Beating the Blues by Eating Doughnuts

In keeping with my plan of becoming Jewish (Festivus not withstanding), and considering the holiday season, I was reading a little about Hanukkah.  One thing I didn't realize until recently is that Jesus celebrated Hanukkah (and why not?........ he was jewish).  Nor did I realize what it was all about.

The short version goes something like this:  This dude named Antiochus Epiphanes was giving the nation of Isreal the blues, conquering, raping, pillaging, and taxing as old world (and new world) dictators tend to do.  And then a faction of Isreali soldiers were able to retake the land and Jerusalem.  After restoring the Temple they began the ritual of purification and rededication (the hebrew word for dedication is.... Hanukkah).  And after a dude found a flask of oil (olive oil.... extra virgin Im assuming) they began lighting the lamps.  The problem was that the flask that was found had only a days worth of oil in it and the ritual was to last eight days.  The miracle of Hannukah (also called the Festival of Lights) is that with one days worth of oil the Temple was rededicated for the entire eight days. 

So now Jews light eight candles, sing hymns, give presents, and eat a lot of deep fried fatty foods cooked in olive oil (doughnuts: Yiddish: פאנטשקעס pontshkes), fritters (bimuelos) potato cakes: (latkes........sounds like the perfect holiday to me). 

That said, Im intriuged at the way Judaism incorporates reminders of the goodness of life into the daily blues of the wourld.  I came across this article in a book I was reading by this Jewish dude talking about Jewish Holidays.  Check out what he had to say...

"There is a story (undoubetedly apocryphal) about a Jew who attended one of Hitler's Munich rallies at the start of the Nazi coup.  While Hitler ranted, cursing the jews, he became confused by a man in the first row who was laughing in derision at the fuehrer.  When the speech was over, Hitler's men detained the heckler and brought him to Hitler, who asked the man who he was. 

I am a Jew, he said proudly. 

Dont you believe that I will carry out my threats to destroy all Jews?  This is not a laughing matter, said Hitler.

You are not the first ruler who sought to destory us, said the Jew. Once Pharoah wanted us slain and now every year at Passover we eat matzahs (unleavened bread).  Later Haman tried to annihilate us; now each year (during Purim) we eat the delicious hamantaschen (pastry).  I couldn't help laughing, Herr Hitler, while I listened to your ranting.  I was wondering what delicacy we will eat and what holiday we will celebrate to commemorate your downfall."
(Isreals Holy Days, Daniel Fuchs pg 85).

Jews, Tattoos, and The Blues

Ok.  It's probably midlife.  Some dudes do the girl thing....(twenty-somethingish).  Some do the sports car thing.  I remember a guy I started my nursing career with who came in one morning with an earring.  It wouldn't be a big thing except earrings weren't his style at all.  He was an older dude with a big mustache (looked like Rip Taylor), and the sudden earring  (like that ruffly Jerry Seinfeld shirt) made him look like a Male-nurse/Pirate.  Or at least a little desperate; like maybe he was trying too hard.

The truth is that anything midlife comes off as desperate.  If you're gonna do it.... The goal I think is to be honest with it, and keep it somewhat within character.  And for me... tattoos aren't that much out of character.  I mean.  It's not like tomorrow I'm getting hair implants or a rug......

If I were to do something really big, I think I would become Jewish.  Really, I think it's a good fit.  I'm already circumcised.  I'm really familiar with the Old Testament.  (They don't like it when you call their Holy Book the "old" Testament).  And ultimately I think Jewish people understand the blues (One of their worship places is called "the wailing wall).

But as it is, I'm settling for getting  a tattoo  (which is the opposite of being Jewish....  Tattoos- not allowed).  And that's unfortunate because Jews and Tattoo wearer's and Blues dudes all have something in common.  They all take life and mark themselves with it in some way....

Blues guys have the songs....

Jews have it in their holidays and in the normal "stuff" of life... example;  Weekly Sabbath.  (Rest).  Yom Kippur.  (New Beginnings).  Passover.  (Deliverance).

Tattoos are kind of like that.  True... Sometimes people get tattoos just cause they think it's cool.  But sometimes it's deeper than that.  Sometimes it's about saying something about themselves, or someone they've lost.  Or who they are.  What they've come through.

Thats like a jewish holiday, Right?  And it's definitely like a blues song.