terça-feira, 22 de junho de 2010

Pangloss syndrome


Once I thought that land in my uncle's farm was the largest one in the entire world. Later, I thought that wouldn't exist a taller building than JK in Belo Horizonte. I grew up a bit more and thought that widest ocean was definitely the Atlantic. I remember how shocked I got when I saw sea for the first  time - " what a f... big lake we have here...".
Thing is, as long as the time keeps adding years over my shoulders, pounds over my weight and feet over my length (adding or taking out), everything can just come up differently in a sudden: Hudson is not the best guitar player in the world anymore, it is Gilvan. Suddenly is not Gilvan, it's Toninho.

So, I thought that I would be young forever. Turned 43 and here I am, with many many different perspectives about the same old things ("...good times, bad times..." Always getting "back to the same old jam" - Led Zeppelin).
Aging may bring us body/brain's bad functioning as if we're always running out of energy (not necessarily applicable for those who has never got drunk, got stoned, has made stupid things in life, etc.).
On the other hand, all the life experience you acquire along the way gives you a sharper mindset to see and analyze things. It's just amazing. Sometimes you even believe you've got a gift to predict stuff. In fact, that's not the case. Actually, all the past experiences carved in your mind are somehow gathered and filtered, then compared in seconds and thrown out pushing you towards a statement that can become true later.
No esoterism here, just our fantastic bio-computer making some "calculations" via deduction/induction and giving us what we can call intuition - it seems that I'm about to say that to grow older is the best thing in earth (JN, do you recognize this statement?), it's not the truth, though.
Each time in our life has its single treasure. You can say that my resignation is only because we do not have any other choice, anyway. Even after all high tech body lotions and special face creams, bottox and plastic surgery, no youth fountain to keep us young forever. Regardless, It's good to get old with some dignity.
NO to all this fake stuff to make yourself a caricature of what you were. NO to the fake things that change you into a kind of molding, turning yourself into a clone of everybody else who has passed through Doc Hollywood´s scalpel (stay away from me Marisas and Martas. I hate your "nip/tuck" lips/face).

I'm amazingly happy with my wrinkles, my lack of body elasticity and all the things that I can not get rid of because I´ve just got old.
I'm not Candid(1)  and do not rely or believe on Pangloss´s(1) ideas either, but it's just a fact that stoicism is better than anger or frustration.

(...) all is for the best in this “best of all possible worlds.”(1)
Excuse me now, let me go back to my pijama and old sandals.
"- Margô, is there any beer at home?"

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 (1) Candide, ou l'optimisme - Voltaire, 1759

Um comentário:

  1. I'm also happy with my wrinkles and my gray hair because I'm just happy.
    Congratulations, my brother.

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