Break Stuff or Make Stuff

[bennie2]

There's an old building across the road from where I work. I work in the centre of the financial district (spit) in Glasgow; an area flooded with too tall, too ugly buildings that seperate the Clyde from the City with a big wall of glass and bullshit. But this little building across from me... It looks like it used to be an old workshop. I'd guess it was built C.1950. Low, one level building. Dark red brick work and a flat roof. The land must have been bought, finally, a few months ago because over the past month I've watched land surveyors, gas men, electricians and finally demolition men enter the fenced off area. A few days ago I witnessed a guy on the roof, sans hardhat, yelling down to his buddy on the ground to, "throw [him] the sledgehammer", which, his buddy did. He threw it up at him once and missed, it fell back down to the ground with a dull, heavy stop. Missing the thrower by a foot or two. He got it up second time.

Today, the building finally came down. What a joy. I'd been excited about this for weeks. "I hope they don't decide to rip it down on a weekend day. Wouldn't it be sad to come to work and find it gone?" A heavy digger thing (like a sort of bright yellow t-rex) came thundering in around 10am. He slowly began to munch at the walls of the building. they folded and broke apart as though they were made of slightly soggy wafer biscuits. They appeared almost to be liquid. Then, a swift slam into one of the central iron girders caused the roof to bend and slowly fall in on itself. Glorious! What a spectacle. The rich fuck cars parked along the street got a healthy smattering of dust.

But I was struck by how much I enjoyed the scene. How much I envied a man who gets to break shit for a living. Destruction isn't me! I shouldn't enjoy such things! But I did. I even thought of the songs I'd listen to in the cockpit of the t-rex machine. Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries:
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followed by some Welcome to the Jungle by GnFnRs:
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and, probably some AC/DC:
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what a job!

It made me think of how I used to love boxing (watching, not participating) when i was younger. I used to talk about boxing the way a macho guy talks of most sport. I loved it! I could tell you who held the belts, who was fighting to defend their belt and when... and i was always struck by how this shouldn't be so. Two men beating seven shades of shit out of each other in a little pen and people cheering for more?!? This was so (like, so) against what I stood for.

Destruction/Creation

There can be no true beauty without decay.

[Arcadia]

interesting topic bennie!!!. I guess destruction is needed for creation. I particularly don´t enjoy when old buildings are destroyed in order to construct new ones. I love those old houses from the beggining of the XX century with tall roofs, big rooms, wooden stairs, vitraux windows and dark patios (even though I can´t live in one of them!!). With the years I discovered in me a very strong lado conservador!!!! (specially in relation with material things) . But on the other hand I enjoy the decay-of-ideas-and-feelings show!!!

thanks for the musicalization!!!!!!!!