WHEN FAITH IN GOD LEADS TO FATALISM
The complainer goes, “It isn’t fair! God made me a sprinter, and yet God has made me join this marathon.” Well then, run!
Tag: ideas
THE LOTTERY LOSER
I once bought a lottery as a threat towards God. “God!” I said. “Listen to me! Either this is the winning ticket, or I’ll kill myself. I swear I will. I swear it! Either you make me the winner, or I’ll kill myself!” And I was serious, too. Well God called my bluff. When the […]
TOO STUPID FOR LIFE
Oh, friends! What if I’m too stupid to live this life? Back in those peasant days–those days of hoes and beans–if you were stupid, you were surrounded by stupid. You were a peasant in the midst of other peasants. You fit right in and looked plenty intelligent enough. At least in comparison, you did. Ol’ […]
THE SHELL
The shell of the nut matters as long as there’s a core. Having successfully delivered the gold, however, it is thrown away. Despised, even. There’s the response, then, you’re looking for. “Why read fiction when I can learn about things that have actually happened?” Because certain truths need their fairies to supply the message.
THE ANOREXIC AS THE BUDDHA
He chants with particular stress on the repetitive words, reminding himself with the weight of the syllables, the strain on the breath, what a waste it is to live forever: “If I could, in any way, cease to start and start to end, I’d call my soul a blessing. At least a little movement towards […]
ON MONKEY’S EXPENDABILITY
I’ve just come to the rather dizzying conclusion that one day, some particularly plucky chicken could come replace me and that no one would even notice. Of course, I would look different and probably smell different, too. But listen: looks and smells aren’t everything. Else we primates wouldn’t love the crotch. And yet we do. […]
DISSOCIATING MY WAY TO VICTORY
There’s this way I’ve been thinking lately that’s been getting me through some rough spells. The minute I feel the noose tightening around my neck, the minute I start to panic about how dire the situation has gotten–I fly. Not physically. No, no, no. I don’t escape from my predicaments. That wouldn’t really solve anything, […]
A PERSONALIZED CURSE FOR EVERY ONE OF US
I imagine every man has his own specific curse–that one thing that he alone would consider the very worst thing in the world. And since there are so many men with so many personalities, I imagine there are many “curses” I would only be too happy to accept. I’m often in need of a fairy, […]
WORDS OF COMFORT
I’m so harsh on myself, I almost choke on my own opinions. See, if I’m left alone for too long, I make two of myself. I make three, four–a crowd. And I make all of them lecture on what’s wrong with me. The first of them–the shallowest of the bunch–sticks to my physical “deformities;” he […]
WHY DETERMINISM IS UNACCEPTABLE
My mother had a fairly good life back in Peru. She had ten brothers and sisters and not the greatest education. She started working in her teens and never really stopped. At twenty-eight, she didn’t know how to cook and barely knew anything about the world. Nevertheless, she was happy. This is what I mean […]
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