October 23, 2008

I have never read David Foster Wallace, A Moment For The Dead


Hello All. These are the only words I have ever read by Mr. Wallace. I find them to be nice and something akin to how I like to practice living. Well, I thought this could be a sort of break from all of our recent politicking.


But most days, if you’re aware enough to give yourself a choice, you can choose to look differently at this fat, dead-eyed, over-made-up lady who just screamed at her kid in the checkout line. Maybe she’s not usually like this. Maybe she’s been up three straight nights holding the hand of a husband who is dying of bone cancer. Or maybe this very lady is the low-wage clerk at the motor vehicle department, who just yesterday helped your spouse resolve a horrific, infuriating, red-tape problem through some small act of bureaucratic kindness. Of course, none of this is likely, but it’s also not impossible. It just depends what you what to consider. If you’re automatically sure that you know what reality is, and you are operating on your default setting, then you, like me, probably won’t consider possibilities that aren’t annoying and miserable. But if you really learn how to pay attention, then you will know there are other options. It will actually be within your power to experience a crowded, hot, slow, consumer-hell type situation as not only meaningful, but sacred, on fire with the same force that made the stars: love, fellowship, the mystical oneness of all things deep down.

as usual, click picture above for further illumination, or if not working go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYqwYrbwHeM

2 comments:

S. Sandrigon said...

Don't you know there's only eleven days till the election, how can you be thinking about the DMV & slavery & mystical oneness at a timelike this.

Anonymous said...

Obama is the DMV and Slavery and mystical oneness. I think Mary is on to something.
James! when are we going to see our collective endorsement!