am--7 Rim Circuit in reverse w/ Andy. We had some nice chatter today while the rain sprinkled. I'm thankful for the Santa Clara River Reserve and its trails. RHR--53.
I also finished my 6th book of the year--When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi. I had checked this out from the school library--our librarian is probably the best high school librarian in the world--before the Christmas break, intending to read it. I didn't, so I took it back to school with the intention of returning it. But my conscience got the best of me, and I thought I better give it one chapter before I severed ties. Well, once I started, I couldn't put it down. That coupled with the fact that it's a quick read made for a couple days of profound thoughts on mortality. Two quotes that I loved:
"Years ago, it had occurred to me that Darwin and Nietzsche agreed on one thing: the defining characteristic of the organism is striving" (143).
"I woke up in pain, facing another day--no project beyond breakfast seemed tenable. I can't go on, I thought, and immediately, its antiphon responded, completing Samuel Beckett's seven words, words I had learned long ago as an undergraduate: I'll go on. I got out of bed and took a step forward, repeating the phrase over and over: 'I can't go on. I'll go on'" (149).
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