Sunday, February 1, 2015

Good Morning Justin

Letter to my Son
Sunday, 1 February


Good Morning Justin…


What Super Bowl?  The Chargers aren't in it.  I don’t know a thing about it.  Who’s playing?



We've got both George Washington and Abe Lincoln with birthdays this month.  Everyone’s favorite event for February, though, is Valentine’s Day.   The women in our life get a box of chocolates and a gift certificate to Weight Watchers.  All that chocolaty adoration finds a home somewhere.  My guess is the hips.



Where are you anyway?  My guess is it’s someplace that grows strawberries this time of year.  Argentina.  Who’d a thought?



The actor John Barrymore said in the movie Twentieth Century:  If I’m a genius it’s because of my failure.  It was something to that effect.  All genius must end with failure.  The question is how impressive will your ultimate failure be?  Here is the true key to genius.  What does it take to bring you down?  Of course, you don’t have to be a genius for this to apply.    We all reach the point of bafflement.  It’s not like a switch though.  We’re not completely in command until the point arrives when it’s all incomprehensible.  Our successes never required complete understanding.  We push forward from the start with myopic vision.  Our confusion is merely contained.  We make decisions and they somehow work for us.  We continue to explore new areas.  The problems become increasingly challenging.  Uncertainties build and our confidence in making choices becomes increasingly hesitant.  Finally we stall out.  Here is our outermost boundary – the limit of our frontier.  It’s a moment to ponder.  Here is the sight of my penultimate failure… the magnificence of my foundering human quest.  The grand ship tilts itself stern up, then slides beneath the waves with all horns blowing.  Sounds romantic.

Love,
          Dad

© Tom Taylor



No comments:

Post a Comment