Thursday, March 13, 2008

Life as it is

"I have lived nearly fifty years, and I have seen life as it is. Pain, misery, hunger ... cruelty beyond belief. I have heard the singing from taverns and the moans from bundles of filth on the streets. I have been a soldier and seen my comrades fall in battle ... or die more slowly under the lash in Africa. I have held them in my arms at the final moment. These were men who saw life as it is, yet they died despairing. No glory, no gallant last words ... only their eyes filled with confusion, whimpering the question, 'Why?' I do not think they asked why they were dying, but why they had lived. When life itself seems lunatic, who knows where madness lies? Perhaps to be too practical is madness. To surrender dreams -- this may be madness. To seek treasure where there is only trash. Too much sanity may be madness, And maddest of all, to see life as it is, and not as it should be!"

From the Broadway musical Man of La Mancha

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

and i am i don quitoe the man ....lol haven't heard that in years. :) (see proper use and not ..um beauty mark!)
Roen
for it is hard to acuire such maidenly airs in a stable flat on your back!

SBB said...

I love that musical. It remains a marvelous statement about the importance of dreams.