John Joseph, Cro-Mag

"John Joseph McGowan has been a lot of things in his life, a drug dealer, brawler, crack head, scam artist, hardcore legend, cult member, spiritual pilgrim, storyteller and more. He’s hated by many in the New York City scene and loved by perhaps an equal amount. He’s opinionated, honest and unwilling to compromise his beliefs. He is also the author of one of the funniest and most disturbing punk autobiographies in recent years."  Ben Conoley (Punknews.org)

I was searching for an image of the cover of John Joseph's The Evolution of a Cro-Magnon and came across an interview with him.  The opening paragraph summed it up perfectly, so I borrowed it.  He is all that and more!

I was hesitant to read the book for a number of reasons.  First of all, even though I am married to a "hard-core" music guy and have been to more shows than I can count, it isn't my number one choice in music.  It's hard and fast and pissed off and not really known for its melodic finesse.  I tend to put on metal when I'm in that type of mood.  Jim had the book and lent it to E.  I heard over and over from both of them, "You should read this book.  You'd love it."  Yeah, yeah.  Whatever.  I have stacks of books I have picked out to read and hate feeling obligated to read what others think I will like. Why would I want to read a biography of a singer of a band I only listen to when it comes on when E's ipod shuffles it up.   But you know what?  They wore me down and I'm really glad they did.  This book was engaging and enraging.  From the opening stories about how John had to eat Oreo-filling-mixed-with-spit sandwiches made by his first foster mom, to his harrowing life-on-the-streets adventures as a youth, once I started, I put aside all other books until I was through with it

John's duality of personality between violence and spirituality was eye and heart opening.  It just goes to prove that everyone is on their own search for a Higher Power.  I don't doubt it for a second.  We are all looking for answers.  Whether it is through Hare Krishna and vegetarianism, or Islam, Judaism or Wiccan, we all want to feel a part of something big and in control of all this chaos we are living in.

"I've met a lot of people who use their unhappy, abusive childhood as an excuse to be an abuser, a drug addict, and alcoholic or a con artist.  But there comes a point in life when you can't use that excuse anymore.  It's a crutch for weakness if you don't deal with it, because you never grow as a human being.  My spiritual practice taught me an important principle in life - perhaps the most important - forgiveness.  Not the corny 'turn the other cheek' Bible-thumper sort of forgiveness.  F*** that!  You swing on me and I will try and f*** your ass up, by any means necessary.  No, this was deep forgiveness.  This was the kind of shit you just have to do, because the power is not in your hands in the first place and you need to throw up those hands asking God for help.  I have been around some of the toughest, scariest people you would ever want to meet and all of them, in some weird way or another, acknowledged God for his blessing"

And you want a hard dose of what kind of people are out there?  Drug addicts, back-stabbing rock-stars, psychotic freaks, he met them all.  After a while, I started wondering how he remembered all those people and places so well, with all the drugs he did.  Well, I'm not calling him out on it, you can be sure of that! 

Here are some more words of wisdom:  "The bottom line is that assumptions of character based on race alone are bullshit of the highest order.  The first teaching of any real spiritual practice is ... 'I am Spirit'.  You are not the material body, but the spiritual spark within. ... The soul has no material designation or color."  Amen, brother!

He also got me thinking about the whole vegetarianism thing again.  When E and I were married, we didn't eat any meat.  I did that for about 2 years, then got homesick for my grandma's chicken.  I have been eating meat ever since, but John set the gears in motion in my brain again.  "I strongly believe that the food we ingest not only affects our bodies, but more importantly, our consciousness, our souls.  There are three modes of foods:  foods in the mode of ignorance, passion and goodness.  Foods in the mode of ignorance are over-cooked and decaying, usually rotting flesh with no life force.  Meat, fish and eggs are a few examples.  They make you sickly by ingesting them either immediately or down the road with diseases that include colon cancer, arterial sclerosis, hardening of the arteries and gout, among others.  Foods in the mode of passion consist of animal products  and hot spicy foods.  They also have have adverse affects on us like ulcers, gout and hemorrhoids, etc.  Foods found in the mode of goodness however, ... fruits, nuts, beans, grains, seeds, vegetables and dairy products promote longevity and vitality and make us feel good both physically and emotionally.  It's also very important that no angry people cook your food because food is directly affected by who's cooking it."  Hmmmmm.  Makes sense to me!

This man's story is inspirational and fascinating.  When I was finished with the book, I went ahead and played the "Age of Quarrel" album real loud.   I suggest you pick up the book and check it out.  You won't be sorry.  Wow.  What a ride.  I'm smoothing out all the ear-marked pages that had information I wanted to re-read on them, and give the book back to Jim.  Thanks for talking me into reading this book, guys.  It was great.