the referrendum

[rm]

http://happydays.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/17/the-referendum/

Quite a lot of what passes itself off as a dialogue about our society consists of people trying to justify their own choices as the only right or natural ones by denouncing others’ as selfish or pathological or wrong. So it’s easy to overlook that hidden beneath all this smug certainty is a poignant insecurity, and the naked 3 A.M. terror of regret.

The problem is, we only get one chance at this, with no do-overs. Life is, in effect, a non-repeatable experiment with no control.

1. I loved this piece, and it's worth reading.

2. It made me think, "This is why people like stories about vampires and other long-lived/immortal creatures, because it can seem like a life with do-overs. But it's not -- that's the horror."

Comments

[argentla.livejournal.com]

I think the piece is smarmy and smug, and is guilty of precisely the things it claims to dissect.

I am continually amazed that people consider themselves so clever for making observations like "life is like a game with no do-overs." The banality of anyone who considers that insightful is quite staggering.