Jeremiah: Patron of the Arts

I realize that something is wrong when I think about my car getting stolen, and I realize that my first thought, after walking out into the parking lot and realizing that someone has stolen my car, would be: Dang it! My CDs were in there! This is why I stopped keeping all of my CDs in a giant CD holder. Now I just grab two, or three - or four or five or ten - whenever I drive anywhere. But it doesn't matter, I would still be more upset about my CDs than my car. This is not not just becuase I over-value my CDs, of course (I'm not particularly attached to my car, and I have good insurance). But it kind of is. My CD collection, next to perhaps my guitar, is my most valued posession. I spend entirely too much money on CDs every month. But it's art right? It's OK to spend entirely too much money on art, right? People spend much larger sums of money on paint splattered across canvas. They spend even larger percentages of their income on clothing and cars and, you know, other stuff that they don't really need, and those things aren't even enriching to the human race or high minded or anything. Music and literature: those things are worth spending a little extra money. Never mind that the money I spend on CDs could feed lots of kids in a third world country somewhere. Nevermind that music only makes me happy for a little while before I feel like I need more music. There are worse things to be addicted to than music. Drugs, for example. Fruity alcholic drinks. Reality TV. With my musical addiction I am supporting high art in America. Well, I usually listen to pop music, so maybe just art. But it's good pop music. Well, and I have this Will Smith CD. But I don't like that CD. Really. It was a gift. So as long as I don't buy Britney Spears Greatest Hits and the new album by that girl who won American Idol, I am supporting real artists, I am a modern day patron of the arts, and instead of Bach or Matisse we have Wilco and Jack Johnson. OK, maybe not Jack Johnson. Or Wilco. Oh forget it.