Quotes of the week

The more one belabors a point, the more skeptical I become; the louder one talks, the further I back off. Repetition raises doubts in the minds of those to whom you wish to make your point. ~Robert J. Ringer

I don’t think things can turn out. That’s all, and I’ve accepted it. It doesn’t matter to me. It’s not pessimism, just a sort of sadness, sort of like not having any hopes. ~Bob Dylan

Meditation of the week

The Warrior of the Light sometimes behaves like water,

flowing around the obstacles he encounters.

Occasionally, resistance might mean destruction, and so

he adapts to the circumstances. He accepts, without complaint

that the stones in his path hinder his way through the

mountains.

Therein lies the strength of water: It cannot be touched

by a hammer or ripped to shreds by a knife. The strongest

sword in the world cannot scar its surface.

The river adapts itself to whatever route proves possible,

but the river never forgets its one objective: the sea. So

fragile at its source, it gradually gathers the strength of

the other rivers it encounters.

And, after a certain point, its power is absolute.

-Paulo Coelho

from Warrior of the Light

Treason

by James Tate

The man that was following me looked like a government
agent, so I turned around and walked up to him and said, "Why
are you following me?" He said, "I'm not following you. I'm
an insurance agent walking to work." "Well, pardon me, my
mistake," I said. "Have you done something wrong, unpatriotic,
or are you just paranoid?" he said. "I've done nothing wrong,
certainly not unpatriotic, and I'm not paranoid," I said.
"Well, nobody's ever mistaken me for a government agent before,"
he said. "I'm sorry," I said. "You have something weighing
down on your conscience, don't you?" he said. "No, I don't.
I'm just vigilant," I said. "Like a good criminal," he said.
"Would you stop talking to me like that," I said. "I don't want
to have anything to do with you." "You've committed some kind of
treason and they're going to get you," he said. "You're out
of your mind," I said. "Benedict Arnold, that's who you are,"
he said. "I'm going to a peace rally if that's okay with you,"
I said. "Oh, a peacenik. That's the same as treason," he said.
"No, it isn't," I said. "Yes it is," he said. "No." "Yes."
"No." "Yes." We reached his office door. "I really hate to
say good-bye to you. Would you like to have lunch tomorrow?"
he said. "I'd be delighted," I said. "Good. Then Sadie's
Café at noon," he said. "Noon at Sadie's," I said.