Of Mice and Men by Carlisle Floyd
Buddy Systems

Did you ever take swimming classes at the “Y”, or go to summer camp? Or maybe you’ve been on an overnight with the Boy Scouts, or Girl Scouts? If you’ve done any of these things, then you’ve probably learned the “buddy system.” You remember. It’s when you pick a a certain friend - a “buddy” - and both of you are expected to keep track of the other at all times; to keep each other safe and accounted for.

The person who thought this up was a genius. He or she realized that lifeguards, and patrol leaders, and camp counselors just can't keep an eye on everyone at once. The “buddy system” sort-of deputizes each kid, making them assistants to those adults. And as a bonus, it teaches kids something about friendship, and responsibility for others.

Now, somewhere around the brink of adulthood, most of us give up on the buddy system. We crave independence, and develop that foolish, post-adolescent sense of invulnerability. The notion of having to tell someone that you’re about to swim into figurative deep water, or hike into symbolically dense woods, begins to seem childish, and annoying.

This is not necessarily a wise approach, however. And most of us eventually return to the “buddy system” in one form or another. We find new buddies in our significant others; we form deep and lasting friendships; we cling tenaciously to our families. Whatever form it takes, the idea of someone looking out for you - someone “watching your back” - can be pretty comforting.

Unless there’s an imbalance in the relationship. Unless one person is doing all the watching, all the warning, all the protecting. Then, instead of having a friendship betwen buddies, it’s almost like parent and child. Even when there’s a good reason for the imbalance - illness, a crippling accident, or brain damage - the burden can be overwhelming. Many who are caught up in these situations are tempted to give up “buddying” altogether.

But the ones who know the true meaning of friendship, and loyalty, and love, tend to stick with it. Thankfully, most of us know at least one true-life story of this kind. And there are lots of inspiring, fictional examples: There’s the friendship between a social outcast and a runaway slave in Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn; the bond between a young student and his brain damaged brother, brilliantly portrayed by Ray Liotta and Tom “Mozart” Hulce, in the film “Dominick and Eugene.”

And there’s the classic story of a drifter named George and his slow-witted cousin, Lenny. Their tale is the basis for one of John Steinbeck’s greatest novels, and one of Carlisle Floyd’s most moving operas: “Of Mice and Men.” This week on At the Opera, we’ll explore this classically American score. We’ll also listen in on a discussion of the state of American opera in general - it’s healthier than you might think, by the way - with regular guests Stewart Robertson, Terry Teachout, and Will Berger.

Music featured this week on At the Opera:

• selections from "Susannah" by Carlisle Floyd
• "Old Friends" Simon and Garfunkel
• "You've Got A Friend" Carole King
• "By Myself" Fred Astire
• "Adagio For Strings" by Samuel Barber

Of Mice and Men is performed at the Glimerglass Opera by the Glimmerglass Opera Orchestra; Stewart Robertson, conductor Check it out on NPR World of Opera.

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