“The art of life is more like the wrestler’s than the dancer’s...” page 251I find I can identify with that. Wrestlers and dancers both use a lot of energy but have totally different experiences. A wrestler gets down and dirty. A wrestler always is involved with someone else and responds to what they do. A wrestler is defeated by someone else. I tried wrestling once in college and one day put me in bed for two.
A dancer can be a loner and doing their own thing. If they have a partner they are working together. Ultimately they are really competing against themselves. A dancer is involved in an work of art. In addition to the strength and endurance of a wrestler they also have elements of interpretation and creativity.
Few of us has the gifts to produce a great work of art. We can celebrate those who do. The rest of us should be able to take some satisfaction in putting a half Nelson, whatever that is, on the next crisis that dares to look us in the eye. A perfect cup of coffee is a rare treat to be savored but on a day-to-day basis most of us will have to be content with a cup of everyday Joe.
Aurelius, Marcus. The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, from the Harvard
Classics, Vol 2. New York: P.F. Collier & Son Corporation, 1937.
homo unius libri
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Comments are welcome. Feel free to agree or disagree but keep it clean, courteous and short. I heard some shorthand on a podcast: TLDR, Too long, didn't read.