We must remain as close to the flowers, the grass, and the butterflies as the child is who is not yet so much taller than they are.-Friedrich Nietzsche
I'm kind of laughing here thinking back to when my 31 year old daughter was in high school. She was given an assignment in AP English - I believe it was a poem by Emily Dickerson. She was too write a paper about what the poem meant.
So we sat down together and dissected it and she wrote what we talked about. She, no WE, got an F. Not for the grammar, but for not getting the meaning of the poem! So she was given a second chance to write and she then made it more like what the teacher thought she should write it was about.
I always thought or believed that a poem was open to interpretations! It's such a funny memory now . . .
So when I look at these quotes and give my views - you see - I may not get what the original writer meant! So feel free to agree or disagree.
So what does Nietzsche mean here? "We must remain as close to the flowers, the grass, and the butterflies as the child is who is not yet so much taller than they are."
Children -they are so innocent - so ready to believe the best of people - they enjoy life - they haven't been embittered by worldly views yet - they still see the world with rose colored glasses - they have such energy - they have sparks - they play hard and they sleep hard - they can sleep so soundly can't they? (no worries or stress like us) - and full of love.
The older we get - the 'taller' we get, the further we get away from the flowers, the grass, and the butterflies. We get further away from the earth. And it's harder to 'get' and 'start' grounded or centered - which is one of my goals - as lofty a goal as that is.
Play like a child today.
Chatty
I'm kind of laughing here thinking back to when my 31 year old daughter was in high school. She was given an assignment in AP English - I believe it was a poem by Emily Dickerson. She was too write a paper about what the poem meant.
So we sat down together and dissected it and she wrote what we talked about. She, no WE, got an F. Not for the grammar, but for not getting the meaning of the poem! So she was given a second chance to write and she then made it more like what the teacher thought she should write it was about.
I always thought or believed that a poem was open to interpretations! It's such a funny memory now . . .
So when I look at these quotes and give my views - you see - I may not get what the original writer meant! So feel free to agree or disagree.
So what does Nietzsche mean here? "We must remain as close to the flowers, the grass, and the butterflies as the child is who is not yet so much taller than they are."
Children -they are so innocent - so ready to believe the best of people - they enjoy life - they haven't been embittered by worldly views yet - they still see the world with rose colored glasses - they have such energy - they have sparks - they play hard and they sleep hard - they can sleep so soundly can't they? (no worries or stress like us) - and full of love.
The older we get - the 'taller' we get, the further we get away from the flowers, the grass, and the butterflies. We get further away from the earth. And it's harder to 'get' and 'start' grounded or centered - which is one of my goals - as lofty a goal as that is.
Play like a child today.
Chatty
2 comments:
Honey, it's plain you've never taught kindergarten! The angst, the lies, the cruelties, the fears, the schemings...of the five-year-olds!!! LOL...I think ol' Nietzsche was in a rare and mellow mood with that quote; it's very much different from his usual vein...
Actually I did - teach elementary school for 13 years. You're absolutely right Penniwig - they all have that to some degree, but don't they also have some freedom to live we don't have? The ablility to forgive easier? Aren't they full of life and zest? Open and honest at least compared to us old couts (Lol)?
I do realize, especially today, that some of these 'youngins' can carry a heavy burden.
I also know there sure are some grumpy old men out there (and some grumpy old women too). I really can't figure that out - seems we're too old to be so grumpy anymore. Times a wasting. Some people understand that and I think you're one of them. Others - life flies right over their head and they miss it!
I guess I was more like that in my 30's and 40's. I don't want to be like that anymore - I've mellowed with time. I try to fight acting old and grumpiness - with self talk (lol) which is what I guess this is.
Of course, I'm still a work in progress.
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