March 13: Try to Kill the Stars, Saint Francis, Brothers and Sisters

Santiago imagines killing the moon and stars . . . 

"The fish is my friend too," he said aloud. "I have never seen or heard of such a fish. But I must kill him. I am glad we do not have to try to kill the stars."

Imagine if each day a man must try to kill the moon, he thought. The moon runs away. But imagine if a man each day should have to try to kill the sun? We were born lucky, he thought.

Then he was sorry for the great fish that had nothing to eat and his determination to kill him never relaxed in his sorrow for him. How many people will he feed, he thought. But are they worthy to eat him? No, of course not. There is no one worthy of eating him from the manner of his behaviour and his great dignity.

I do not understand these things, he thought. But it is good that we do not have to try to kill the sun or the moon or the stars. It is enough to live on the sea and kill our true brothers.

I love that Santiago recognizes his place in the universe.  He calls the fish he catches "true brothers."  Saint Francis did the same thing, calling animals brothers and sisters.  Brother Fly.  Sister Dove.  Brother wolf.  It's a healthy way to exist on this planet, acknowledging the interconnection of all living things.  It negates the human impulse to own and exploit, which has been the root of some of the worst atrocities committed by us naked, hairless bipeds.

Of course, Santiago also recognizes some things that are simply out-of-reach for humans.  The moon and sun.  Hemmingway wrote about Santiago many years before Neil Armstrong stepped foot on the moon.  In fact, Santiago had his little adventure with his brother fish about five years before the Russians launched Sputnik.

Today, I performed in two episodes of a radio variety show.  I helped write the scripts, as well.  I really love working with this group of musicians, actors, and actresses.  They have become like brothers and sisters to me.  We all have neuroses and quirks.  When we get together, it's like celebrating Christmas with all of your strange relatives that you love.

Is there competition between us?  Just to see who can make the audience or each other laugh the loudest.  That's what we hunt.  Laughter.  Is there stress during the weekend?  Absolutely.  Pulling together a show in the space of a couple days is the definition of stress.  Because you are creating something out of nothing.  In a sense, we are hunting moons and suns.

My favorite thing I did this weekend was a Saint Patrick's Day skit that I wrote and acted in.  It was fun and funny.  I shot for the stars, and I think, to use an acting term, it killed.  In a good way.  Everyone had a good time--musicians, actors, and audience.  All brothers and sisters in comedy.

Marty--the patron saint of the one-liners.