Maureen Dowd, "In a Gaudy Theme Park, Jay-Z Meets J-Gatz": They Won't Meet JG Caesarea at the Cinema

My father-in-law, a farmer and one of the most kind-hearted persons I ever knew, died several weeks ago at the age of 94. My wife inherited a small sum of money from him, and we decided to use some of the funds to invest in Nano Retina, a tiny Israeli start-up company, which is creating an ultra small bionic retina, designed to restore sight to those blinded by retinal degenerative diseases, including age-related macular degeneration. Its 30-minute implant procedure requires local anesthesia, and return of sight is anticipated to be instantaneous (see: http://jgcaesarea.blogspot.co.il/2010/12/nano-retinas-bionic-retina-seeks-to.html). My wife and I agreed that helping to restore vision to the blind would be a fitting tribute and testimonial to her remarkable father.

Yet, I believe that there are also things in this world that are not worth seeing.

In her latest New York Times op-ed entitled "In a Gaudy Theme Park, Jay-Z Meets J-Gatz" (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/05/opinion/sunday/dowd-in-a-gaudy-theme-park-jay-z-meets-j-gatz.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0), Maureen Dowd describes the latest Hollywood production of F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby," set in 1922:

"ALL over Manhattan, in anticipation of the opening of Baz Luhrmann’s $104.5 million 3-D theme-park ride of a “Great Gatsby,” with its hip-hop-studded soundtrack and gorgeous Prada dresses, Fitzgerald is being celebrated with starry parties; Tiffany’s jazz-baby windows; Brooks Brothers boaters, bow ties and canes; and a Vogue cover of the latest Daisy Buchanan, Carey Mulligan, gleaming in diamonds and pearls, looking as if she would sound like money."

More than $100 million for this obscenely priced, would-be thrill ride? Sorry, but even if you were to offer me a ticket for free, I wouldn't go.

Apparently, like so many others over the age of fifty (see: http://jgcaesarea.blogspot.co.il/2013/05/david-brooks-confidence-responses.html), I wonder if I am still "made" for this world.

Suicide? No. In the immortal words of Robert Frost in his poem "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," written in 1922:

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
 

I still have promises to keep before I sleep.