Leaving Things Behind
“Traveling is not just seeing the new; it is also leaving behind. Not just opening doors; also closing them behind you, never to return. But the place you have left forever is always there for you to see whenever you shut your eyes. And the cities you see most clearly at night are the cities you have left and will never see again.”
Jan Myrdal
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miamh
Comment on March 22, 2004 at 6:37 am
Have you ever read the Silk Road? You probably have. I'm always thrown by the last sentence of this quote because I dread the insight of loving a place so much and never seeing it again. Is it really as profound as it has turned out to be? I wonder. Silent moments have me wondering how this applies to people and relationships. Will a person who has left me behind think of me and will it mean it will never be? Will the person I think of when I close my eyes, now, never be? If a door is closed should it never be opened? Was there an actual analysis done from yourself before you posted this? huh? Past all that a very thought provoking quote and I'm sure I've just proved that with my mindless ramble.
Lars Holst
Comment on March 22, 2004 at 9:33 pm
I have read Sidenvägen, the Swedish original. There are different ways of interpreting that quote, apparently, but I think I see it more pragmatically than you do: the more you travel, the more difficult it becomes to return to all the places you have come to like, and the less likely it is that you will once again meet or even be able to keep in touch with all the people you have grown attached to. This could be for practical reasons, such as time or financial constraints, or for other, more emotional or psychological reasons, such as those you mention. What I like about the quote is the way it seems to accept all that, without any regrets, and even suggests that this is not necessarily a bad thing. At least that's one interpretation. But no, I didn't analyze it that much. I am a man, after all
miamh
Comment on March 23, 2004 at 8:24 pm
Interesting how a single event can influence your judgement or perspective as the case may be. I like your comment it's like Im the half empty and you're the half full and every now and again what you say makes sense..but not often because as stated you are a man..lol..funny thing is men say they don't understand women but you know what over the last week I have had an experience that literally defies all logic and was initiated from a man..so you know..or maybe not..anyway!
Nastassia
Comment on April 8, 2004 at 9:05 pm
Beautiful text...!
I love your blog
min
Comment on April 14, 2004 at 11:54 am
Will you be updating this wonderful blog soon?
Lars Holst
Comment on April 14, 2004 at 2:46 pm
Nastassia, thanks.
Min, thanks and yes. I've been unintentionally offline for some time now actually. Long story, but I'm working from home, where I only have a dial-up connection, which I messed up by installing an incorrect driver. Dell's fault though, not mine, and it's been fixed now anyway, so technically there might be a post soon, yes. I just have to decide if I'll do it before or after attending to 137 unread/unanswered emails and a thesis...
Miamh
Comment on April 23, 2004 at 11:58 pm
Ergghh that dumb Min comment was me, usually when I comment on my other friends site I use Min, so I did know the reason, and sorry for making you explain all over again by using the abbreviation of my first name that I despise (j/k)..ergghhh x 2