More Recent Thoughts

The past year I've been visiting with some old, paperback books, courtesy of the free exchange shelf at the Post Office. I'm currently right in the middle of Tropic of Capricorn by Henry Miller, published way back in 1961, about his life in New York City when he lived there, quite a wild existence read about so far. Some could be put off by the described amorality found in there, btw- n from the pre- '60s era!

Written in a stream of thought form, some parts are tough to absorb, since it contains so much description of where his brain was at the time. There is much flashing back to his past from what he's getting at.  I was stopped in my reading tracks about a week ago, after reading a section which rang so true, I've not been able to quit thinking about his point. I even tried to describe the concept to a few folks, that bread never tastes better than when you are ten years old... as related to how children think of Christmas time.

Here's the defining paragraph which held my attention so long:

"... What I am thinking of, with a certain amount of regret and longing, is that this thoroughly restricted life of early boyhood seems like a limitless universe and the life which followed upon it, the life of the adult, a constantly diminishing realm. From the moment one is put to school one is lost; one has the feeling of having a halter put around his neck. Getting the bread becomes more important than eating it. Everything is calculated and everything has a price upon it. ..."
- (quote from page 129, P-2)

As the current blizzard rages outside, with winds pulling the heat out, n while playing the movie Avitar again in the BG, I'm writing this. I've always known that conformity limits potential n creativity, even if it's necessary for being part of a civilization.

I think we all remember how good the bread of infinite possibility tasted when we were young...