Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Wisdom From a College Notebook

Because of my obsession with recycling and conserving resources, I have a stockpile of scratch paper, much of it consisting of half-used notebooks from my college years.

While using one specimen, which carbon dating revealed to be about 12 years old, I came across an unexpected gem. Amongst the random names and phone numbers of long-forgotten classmates with whom I must have collaborated on English and Opera Appreciation (!) projects (Graham, Ann, Angie, Jared, Bobbie, and Angela, I hardly knew ye!), opera references ("La Boeheme", Benjamin Britten's "Peter Grimes" and Alfredo Catalani's "La Wally"), dates and places, and a reminder that a paper was due on Nov. 18th (before Thanksgiving Break, for English 370, which was held in HU349), I found this amazing quote, which I had carefully written out:

"My dancing, my drinking, and singing weave me the mat on which my soul will sleep in the world of spirits"

- Old Man of Halmahera, Indonesia


I have no idea where I heard this, but I can understand why I took the time to write it in my notebook. What a fantastic sentiment. "Life is short" has been bandied about to the point of cliche', but it's all too true. I shall put this quote up in my computer room, giving the wise Old Man of Halmahera, Indonesia full credit, of course.

3 comments:

cycleswithinlayers said...

um yeah, drinking makes me weave too. me thinks you're giving too much credit to the old geezer.

(chaffing aside, i think this sentiment that you've unearthed is splendid)

Anonymous said...

What a great quote to unearth! I should unearth the quotes I wrote in my journals someday.

pbrchicken said...

I guess it all depends if you say it kinda like Jim Morrison in Miami, circa 1969... or, say, wrapped in glorious ropes in a temple in Indonesia..

either way, it's rad.