Sunday, January 17, 2010

contradictions

The earth is my body, my body is the earth. Compassion rises out of this awareness. Pain arises out of the knowledge that the people hurt and are dying in Haiti, pain arises out of the knowledge that down the street two men were murdered as they simply minded their own business. Joy arises at the thought of the rivers cascading down the Sawtooth Mountains into Gitchee Gumee, joy arises out of the thought of a morning making food with a friend.

"The past and present wilt—I have fill’d them, emptied them,
And proceed to fill my next fold of the future.

Listener up there! Here, you! What have you to confide to me?
Look in my face, while I snuff the sidle of evening;
Talk honestly—no one else hears you, and I stay only a minute longer.

Do I contradict myself?
Very well, then, I contradict myself;
(I am large—I contain multitudes.)"

-Walt Whitman

3 comments:

JohnBeckmann said...

I find your contradiction quote from walden very inspiring and applicable to my situations right now.
thank you.

p.s. I consider you a friend now. At least in a sense that I find you fun to share ideas with.

JohnBeckmann said...

hmm now i get out why they weren't appearing.
sorry for the repeat

Cosmic Monkey said...

John, I was just looking at your website as you were looking at my blog! That is funny.

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