tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130421352415377273.post7676821482182715480..comments2024-03-28T16:31:23.093-07:00Comments on Books in Northport: What is "Unreachable"?P. J. Grathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12693462910472164289noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130421352415377273.post-48130747534486005292015-06-04T11:04:01.625-07:002015-06-04T11:04:01.625-07:00Dawn, I’ve been thinking more about the question o...Dawn, I’ve been thinking more about the question of whether life is pointless because nothing will last forever or meaningful because each of us may be able to make some albeit temporary difference, and for me, the notion of life being meaningless because nothing humans do lasts for eternity is a meaningless objection. Who cares about billions of years from now? It is still short-sighted to think that our choices don’t matter, because they will certainly affect the generations that are already coming up to take our place, along with the world those generations will inhabit. We can be “romantic” enough to think and plan and act for the good of the next four generations, can’t we?<br /><br />Greg, while we’re on the subject of people on whom romanticism is wasted, I ran across the most unbelievable story this morning, concerning the critics’ reception of the film version of “Man of La Mancha.” Time magazine (Wikipedia reports) “referred to the film as being ‘epically vulgar’ and called the song The Impossible Dream ‘surely the most mercilessly lachrymose hymn to empty-headed optimism since Carousel's "You'll Never Walk Alone."’” Talk about people without a sense of the romantic or any feeling for musical theatre! But then, a romantic like me would fall for a “mercilessly lachrymose hymn to empty-headed optimism,” wouldn’t I?<br />P. J. Grathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12693462910472164289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130421352415377273.post-20532828878877667792015-06-03T19:25:25.621-07:002015-06-03T19:25:25.621-07:00Pamela...I know you are far too refined to steep t...Pamela...I know you are far too refined to steep to my level of coarseness, but it occurs to me that the old skeptic who used the term "romanticizing your life" as a pejorative was likely an asshole. I realize that is crass, so to soften the harshness of the comment, I will use the language of my Irish grandmother who might have called him an " arsehole", the "r" somehow rounding off the harsher edge of the term. In any event, he was a dick.<br /> Those of us who are blessed to have a romantic vision of ourselves strive to fulfill a vision of our lives that completes us; hence the image of love, family, farm, literature, all the elements of fulfillment that are perhaps the next layer of life just above air, water, food, the basics of life. DQ was perhaps the most eloquent and articulate purveyor of the notion. It is impossible to imagine anyone creating such a masterpiece in a world of unfathomable commercialism but, I have decided that today is not the day to succumb to my usual cynicism and I will hold out hope for humanity. The romantic in me tells me its the right thing to do.Greghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15923451499673599025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130421352415377273.post-68499300834795998662015-06-03T11:27:20.846-07:002015-06-03T11:27:20.846-07:00Dawn, that's a perfect example. You are workin...Dawn, that's a perfect example. You are working to make the world better. One of the members of our reading group is involved in a charity, and someone asked her once, "When does it end?" The answer was that it doesn't --the need never ends -- but the work continues. Fighting the good fight continues. I'm glad you are working on truck safety, because it's important, and I would probably never have written the few letters I've written to legislators on the subject if you hadn't brought the issues to my attention.P. J. Grathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12693462910472164289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4130421352415377273.post-42555195253154779772015-06-03T10:59:10.071-07:002015-06-03T10:59:10.071-07:00I think, I have to think, that everyone's life...I think, I have to think, that everyone's life matters, that everyone makes a difference. But I also know that my work toward safer roads is highly romantic, That doesn't make me want to stop, though occasionally I do recognize the enormity of it all and that much of it won't get done in my lifetime. Still...I can't help but hope. If that makes me a romantic I'm OK with that. You're right. Being realistic wouldn't make me any happier.Dawnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00824027366993286152noreply@blogger.com