A promise is nothing but a decision you make against the future. You're fucking with your future self, basically. That's a real existential rivalry, there - you'll be constantly running afoul of it, if you're not careful. Self-awareness, they call it!
Your past you is all "hey, future me. I know you're going to replace me and all. I know I'm sliding out of myself and into you all the time. I know I can't do shit about it. But guess what! I'm going to saddle you with this. A nice promise. That you'll be stuck dealing with. Enjoy!"
But that's alright. You can always get even with your past you. Tell people about the bedwetting.
2 comments:
I think it's G.K. Chesterton who has an essay-length version of this post, called "In Defense of Foolish Vows." And he is talking about TRULY foolish vows, like vowing to chain two mountain peaks together. Hey, it's better than "I'll never let anything happen to you." More doable.
Nice new look for your blog.
Thanks, Jen!
Chesterton never said a damn thing but that he said it better than me.
He plays a bit more straight with the concept, though! I tend to go in more for the absurd than the paradoxical.
But I bet I write a better song about it than he did.
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