On Memories

"Most men will not swim before they are able to.' Is that not witty? Naturally, they won't swim! They are born for the solid earth, not for the water. And naturally they won't think. They are made for life, not for thought. Yes, and he who thinks, what's more, he who makes thought his business, he may go far in it, but he has bartered the solid earth for the water all the same, and one day he will drown."

Is that beautiful or not? I was discussing this passage with Mathias and Klaus some days ago and we all came up with a different conclusion about the purpose of this quote. For me it says that you shouldn’t spend all your time thinking, because then you will drown. It is important to learn how to Live, before you learn how to think. First we walk, and then we swim, not the other way around. We are born to the solid earth, we are born to Live. That quote is the kind of quotes that makes me think and makes me read the few words over and over again. Not because I don’t understand it (that is only a part of it) but mostly because it is so beautiful and well written. Nevertheless, I think maybe I ought to stop Living and start Thinking, at least if I want to get an education.

So, I am just done with Herman Hesse’ book Steppenwolf and what can I say? I like the way he writes and the ideas, however a lot of it is taken almost directly from Nietzsche. I don’t mind when authors steal from other writers, but sometimes it can be too much. It is no secret in the book that Herman Hesse is very much influenced by Nietzsche and Freud. I don’t know if I should out with Siddhartha already now, or I should start with the titanic book by Robert Fisk (the War for Civilisation). I have all these plans about books I have to read, but I also don’t want to destroy a good book by reading it too fast. With too little focus on the book (I tend to have too much focus on the next book on my list)

So, as I said Mathias and Klaus are also reading the book Steppenwolf these days, but it was not only because of that that I visited them this week.
On Monday I went to Copenhagen to have a nice and relaxed day with first my new little niece and then later on with Klaus. We had a great time….and the time with Klaus was okay as well…. We went out clubbing, which can be quit difficult on a Monday night in Copenhagen but we managed to find to nice pubs to share a tequila, rum & coke and some few beers. All in all, a tipsy night out. Then I went to Mathias place. He lives in the dark part of Denmark called Jutland, though I must admit that his house has very beautiful surroundings. Especially the beech trees and the fjords make it look very nice…even though it is Jutland. It seems to me that Mathias still hasn’t reached the PUWCD, BUT I know it will come….after half a year…maybe a year or so.

Yesterday I stayed at Max place for a night, unfortunately I came to Malmö very late and I had to leave Malmö very early the day after, but the small 24 hours we had together were good. Walked in the sun, met Negar, drank coffees on hip cafes, saw an Hizbollah pro-demonstration, looked at girls….looked at more girls……and yes….damn, Swedish girls are cute. Max read some parts of his diary from Sahara and from the sailing trip we did and when I heard these stories I almost got wet eyes, and turned into this nostalgic mindset where the whole world just close around you and you suddenly start to smell, feel, hear and see the past very clearly… (and always a lot more beautifully). I am so glad that I wrote diaries the last year not because I am afraid that I will forget any of it, just because I can pick out a memory very easily, the good ones and the bad ones and just feel how I felt in that moment when I wrote it. Like I do with pictures, I know exactly how I feel or where I was, or how the room looked liked every time I look at my old picture. I remember the moments so clearly, my mind just need the little push that pictures and diaries can give me.
Talking about all these memories….If your Life was a movie, would you then watch it?

I only have two small things that I would like to share before I end this little post. The first thing is a quote from a famous Lebonese writer and painter; Kahlil Gibran. I think I will post a quote from him every time I write something from now on. This is personally one of the most beautiful and simple lines from him:

Love one another but make not a bond of love:
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.

The other little news story is that I got into Copenhagen University for History, although I don’t think I will start this year. My plan is to study history for three years, and then study Middle East studies for 2 years afterwards (and in the meantime study photography).