Hmm, I take itpeople dont like long Journals. Mmm, well, theres no way to make this short. Maybe the next couple will be short.
The quote from last Journal was from Microserfs. Im almost done reading it, frightfully close to finishing it this afternoon, and its one of the best books Ive ever read unless, uh, it suddenly turns into crap in the last 20 pages
So here is the rest of that scene:
I got all ready to blurt out an answer but then nothing came out of my mouth.
The question seemed so obvious to start with, but when I thought about it, I realized how difficult it is- and sort of depressing, because theres really not very much that distinguishes anyone from anyone else. I mea, what makes one mallard different from any other mallard? What makes one grizzly bear different from any other grizzly bear? Identity is so tenuous- based on so little, when you really consider it.
Their personality? I lamely replied, Theiruh, soul?
Maybe. I think Im beginning to believe the soul theory, myself. Last June I went to my ten-year high school reunion. Everyones body had certainly aged over the decade, but everyones essence was essentially the same as it had been when we were all in kindergarten. Their spirits were still the same, I guess. Dana McCulley was still a phony; Norman Tillich was still a jock; Eileen Kelso was still shockingly nave. Their bodies may have looked different, but they were absolutely the same person underneath. I decided that night that people really do have spirits. Its a silly thing to believe. I mean, silly for a logical person like me.
This is a discussion between Dan (books main guy) and Karla (his laaaady friend), which is revisited 204 pages later:
Before bed I told Karla about Ethans identity holiday- of drinking to recapture the feeling of what your real personality used to be like.
Its all about identity, she said. We look at a flock of birds and we think one bird is the same as any other bird- a bird unitbut a bird looks at thousands of people, at a Giants game at Candlestick Park, say, and all they see is people units. Were all as identical to them as they are to us. So what makes you different from me? Him from you? Them from her? Where does your individuality end and your species-hood begin?
Me? I dunno. Maybe theres something of real energy and substance (about 20 grams, haha) called The Soul, and maybe it means theres some other form of Higher Magical Godhead Life governing them but maybe not maybe when people say, you know, You have god inside of you, well maybe your soul does live on after life but without any higher deity there is also the question of how much you can define your self say, normally, Im a nice guy, but sometimes Im angry and then I become a dick. Im not a dick 100% of the time but what percent of the time? Sometimes Im defined by niceness or dickness, sometimes by happiness or sadness, hope or despair, punk or genteel acoustic stuff, artsy, drunken, smart, stupid, philosophical, or a friggin moron. Am I no longer myself in one of these states? What about when Im asleep? Im often doing things in dreams Id never do.
As Alexandro Jodorowsky says- etc. etc. etc.
The quote from last Journal was from Microserfs. Im almost done reading it, frightfully close to finishing it this afternoon, and its one of the best books Ive ever read unless, uh, it suddenly turns into crap in the last 20 pages
So here is the rest of that scene:
I got all ready to blurt out an answer but then nothing came out of my mouth.
The question seemed so obvious to start with, but when I thought about it, I realized how difficult it is- and sort of depressing, because theres really not very much that distinguishes anyone from anyone else. I mea, what makes one mallard different from any other mallard? What makes one grizzly bear different from any other grizzly bear? Identity is so tenuous- based on so little, when you really consider it.
Their personality? I lamely replied, Theiruh, soul?
Maybe. I think Im beginning to believe the soul theory, myself. Last June I went to my ten-year high school reunion. Everyones body had certainly aged over the decade, but everyones essence was essentially the same as it had been when we were all in kindergarten. Their spirits were still the same, I guess. Dana McCulley was still a phony; Norman Tillich was still a jock; Eileen Kelso was still shockingly nave. Their bodies may have looked different, but they were absolutely the same person underneath. I decided that night that people really do have spirits. Its a silly thing to believe. I mean, silly for a logical person like me.
This is a discussion between Dan (books main guy) and Karla (his laaaady friend), which is revisited 204 pages later:
Before bed I told Karla about Ethans identity holiday- of drinking to recapture the feeling of what your real personality used to be like.
Its all about identity, she said. We look at a flock of birds and we think one bird is the same as any other bird- a bird unitbut a bird looks at thousands of people, at a Giants game at Candlestick Park, say, and all they see is people units. Were all as identical to them as they are to us. So what makes you different from me? Him from you? Them from her? Where does your individuality end and your species-hood begin?
Me? I dunno. Maybe theres something of real energy and substance (about 20 grams, haha) called The Soul, and maybe it means theres some other form of Higher Magical Godhead Life governing them but maybe not maybe when people say, you know, You have god inside of you, well maybe your soul does live on after life but without any higher deity there is also the question of how much you can define your self say, normally, Im a nice guy, but sometimes Im angry and then I become a dick. Im not a dick 100% of the time but what percent of the time? Sometimes Im defined by niceness or dickness, sometimes by happiness or sadness, hope or despair, punk or genteel acoustic stuff, artsy, drunken, smart, stupid, philosophical, or a friggin moron. Am I no longer myself in one of these states? What about when Im asleep? Im often doing things in dreams Id never do.
As Alexandro Jodorowsky says- etc. etc. etc.
VIEW 6 of 6 COMMENTS
The new Guided By Voices has got me doing the air-strum thing.
I really liked the 'rash from skiing' idea. That's witty enough to have been thought of by me! Kudos to you sir.