Video clips and screenshots borrowed from Apple Music’s Zane Lowe as he interviews Pearl Jam.

“The ‘DARK MATTER’ interview.”

Published on YouTube, May 1, 2024.

The Flowerman certainly has learned so much recently about all the technology required to compose this blog. He looked into copyright issues related to the attached video clips and still images shared here. He’s hoping what he learned was enough and that both Pearl Jam and Apple Music don’t get too mad and appreciate the intent here. Fingers crossed it doesn’t get pulled!

Relevant then, relevant today.

Eddie Vedder’s answer to the interviewer’s question below: 

Zane Lowe –  “How do you manage your own passion for staying on the right side of history and for change? To try to be positive and active in that world but not necessarily feel you’ve got to head butt bureaucracy, hypocrisy and all these fucking shitty things that don’t seem to want to go away?”

Eddie Vedder – “Be careful not to add to the ‘NOISE’……..being a positive force in the world.” 

“NOISE” – Literal or Figurative?

The Flowerman can only assume that Eddie Vedder is speaking figuratively. After all, being part of one of the most influential rock bands in the world, Pearl Jam LITERALLY continues to add beautiful ‘NOISE’ to the world with every new release ‘being a positive force in the world.’

That leaves figurative, open to interpretation.

The Flowerman chooses to interpret Eddie Vedders ‘NOISE’ as not giving all the negativity out there, particularly found in social media the oxygen to breathe, he’s saying stop sharing. Stop sharing the negativity, stop providing the oxygen, the fuel necessary for it to burn out of control.

Results of a Google search on musician Xavier Rudd’s music below:

“Xavier Rudd’s song ‘Where to Now’, which features the lyric, ‘Social media is messing with young minds’. The line appears in a social media post from his official account, where he shares lyrics that touch on the negative impact of social media on mental health.”

Again, this is only how The Flowerman chooses to interpret ‘NOISE’ without the ability to discuss in person with Mr. Vedder.

The Flowerman 🌻 cycled to a very important meeting the other day choosing his attire with intent and purpose in mind. The T-shirt he chose to wear was literally a t-shirt that had been taken off a passenger’s back by himself, while he was wearing the t-shirt at the fare-box. This fascinating gentleman, while riding on the Flowerman’s LOVE BUS months ago saying “this is my favorite t-shirt, I want you to have it.” Immediately laundered, folded and put away for another day. That day was definitely then. “Illegitimi non carborundum” is a mock-Latin aphorism meaning “Don’t let the bastards grind you down”. It is not a true Latin phrase but a humorous, made-up expression that gained popularity during World War II and has since been widely adopted as a defiant rallying cry. Like himself, This passenger knows well through numerous conversations that The Flowerman 🌻will stand up to fight the good fight when necessary.

The painted fedora he chose to wear that day is the Flowerman’s first “hat” he designed and created that kicked off and inspired more funky and fun hats to be worn in the future.  Around the brim he painted “LOVE”, a daisy, his own “Flowerman logo” sunflower, a rainbow, a lily, and a “PEACE” symbol containing tiny little flowers within. 

Eddie Vedder’s answer to this question has a powerful message. His answer is exactly how The Flowerman 🌻chooses to live his life too, hoping that if by remaining positive, outwardly express that positivity daily, bringing smiles to so many he meets, it will help to change the world around him, in his community first, then spread like a ripple from a pebble thrown into a pond as others happily share their smiles too.  

Consciously choosing not to share all the negativity too, following Xavier Rudd’s advice and guarding The Flowerman’s own mental health at the same time.

It’s the only path forward.

TRUTH – Two things The Flowerman hears often:

“More people need to wear flowers like you.”

“The World needs more people like you.”

 

Stay tuned!

JDTheFlowerman 🌻

As an interesting side note.

While being involuntarily institutionalized after a suicide attempt in 2016, having been addicted to multiple antipsychotics, losing more money than most could ever make in a lifetime, experiencing homelessness, suffering such debilitating anxiety and depression, shuffling the halls (loop after loop) of the psychiatric institution with his schizophrenic friend in our hospital issued green sleeping pants and matching slippers would here his “Pearl Jam” nickname being called out by another patient as she put on her make-up sitting cross legged in the hallway outside her bedroom because of the X-L black “Pearl Jam”  t-shirt he wore often.

Loosing 80 pounds since those horrible days and keeping the weight off, this X-L Pearl Jam t-shirt is far too big to wear anymore, it’s now kept for sentimental value.