Burnin' for You
Dungeons and Dragons, Blue Oyster Cult and my Mom
Kayfabe
Kayfabe might be a new word to you, especially if, like me, you came of age before the internet killed all the long-held secrets. At one point, magicians protected their craft, the armed forces and the Police pretended they weren’t white nationalist organizations, and WRESTLING was REAL. Kayfabe was the wrestling industry’s code - including the admonition not to spill it - and it was taken as seriously as that other big lie, There is No Mafia. Now, all those secrets are spilled, but it doesn’t seem to matter. Consider the recent failed ex-president with ties to both the WWE and the MOB and a penchant for shameless, brazen lying? We’re all wrestling lately.
Blue Oyster Culture
Of course, the biggest secrets in my life were the religious deceits - the bummerful Nobody Knows God At All, and The Priesthood is a Rape Culture That Destroys Children. I’ve written plenty on that (That’s Me In the Corner, 2015) and don’t need to say a ton about it right now.
Mom’s religiosity was fundamental to her. By the time I started reconsidering mine, hers had already gotten her through deep suffering - tuberculosis, abuse, war, emigration, poverty - and the essential insult and burden of being female in the patriarchy. She was smart, bright, witty, and courageous, and she couldn’t have her own bank account for the first decade of her marriage. She put all of her ferocity into being a really amazing, impactful Mother. And then THAT exploded - stay tuned - and she would never really recover.
So, forgiveness. My mother did her level best, and I am coming to terms with that being the most anybody can hope to do. Your mistakes are not how you should be defined. MOST of the religious shit was just goofy.
Just like the Satanic stuff.
Thanks for reading. If you dig it, share it.
peace out,
jep
PS: making this comic uncovered some weird-ass trivia about that Loverboy cover. Read about it here.