Monday, October 02, 2006
Happy Birthday, Graham Greene!
Graham Greene is one of my favorite writers. Today, on his birthday, The Writer's Alamanac excerpted several choice quotes... and y'all know how much Mike Goot loves quotes. Enjoy!
"We are all of us resigned to death: it's life we aren't resigned to." And, "Morality comes with the sad wisdom of age, when the sense of curiosity has withered." --Graham Greene
While I'm at it, let me share one more poem with you. I'll freely admit to not quite understanding it, but I'm completely taken with the poet's call to resist the tyranny of habit. It speaks to my emerging new self.
Exercise
First forget what time it is
for an hour
do it regularly every day
then forget what day of the week it is
do this regularly for a week
then forget what country you are in
and practice doing it in company
for a week
then do them together
for a week
with as few breaks as possible
follow these by forgetting how to add
or to subtract
it makes no difference
you can change them around
after a week
both will help you later
to forget how to count
forget how to count
starting with your own age
starting with how to count backward
starting with even numbers
starting with Roman numerals
starting with fractions of Roman numerals
starting with the old calendar
going on to the old alphabet
going on to the alphabet
until everything is continuous again
go on to forgetting elements
starting with water
proceeding to earth
rising in fire
forget fire
"We are all of us resigned to death: it's life we aren't resigned to." And, "Morality comes with the sad wisdom of age, when the sense of curiosity has withered." --Graham Greene
While I'm at it, let me share one more poem with you. I'll freely admit to not quite understanding it, but I'm completely taken with the poet's call to resist the tyranny of habit. It speaks to my emerging new self.
Exercise
First forget what time it is
for an hour
do it regularly every day
then forget what day of the week it is
do this regularly for a week
then forget what country you are in
and practice doing it in company
for a week
then do them together
for a week
with as few breaks as possible
follow these by forgetting how to add
or to subtract
it makes no difference
you can change them around
after a week
both will help you later
to forget how to count
forget how to count
starting with your own age
starting with how to count backward
starting with even numbers
starting with Roman numerals
starting with fractions of Roman numerals
starting with the old calendar
going on to the old alphabet
going on to the alphabet
until everything is continuous again
go on to forgetting elements
starting with water
proceeding to earth
rising in fire
forget fire
# posted by goots @ 10:29 AM 
