfilling one’s daily routine successfully and without disruption or criminal action could be looked upon as being heroic.
But I believe I’ve always set my sight upon the stationary unchanging light that guides all mortals as they ride upon the merry-go-round of time’s passage. And yet, just now I’ve begun to wonder if I’ve understood the manifestations of chaos too well, while failing to comprehend the universal value of orderliness. And thus I’ve thought that as a servant of the people (mayor of this city) I should undertake a quest to document the “realities of everyday life” as experienced by such people as I’d term fighters and innocents in the sun; with the designation “fighters” referring to such types as strive to, in one fashion or another, keep time’s passage orderly upon Planet Earth, while the appellation “innocents” described those other people – those others who constitute the vast majority of mankind – those others who basically only react to the various events of life as they occur, and seldom attempt to stop or alter any scenarios of life developing around them. And before I move on to the next topic, I’d like to offer a personal opinion concerning so-called “innocents in the sun.” I have little use for what I term “haters of intellectual pursuit.” I don’t subscribe to the theory that just because someone never took the time or effort to know about or understand the importance of various political, societal, religious, economic, or even commonplace events occurring in the real world around one, therefore that one was exempt from any of the outcomes those phenomena may have led to.
And maybe what I’ve said in this piece concerning people who try to arrange orderly outcomes seems to have shown those people as being rather pushy. If so, I’m not sorry. Actually what they really are is what they need to be to best resolve every situation they encounter! And as far as pushiness is concerned, I know that Orlon’s piece (which will appear here in some time to come), about “fighters in the sun” will display it. How do I know that? I know it because those who fight for order and common sense in the midst of what seems to be a prevailing media left wing bias, and who often encounter non-media types seeking opposing viewpoints to those offered by such left wingers, cannot be wimps! And late night talk show hosts who fan the flames of political rhetoric, even while discussing assassinations, are also stumbling blocks placed in the path of everyday American existence.