Comment by F_J_H
15 years ago
I have already posted this once in a similar thread, but thought I would post it again as it quite relevant to the article and others who have not seen it before may appreciate it:
"Instantes" by Jorge Luis Borges:
If I were able to live my life anew, In the next I would try to commit more errors. I would not try to be so perfect, I would relax more. I would be more foolish than I've been, In fact, I would take few things seriously. I would be less hygienic. I would run more risks, take more vacations, contemplate more sunsets, climb more mountains, swim more rivers. I would go to more places where I've never been, I would eat more ice cream and fewer beans, I would have more real problems and less imaginary ones.
I was one of those people that lived sensibly and prolifically each minute of his life; Of course I had moments of happiness. If I could go back I would try to have only good moments. Because if you didn't know, of that is life made: only of moments; Don't lose the now.
I was one of those that never went anywhere without a thermometer, a hot-water bottle, an umbrella, and a parachute; If I could live again, I would travel lighter. If I could live again, I would begin to walk barefoot from the beginning of spring and I would continue barefoot until autumn ends. I would take more cart rides, contemplate more dawns, and play with more children, If I had another life ahead of me.
But already you see, I am 85, and I know that I am dying.
Sounds nice, but it's important to note that it's apocryphe, it was not written by JLB.
A note from Martin Hadis: http://www.internetaleph.com/detail/showdetail.asp?objtype=4...
It should be some kind of Law:
Anything written in Spanish will eventually be attributed to Jorge Luis Borges.
(Except maybe Don Quixote, which as we all know is the work of Pierre Menard.)
Indeed, anyone who was read any Borges should know that Instantes wasn't written by him. ;-)