Sapiens

“This is the best reason to learn history: not in order to predict the future, but to free yourself of the past and imagine alternative destinies.”  Yuval Noah Harari

artist illustrations of Home Erectus and Neanderthal

Sapiens, from the Latin, literally means rational or wise and refers to modern humans developing imagination as distinguished from extinct predecessors such as Home erectus, arising about 1,8 million years ago in east Africa and subsequently spreading into Europe and Asia, in time developing simple tools and harnessing fire. Early Homo sapiens included Neanderthals, who developed between 150,000 and 300,000 years ago and had a greater brain capacity and developed means of communicating by language.  Neanderthals disappeared around 30,000 years ago, and around 10,000 years ago modern man began a transition from hunting and gathering to settling down and growing crop, necessitating more than a modicum of largescale cooperation.

Sheila Brown and Jackie Stone

Wearing a VIP pass, I arrived at the Gary International Film Festival, was greeted warmly by community activist Walter Jones, and enjoyed a women’s panel discussion for those desiring to make a career in media.  Participants included celebrity stylist Latricia Edwards, producer/directors Christine Swanson and Jackie Stone, and Sheila Brown, former production manager for Sports Channel Chicago and founder of Cinespace Foundation.  Two panelists, inspired by Spike Lee, attended NYU.  The others advanced as a result of, as Sheila Brown put it, “Polite persistence,” getting a foot in the door, making contacts, and then seizing opportunities.  Next, I went to Bergland Auditorium for a Sin City Deciples documentary.  At some point there was a stir.  Close to 200 bikers had arrived wearing their colors, about equally divided between members and Angels and probably as many whites as blacks.  They quickly filled the auditorium to capacity, with more outside.  In the front row was Sonny McGhee, just 17 when he founded the club in Gary in 1967.  When some in the audience were talking during Karen Toering’s introduction, McGhee stood up, told people to show some respect, and suddenly you could hear a pin drop.  He thanked a group of Hell’s Angels for attending and credited that group for inspiring him to form the Deciples. The documentary made clear that members took care of business when necessary (“Death before Dishonor” being their motto), especially when harassed by racist clubs at biker roundups.  McGhee stressed the “blood in blood out” loyalty bonds.  The experience was quite educational and, I’ll admit it, exciting.

Saturday Evening Club (SEC) host Abe Ibrahim prepared a tasty Middle Eastern dinner and spoke on the topic “Amazing Homo Sapiens,” what Jim Albers called prehistory, based largely on Yuval Noah Harari’s “Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind.”  At one point, I learned, the world population was reduced to around 1,200; two thousand years ago the number was approximately 2 million compared to billions at present.  My contribution was to emphasize how new development in DNA research and other fields, including physics, anthropology, medicine, communication, archeology, and history have drastically altered the prevailing wisdom of reality. I chatted at length with old Miller friend Larry Galler and Scott Brown, former owner of Phil-B’s, where the SEC once met regularly.  Now the club has become more nomadic, this time assembling at Nina Clare’s on Calumet Avenue in Valpo.  Scott recently sold Phil-B’s to a Mexican family who previously worked for him, and, sad to say, some patrons chastised him for selling to Mexicans and stopped eating there.  Brown recommended the Justice John Paul Stevens book, “The Making of a Justice: Reflections on My First 94 Years,” published posthumously.

Back from Egypt, Dick and Cheryl Hagelberg took us to Memorial Opera House for a presentation of Agatha Christie’s murder mystery “The Mousetrap.”  We had seen it 30 years ago in London, but I had forgotten whodunnit.  The acting was excellent but I had trouble understanding the characters, being somewhat hard of hearing and due in part to the British accents. Afterwards at Pesto’s dinner Dick and Cheryl showed us photos of pyramids and other Egyptian wonders dating back thousands of years. My filet mignon and mashed potatoes entrée was ample enough for leftovers the next day.

I remain undefeated in Fantasy Football thanks in large part to QB Patriot Tom Brady’s two rushing TDs, an oddity. Next week Carolina has a bye, so I’ll be without running back Christian McCaffery.  He was held to under a hundred total yards but also scored twice, enabling me to beat grandson Anthony’s team, The Powerhouse.

Conservative commentator George Will criticized Republicans as “vegetative” for their “canine obedience” to that “scofflaw” Trump.  Well put.