What are we even doing?

submitted by magnora7 from (self.CriticalThoughts)

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[–]kazenmusic 4 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 2 fun -  (3 children)

Thanks for this mild essay. You've brought back to my mind a writing by one of my favorite authors, Richard Brautigan. It may not speak directly to your musings; but perhaps like a Bob Dylan song, whether it has meaning or not is not the important part of it-

“I guess you are kind of curious as to who I am, but I am one of those who do not have a regular name. My name depends on you. Just call me whatever is in your mind. If you are thinking about something that happened a long time ago: Somebody asked you a question and you did not know the answer. That is my name. Perhaps it was raining very hard. That is my name. Or somebody wanted you to do something. You did it. Then they told you what you did was wrong—“Sorry for the mistake,”—and you had to do something else. That is my name. Perhaps it was a game you played when you were a child or something that came idly into your mind when you were old and sitting in a chair near the window. That is my name. Or you walked someplace. There were flowers all around. That is my name. Perhaps you stared into a river. There was someone near you who loved you. They were about to touch you. You could feel this before it happened. Then it happened. That is my name.”

[–]JasonCarswell 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (2 children)

I FUCKING LOVE RICHARD BRAUTIGAN ! ! !

I just counted 26 books of his or about him, some duplicates because I give them away. Most folks have no clue about him, last and greatest of the Beats.

From my old site c. 2000-2010...

My old Good Vibes page : https://web.archive.org/web/20081006083736/http://www.wickedsunshine.com/GoodVibes/

"In Watermelon Sugar" by Richard Brautigan (full text linked below) : https://web.archive.org/web/20060428103343/http://www.wickedsunshine.com/GoodVibes/InWatermelonSugar.html

It's the ONLY story that I would want to develop and animate that someone else wrote. I think John Malcovich owns the rights though.

I felt like it needed to be wrapped up with a bow, so...

"In Watermelon Sugar, The Missing Last Chapter(s)" by Jason Carswell [Wayback MISSING] : https://web.archive.org/web/20081006083736/http://www.wickedsunshine.com/GoodVibes/InWatermelonSugar,TheMissingLastChapter(s).html

Missing on the Internet Archive - but presented here...

SPOILERS:

Margaret Again, Again, Again, Again, Again, Again

or

Margaret, For The Last Time

or

The Last Chapter

(Original Version, 1988)

The musicians played wonderfully as we all danced. I think it was one of their best performances I had ever heard. Old Chuck watched while Pauline and I waltzed. We danced together most of the night, but Charley and Fred cut in every once in a while.

Afterwards everyone left smiling. Pauline and I headed back to my shack. We paused crossing the bridge to my shack and looked into the river. We saw the old trout looking up at us.

I said, "He sure does get around for a trout that age."

Pauline hummed a smile. I took her hand in mine. We continued across the bridge. I thought how I would never hear that noise from the bridge again. We went into my shack and I closed the door.

Fin #1.

(The original version was temporarily lost creating a need for Version 2, Sept.25, 1991)

The dance was probably one of the best that I or any one could remember for a long, long time.

We said goodnight to Fred, Charley, and the rest and then Pauline and I headed up to my shack. We stopped on the bridge to my shack and looked in the river at the Grand Old Trout. He looked at us. We looked at him. He watched us as we headed toward my shack.

When we got to the door I realised that I would never hear the board that used to make noise make noise again.

Fin #2.

(I couldn't decide which version I liked better, nor could I easily merge them. So I present both.)

[–]kazenmusic 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Wow, this is like crossing into Toon Town!

Good to meet a kindred spirit.

[–]JasonCarswell 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I know right!

Also, I'm an animator. For realz.