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Reminds me of "Instantes" by Jorge Luis Borges: If I were able to live my life anew, In the next I would try to commit more errors. I would not try to be so pe
by F_J_H 17y ago
Reminds me of "Instantes" by Jorge Luis Borges:
If I were able to live my life anew, In the next I would try to commit more errors. I would not try to be so perfect, I would relax more. I would be more foolish than I've been, In fact, I would take few things seriously. I would be less hygienic. I would run more risks, take more vacations, contemplate more sunsets, climb more mountains, swim more rivers. I would go to more places where I've never been, I would eat more ice cream and fewer beans, I would have more real problems and less imaginary ones.
I was one of those people that lived sensibly and prolifically each minute of his life; Of course I had moments of happiness. If I could go back I would try to have only good moments.
Because if you didn't know, of that is life made: only of moments; Don't lose the now.
I was one of those that never went anywhere without a thermometer, a hot-water bottle, an umbrella, and a parachute; If I could live again, I would travel lighter.
If I could live again, I would begin to walk barefoot from the beginning of spring and I would continue barefoot until autumn ends. I would take more cart rides, contemplate more dawns, and play with more children, If I had another life ahead of me.
But already you see, I am 85, and I know that I am dying.
- simplegeek 17y agoUpvote isn't enough, I've to say this: "Beautiful writing".
- jeffcoat 17y agoYou have excellent taste; go now and grab a copy of Borges's _Ficciones_ for more. http://books.google.com/books?id=4dPBlkL1dkIC http://books.google.com/books?id=4dPBlkL1dkIC
- simplegeek 17y agoThank you, my friend. I was about to ask for a book recommendation. Ah, HNer's you're awesome ;) If you've any more recommendations please feel free to share. Thanks.
- hernan7 17y agoAlso check "El Aleph". Any book of Borges short stories or essays is a winner, IMHO.
- teye 17y agoSeconded. The description that sold me compared reading Borges to having the top of your skull removed and a cool breeze caressing your cerebral cortex. Quite apt, actually.
- anatoly 17y agoSorry to butt in all pedantic, but I was unable to confirm that Borges wrote this poem (it's usually presented as a poem), and found a few online conversations where it's claimed it has been attributed to several different writers and is of uncertain authorship.
- zackattack 17y agoFor some reason this comment bothers me, mostly because it's something that I do. I will often interrupt a beautiful moment with some irrelevant fact or correction. I notice that I always apologize for it, either politely like you did, or just in my head. Man to man, let's be honest, is it worth it?
- deconigo 17y agoSure it is. It is real. Just like death is real.
- ellyagg 17y agoAnd, in turn, this comment bothers me, but I do know why. Your parent's comment wasn't irrelevant. Truth matters. Whenever I read a comment like yours, I think of the last part of Richard Lovelace's To Lucasta, Going to Wars: I could not love thee, dear, so much, Loved I not honor more.
- Estragon 17y agoI value the information.
- dsteinweg 17y agoThis comment made me think of the recent submission on geek behaviors in conversation: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1078529 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1078529. I liked that submission because I could easily identify with most of the behaviors in that list. I too often have the urge to correct someone over something arguably unimportant. It's so strange.
- Confusion 17y ago
- jonmc12 17y agoWhen I was 5 I knew that I was going to die - maybe I had 80 more years. The difference between a cancer patient who knows they have 1 year to live and a 5 year-old who knows they have 80 years to live is really only a matter of perspective. Time is a funny thing. I've spent my entire life trying to figure out how to make the most of life with the inevitability of death on my mind. It is still hard for me to imagine that most others really only consider their life within the context of death when death is 1, 5, maybe 10 years away. I am moved by this video poem. I am in awe of the the beauty of Borges's words - it stopped my day in its tracks. However, on a discussion board amongst doers, builders and rationalist, I feel motivated to encourage more. We live in a unique time in humanity - a time where our rationalization about death can extend beyond feel-good sentiments like 'make the most of your life'. We live in a time where we can extend our lives; we can use motivations like this to encourage our culture and society to put a greater emphasis on technologies that enable drastic life extension. Make the most of your life and others by working or influencing to extend our lifespans. Use this motivation to adopt the mindset that you can preserve all that is wonderful about life for hundreds, possibly thousands of years - influence your peers and hack longevity.
- benmathes 17y agoThat's it. I'm buying winter gear and going skiing again for the first time in 10 years. I'm a YSP-ie (s for Silly valley), damnit, not a broke-ass grad student anymore. I miss the mountains.
- F_J_H 17y agoAwesome! I did something similar over the past 2 years - I bought a couple of motor bikes (one off-road and one dual sport) and decided to get back into riding since I enjoyed it so much as a kid. Just got back from a trip in the Baja an had a blast! Last summer, I also took my Dad on a trip where we rented a couple of Harleys and rode the PCH from S.F. to L.A. and then back to S.F on a more inland route (btw I am so jealous of those of you living in CA!). I can’t believe I waited so long to get back into something I loved so much...should have done it years ago.
- sam_in_nyc 17y agoBrilliant writing. However I can't help but imagine that had he lived a more risky and foolish life he would have come up with a different set of regrets and wishes. Although that could just be me living in "the hypothetical alternative past" and not "the now".