Wild Coyote Jilts Ellensberg, WA Spectacle
Ellensberg Autonomous Collective, 03.09.2005 13:46
Amid quite a turn-out for same old spectacle rendering by the status-quo, a wild-looking coyote-like visitor put his liberties at risk to spontaneously splash ideas not normally even entertained in a small mid-Washington town. Comments by spectators included.
isn't it about time we move beyond the same old again?
Saturday, September 3rd
Ellensberg, WA
It's rodeo time again and the usual beasts are to go through the motions Given and perform with shiney smiles, no matter how deep their misery.
The beasts? Humans. Humans tooled to help maintain the necessary illusions of the Same Old Again. Usually people "learn" to shut up and go along, and work to help bring yet a new generation of the naive up to blindly trust, like any cattle, but this year, something happened that was a surprise.
"It wasn't until the Scottish bagpipers passed me that I got it in my head to go into this spectacle and mess with it a little," the be-masked coyote-like spirit said about his little action here. He hadn't known that the parade was happening as he was just coming through town.
"Watching [the bagpipers] impressive spirit, a new sign idea came to me as i thought how Scottish people, like so many others, have had their heart arts tooled."
The heart arts of Scotish bagpipers, for instance.
"I wrote the idea down, how 'impressive spirits are tooled by the same old again' and then let their vibe sink in to where i got the idea to pull out my masque and go art the parade.
"I just rode on my bike even tho i figured most people might not read the signs i have," the critter said, speaking of signs he already carried on his bike.
"A lot of people were 'into' the masque but i don't think the message got in other than the fierce-looking art of it."
But others saw more:
"Just the strangeness of his action messed with people who wouldn't normally even think through what they do," said Stanley Cowshaw, a Kittitas County resident who was drinking beer on one of the floats. "The dude touched off something in us that brought out a spark we wouldn't normally feel and that was fucking excellent!"
The wild, bicyle-riding coyote critter tried at first to actually join the parade at the start, imagining that the small town offishals *might* be laid-back enough to let him go, but he soon learned otherwise.
"I got a little ways when the usual tooled functionaries came up and said to get out. And then another said that if i tried to go into it later i would be removed. He didn't say i'd be arrested, but i figured that's what he was meaning."
Without local connections in case of arrest, the coyote critter opted for holding out on more informal appearances until the end of the parade where he not only rode with the tail-end, but also around the busy streets as people went home.
"I found myself wondering about what i was doing and whether it was strong enough. Tho i was inspired by a few who showed their delight and apparent understanding."
Like a lone mom who spoke up to our reporter:
"I saw his anti-everyday war message and just sprang up despite myself. The image was that compelling. He touched off something deep that I've been harboring too long."
"Why is it," said Winston Orsen, passing by with poignant words, "that we don't *permit* ourselves to move beyond the corralls given us and create such a presence oftener? This guy has some real balls, and I admire that."
