Norman
Podhoretz of Commentary Magazine fame once interviewed Professor Sidney Hooks,
a few weeks before he died. Hooks was a
well-known atheist.
Podhoretz
asked Hooks about his philosophy on life.
After a moment’s hesitation, Hooks replied that when something
meaningful happens to him – whether it be the birth of a grandchild or by not
being hot by a falling brick – he felt thankful. (Note to self: Thankful to whom?)
Sometimes
my mind meanders to all the things that could possibly happen to me. Everything seems delicately balanced to fall
apart at any given moment, especially in this technological age when all
appears to be automated, the dishwasher, television, telephone, music systems,
event he walls of our homes! There are
so many potential pitfalls of things that can go awry during the day from the
greatest of them (death) to the least of them (the earphone jack does not work)
that just getting through the day without a terrible mishap is a major
accomplishment. And it is only an
accident of birth that we did not enter the world in say, Libya.
At the
end of the day (assuming there will be a usual end to this day) it may be worth
our while to be thankful having survived it reasonably intact, along with our
family. What an novel concept—to be
grateful for all that did not go wrong.
And, of course, the potential for things to go “off course” is endless.
Helen Keller:
“I, who am blind, can give but one hint to those who can see. One admonition to those who would make full
use of the gift of sight: Use your eyes as if you would be stricken blind!
“And
the same method could be applied to the other senses. Hear the music of voices, the song of a bird,
the mighty strains of an orchestra as if you would be stricken deaf
tomorrow. Touch each object as though
tomorrow your tactile senses would fail.
Smell the perfume of flowers, taste with relish each morsel, as if
tomorrow you would never smell or taste again.
“Make
the most of every sense, glory in all the facets of beauty which the world
reveals…”
A
short poem with more than a measure of wisdom:
My Little
Plant
My
little plant died
I
worried why.
“Too
much water
And it
will die.”
My
little plant died
I
questioned why.
“Too
much handling
And it
will die.”
My
little plant lived
I
asked not why
Just
threw my arms exultantly high. –Sada Applebaum
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