I nearly blew out my knee getting up from the couch to fish for a fresh pack of smokes just now. Ah, the things I do for stuff that I know is so very, very bad for me. Welcome to a slice of the DTLF life. Ice cream will cost you a little extra; a dame blanche might just blow your bank, and your mind.
Last night was a good night, by all technical definitions: Had an interesting chat with the BCG folk who came to campus for a pre-recruiting season schmooze-fest, followed by an interesting new venue, interesting people, interesting unexpected use of one of my INSEAD-qualifying languages, all laced with free-flowing beer, wine, and whiskey.
This post almost sounds upbeat, so I’ll qualify it with a DTLFism. The Chinese have a saying, “May you live in interesting times.” What isn’t commonly known is that this proverb ranks high on the list of the worst curses one can wish upon another.
It’s funny the things you remember, and the things you take for granted: Glittering eyes, alive with mirth and dancing with life; clouded sockets streaked with tears, and stained with regret; lustrous hair smelling of comfort and affection; wild anger and base pettiness; true understanding and unmasked emotion; frank apologies tinged with pity and sadness.
The whiskey ad says, “Keep on walking.”
The shoe ad says, “Just do it.”
First one step, then the second.
——
Time is never time at all
You can never ever leave without leaving a piece of youth
And our lives are forever changed
We will never be the same
The more you change the less you feel
Believe, believe in me, believe
That life can change, that you’re not stuck in vain
We’re not the same, we’re different tonight
Tonight, so bright
Tonight
And you know you’re never sure
But you’re sure you could be right
If you held yourself up to the light
And the embers never fade in your city by the lake
The place where you were born
Believe, believe in me, believe
In the resolute urgency of now
And if you believe there’s not a chance tonight
Tonight, so bright
Tonight
We’ll crucify the insincere tonight
We’ll make things right, we’ll feel it all tonight
We’ll find a way to offer up the night tonight
The indescribable moments of your life tonight
The impossible is possible tonight
Believe in me as I believe in you, tonight
Smashing Pumpkins – “Tonight”
