Sunday, October 09, 2011

G'night everybody! Tip your waiters and waitresses!!!

Sometimes it takes one comment from one reader to remind me that it’s not all a drag. That not everything is as bleak as I might imagine it is, and that’s on my good days. Thank you, c.c.!

Coincidentally, I just finished a book called Heidegger and a Hippo Walk Through Those Pearly Gates, by Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein. Now, before everyone gets worked up, I fully admit I’m not nearly smart enough to understand at least two-thirds of this book but in terms of philosophy, debating philosophers and trying to figure out why we’re on this planet, it’s about as close as I’ll ever get.

And in that spirit, I share the following with you. Made me smile and once again, reminded me that a little perspective and a good dose of humor can really help smooth out a path that feels a little rocky these days. Enjoy.

So Heidegger and a hippo stroll up to the Pearly Gates and St. Peter says, “Listen, we’ve only got room for one more today. So whoever of the two of you gives me the best answer to the question, ‘what is the meaning of life,’ gets to come in.”
And Heidegger says, “To think Being itself explicitly requires disregarding Being to the extent that it is only grounded and interpreted in terms of beings and for beings as their ground, as in all metaphyics.”

But before the hippo can grunt one word, Saint Peter says to him, “Today’s your lucky day, Hippy!”

2 comments:

say what? said...

I have a philosopher acquaintance, he taught at two Catholic universities, who tells me he imagines his god as a bright light to which all spiritual beings are drawn. Those who are ready to be in this god's presence will bask in the god's warmth and love through all eternity. Those who aren't ready (me and most everyone else) will burn in that same light until we have shed whatever keeps us from accepting the god's love.

Do I buy any of that? Nope. But I'm content to know someone much smarter and better educated (than I ever would want to be) does.

renee said...

You're making this much too hard for me. I'm left way behind very early in these sorts of discussion.

But - if I'm reading you correctly - it reminds me of something a friend wrote long ago and it was something like: I'm pretty certain there is a God, and I'm almost certainly wrong about that. If he's reading this, maybe he's clarify further....

Thanks for your thoughtful comment.