“Some lose all mind and become soul, insane.Some lose all soul and become mind, intellectual.some lose both and become accepted. ”
-Charles Bukowski
People always ask me what inspired me to write. Was it Jane Austen or Thomas hardy, Charlotte Bronte or Charles Dickens. Surprisingly, It was none of them. I’ve always loved reading books, got that from my father among many other things. He never had the patience for classics. He would always tell me that classics were meant to be read for school, for practical life read other works. So I did. And that’s when I stumbled upon Bukowski. That quote above, was the first I ever read and it instantly caught my attention. That right there, is raw truth.
If you think with your head, you’re smart. Think with your heart and you’re a dreamer. Think with neither, you’re majority. If you think with both, well, you’re nearly extinct.
Every where I look I see people trying to fit in. I can tell because I once was those people. We all were, at one point in our lives. Agreeing with others, going along with things because that’s what it takes to become accepted in society. Lose your conscience and your opinion and you fit in. Disagree and get labelled a rebel.
There’s an experiment that we conducted when I was in college for my psych class. Questions were asked to see people’s reaction. Before answering the candidates would look at each other for ideas on how to respond, afraid to give their opinion first in fear of being wrong. So they would wait and look around. If majority of a group answered the question as affirmative the rest would agree. We normally do that in our lives as well. It’s referred to as Peer pressure or Social pressure. Following the rest to fit in. To be accepted. To not be left behind because the world is moving at such a vast pace and we all want to keep up.
“We’re all going to die, all of us, what a circus! That alone should make us love each other but it doesn’t. We are terrorized and flattened by trivialities, we are eaten up by nothing.”
The second quote sums up the predicament. Yes, we all have limited time. Sojourning on earth, we should make the best of what we have. Instead we follow rules, become somebody we’re not. Humankind takes pride in their liberty. Countries and people celebrate independence, Yet we are not truly free. Bound by rules, regulations, responsibilities and laws that we, ourself, have created. Preying on people who break one law or use their Freedom of speech. Terrorising anybody that dares to defy a social norm. With constant fear of being judged by others, you call that freedom? Never taking risks. Following the routine everyday and feeling emptiness in our hearts.
Bukowski says that if you’re already aware how you’re day/week is going to be like, I pity you. You’re trapped in you’re own life, barely alive. What a horrible way to live.
“Boring damned people. All over the earth. Propagating more boring damned people. What a horror show. The earth swarmed with them.”
Life has been made so easy now. We have a button for everything, instant everything. All to save time. Yet time is exactly what we don’t have anymore. People live the same way everyday. Sleep, Eat, drink, work, lie on social media, complain about things, critique whatever, feel drained, fall to bed and hit repeat the next day. Zombies for all purposes. So how to break the chain and the confines of a self inflicted disease that’s taking over the entire world?
“You begin saving the world by saving one man at a time; all else is grandiose romanticism or politics.”
Bukowski has an answer for that as well. You can save the world by saving one man. One step at a time. Somebody has to be the first after all. But before you decide to help anybody, help yourself. Begin by saving yourself first.
Manal
nice one, hope you have read ‘meditations’ by Marcus Aurelius too, if not go grab it, I think Bukowski has read it a hundred times
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I haven’t yet but I sure will. Thankyou for the recommendation 😊
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You welcome. your username reminds me of the first poem i posted here called I AM THAT MAN.
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You know what they say. Great minds think alike.
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Thank you for following my blog (On a Journey). I look forward to reading your lbog, too.
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Hey you’re welcome. Thanks to you as well
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Oh! Bukowski, he is a bloody genius. I think he is my favourite poet… Thanks for sharing this… 🙂 🙂 🙂
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‘ There are worse things than being alone/ but it often takes decades to realize this/ and most often when you do/ it’s too late/ and there’s nothing worse than too late.’
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You’re a Bukowski fan as well. Good to know. Thankyou for the support 😊
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Crazy fan… Do read his first ever novel ‘post office’. It will help you realize the kind of work he has done after that.
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Really? I will! You should try Kurt Vonnegut as well. I think you’ll like him too.
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Ok I will surely… ☺☺
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I agree with Kizitovalentine above, who recommends “Meditations” by Marcus Aurelius. And your paraphrase of Bukowski saying that knowing exactly how your day/week/etc will go is to be barely alive, reminds me of quotes from Pema Chrodon (author, “When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times”), who says, “Seeking security or perfection… is some kind of death. It doesn’t have any fresh air.” Here’s to fresh air! Oh, and, thank you for following my blog.
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I suppose all great writers understand the sense of adventure in the unknown. I’m really excited about reading that book.
Thankyou for taking time out to visit mine as well 😊
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Charles Bukowski will be remembered as one of the most influential poets of the 20th Century. His poetry mocked the poetry establishment.
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True. I think he mocked all of us who believed they had life figured out!
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And continues to do so, even after his death 🙂
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Most great people are appreciated after their time. So is he.
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This post gives me a “Bluebird in my heart”. ~~dru~~
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Thanks for sharing this
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You’re very welcome.
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I like what your father says about classics.I would like to get some recommendations other than classics.Because what i choose myself turns out to be a disaster mostly or too mainstream.Do you have anything in mind?
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What do you want to read about? Elif Shafak books are great. I’m currently reading 100 years of solitude.
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Any good book you last read?
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Bastard of Istanbul. Architect’s apprentice, Dan Brown books, Shadows of the wind, moth smoke, kite runner.
100 years of solitude has mixed reviews some say it’s complicated and confusing. But I’m on the 2nd chapter yet. Can’t really say
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how about shadows of the wind?
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It’s a great book.
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Okay thanks! 🙂
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No prob 😊
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Hey there.Again me.How about Kurt Vonnegut?Read any of his books?
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Oh I love Vonnegut. I’ve just read slaughter house five. I have a book of his drawings. It’s awesome. But Vonnegut it’s everybody’s cup of tea.
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It is or isn’t?
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Oh sorry. Isnt* that was a typo
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What you said is sad but true… So in light of it all, I decided to (as said by another great man, Michael Jackson) “I’m starting with the man/women in the mirror.”
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That’s a good way to go about it.
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