4:03 PM Thu, May 29, 2008 | Permalink
TJ Aulds
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Few would know that behind the scenes of For Men Only, sits a group of men we kindly call the Smoke Ring Think Tank. It's a group of guys who gather regularly to smoke cigars, drink good scotch/whiskey, discuss the beauty of women other than our wives and girlfriends, complain how much a pain our wives and girlfriends are, debate politics, talk cars and ponder crucial issues from the perspective of What Would John Wayne Do?
One of the senior members of the Smoke Ring is the silversmith Jack Hall.
Jack not only works with silver (as well as gold, diamonds, etc...), but also has a silver tongue to boot.
As elders of any group do, Jack offers nuggets of wisdom to guide all men through life.
Sometimes the gems of wisdom are sought out, but oftentimes Jack just blurts them out to break up a moment of silence.
Now, the meaning of Jack's comments are not clear at first and require a good amount of thinking. They are often a cross between Confucius and Plato and we are not entirely certain even the brightest of philosophy professors could pinpoint his comments true meaning.
We have come to understand that each Jackism has to be interpreted by the individual who hears it. The only requirement is that you must ponder the Jackism and then live your life accordingly.
With that, each week, we will endeavor to bring you a Jackism of Wisdom.
It will be up to you to decipher just what Jack is trying to say.
This week's Jackism:
"Sometimes life is like feeding strawberries to a mule."
wtf?
Jackism's,
As a participant in the Jackson experience for the last 5 years I believe that I might be the foremost expert in understanding and interpreting Jackism's. I make this statement not to say that I am any smarter than the rest of the "Rummies" who seem to proliferate our humble domain but that Jackson and I have probably had brownies from the same bowl and drank some of the same tea. (A lot of brownies and a lot of tea) This gives me some insight into the wisdom that is Jack Hall. He is our Sage, our seeker of truth and professor of all things incomprehensible. For those of you who are going to start your journey into the philosophy of Jackson I request that you keep an open mind and realize that all statements are based upon facts and truth. The problem lies in the fact that you have to understand where the facts and the truth are based. I will say that this is easier to do with Jackson than it is with a Democrat, but it is still not easy. Myself and a couple of the other boys such as A.B.M. and K.C. will do our best to explain the revelations that Jackson will drop on you each week but if you don't get it don't blaim me because according to Jackson, "I'm Cool Baby". As to this weeks Jackism, I've heard this statement for the last few years and at times thought I had a grasp on it but I must admit that I am with Hugo, (WTF).
Still in search of Tails in the Trailer Park.
D.
Ah the Jackism. Those pearls of wisdom wrapped in a clam. If only they were easy to understand. But then, if they were easily understood, they wouldn't be Jackisms now would they? Many is the time that I have been in the presence of the one and only Mr. Hall whilst he held court in our beloved Ring over a hot cup of mud puffing on the latest sharoot. Be they anecdotal or humorous, Jack's words are always a comfort. To my knowledge, nobody knows where Jack's knowlege comes from. The mostly likely sources are his "pretty little daddy" and his vast experience with all things. His is the type of knowledge that can only be learned, never taught.
I must admit, Jack's wisdom can be difficult to comprehend. And believe me, I generally don't have difficulty comprehending complicated subjects let alone thought processes. (If I'm lying, may God "let the air out of me" now.) I've immersed myself in the philosophical musings and writings of some of the worlds greatest minds. Sun Tzu, Aristotle, Plato, Mill, Nietzche, Hume, Hegel, Bart Simpson, Stewie Griffin, Michael Savage, Neal Boortz, Marcinko, Snoop Dogg, Machiavelli, Isaac Newton and Chris Rock have all had some philosophical influence on me. And yet none of them is Jack Hall. Jack's wisdom is of a different ilk entirely. I'll say this, for those new to the wisdom of the Ring, it is NOT for beginners. Jack's words have led to more confused blank stares than they have to enlightening moments of clarity. And yet, for those of us who have paid our dues and spent the time to try to understand Jack, the moment comes when something clicks and he makes sense. That, my friends, is graduation day. When you can make sense of Jack Hall as his thoughts relate to you, and take his teachings with the pillar of salt they deserve- a grain will never be enough- and can somehow manage to apply the knowledge to your daily life, then you have arrived. Sadly, some will never get there. Hugo, you may very well spend every waking moment from the time you "cross the 18 yard line" til "Aces and Eights" attempting to understand just "wtf" and you still may never come to something resembling understanding. Fear not, many don't achieve true Jackson Awareness. But then, life needs all types.
It would be exceedingly difficult to truly explain Jack to anyone outside the Ring. Indeed my good friends D, KC, and TJ would probably agree that it is nigh impossible. Come to think of it, many of the characters who regulary darken the threshold of our beloved Ring would be difficult to explain to anyone from the outside. Alas, experience would be the best teacher. Time spent in the presence of Mr. Hall is not wasted because there is always something new. Jack is never dull. You'd have to spend the time with him to truly understand him. For Jack Hall is a one of a kind, and there can never be another. Simply put, there are those that get it and those that don't. For those of us that get it, Jack can be a real riot, or a real mystery. He has caused us hysterical laughter and led us to question the soundness of his unique mind. Still, he is always Jack. And I, for one, wouldn't trade the old guy for a golden monkey.
Following the dusty trail back to Alta Loma.
I remain,
IncogNegro