Thursday, March 25, 2004
Politics
To be a politician, you must play the comedy of extreme deference to the opinion of others. A politician is one who pretends that he is subject to the universal hunger for esteem; but he cannot successfully pretend this unless he is free of it. This is the basic hypocrisy of politics and the final triumph of the leader comes with the awe that is aroused in men when they suspect, but never know for certain, that their leader is indifferent to thier approval, indifferent and a hypocrite.
Living and Learning
The first and last schoolmaster of life is living and committing oneself unreservedly and dangerously to living; to men who know this, Aristotle and a Plato have much to say; but those who have imposed cautions on themselves and petrified themselves in a system of ideas, them the masters themselves will lead into error. They repeat liberty, liberty, and live to impose on others a liberty they have not embraced. Stern and joyless, they cry: be joyful like us; be free as we are free.
Shipwrecked Life
I am no longer immediately filled with compassion when I encounter one of those innumerable persons who trail behind them a shipwrecked life. Least of all do I try to find excuses for them when I see that they have found them for themselves, when I see them sitting on the throne of their own minds, excused, acquitted, and hurling indictments against the mysterious Destiny which has wronged them, and exhibiting themselves as pure victim. One incident to base being a victim on lends itself to years of fresh claims of being a victim, usually occurring daily.
Busboy
I was a busboy at a large restaurant in a resort area over an ancient summer. This job afforded me the opportunity to view humanity in all of its glory and baseness. As I was running through the crowd of waitresses and patrons, lugging dirty dishes to the kitchen as if the world depended on it, I noticed a lone man at the counter attempting to gain the attention of a waitress for a refill on his coffee. He was failing miserably. Not having poured coffee when money depended on it, I hesitated. My tender heart got the best of me and I succumbed to usurping the waitress by tending to the man's needs. My inexperience showed as I poured his cup so full that a bubble of coffee rising above the rim prevented him from touching his cup without causing a spill. Without pausing to consider what I had done, I continued on my speedy journey around the floor clearing tables and delivering dirty dishes to the kitchen. A visual image of the man staring at his cup and bubble started blinking like a warning sign in my mind. I went back to the man and confirmed that he was not able to drink his coffee, this putting him in no better position than before I attempted to help. Being the quick thinker that I am, I grabbed a napkin and dipped it in his cup, soaking up the excessive coffee and allowing him to drink more freely. Again I zoomed into the kitchen, and again a warning light flashed in my mind. I suspected that this particular individual did not share my indifference to decorum and etiquette. I replaced his cup with a new and not so full cup of fresh coffee. Getting it right the first time is great if you are able, and not all good intentions will lead to hell.
Final Thought
Stupid whales, you are my kin. Thank God for the gift of Grace, forgiveness and humor. Not to mention the many perfect people who kindly watch over us.
- posted by -g @ 7:17 PM | | 0 rocks in pond
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critical lawnmower
humble dan
potting soil
diarrhea of the brain
bad haiku daily
thegreatlockbox
dirty laundry
emily joy joy
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