Silvio, I hope one day sooner rather than later, you put all your essays in a book. In my current Silvio binge, I find a familiarity with your voice and humor that carries me from topic to topic effortlessly, as if we were having a long dinner. It's great!
I love the idea of a second January. For me October has a bit of that feel as well but I think because it is the beginning of the fourth quarter of the year and my sales training has taught me the importance of it. But I love your reflection on circularity.
This part made me laugh: "This contrasts with the idea of living each moment as if it were the last, which I personally don’t like. If I had certainty that a moment is going to be my last, I would not care in the slightest to make it special -- I’m going to die right afterwards!"
Camilo, my friend, I hope that long dinner happens soon. And I know it'll be a great one, with a lively and interesting conversation and lots of laughter. I'll be waiting for you in Milano, near Arco della Pace. :) And I'm glad we're in sync on the "living each moment as if it were the last" notion (at least it seems to me we do).
I loved this Silvio. September really is a special time of year. As a kid, it marked the beginning of the year much more than the turning of the calendar come January.
I love abstract, deep, philosophical ideas and circular time is one of them.
I’ve noticed especially the recursive nature in emotions. How feelings ebb and flow. If you’ve felt something before you’ll feel it again — all the joy and despair, euphoria and terror. It’s something I tried to write about but probably didn’t do justice.
The memory of writing labels on notebooks hit me with a wall of deja vu :)
Thank you, Tommy! Yes, I believe the circularity of time involves emotions more than facts and actions per se. And I have experienced it in my life several times. Its cyclicality is more in how things go in general and what you feel about that.
"It’s something I tried to write about but probably didn’t do justice." -- please point it out to me, I'd love to read it. :)
At its core, I wanted it to comfort people who are going through a period of darkness. A reminder that its all cyclical and darkness gives way to dawn. Things will get better.
Love new beginnings and loved this essay (as well as the fact you started with an ensō, a figure and meaning I've recently fell in love with).
As I told you, reading this reminded me of my favorite prologue: The Unbearable Lightness of Being. A new take and reinterpretation on the deep and amazing concept of eternal recurrence, of which your essay also does.
I wish you many new, exciting and different beginnings my friend
Thank you so much, Oscar! I have to pick up again Kundera's book, as I read it a million years ago. Sometimes re-reading books after years bring a whole new perspective of what the author really meant to convey and what it did to you. This is one more reason to do it soon. Thank you, my friend. :)
You’ve inspired a new beginning in me Silvio with this piece. Starting up reading about the emotional resonance you conjure up like a skilled magician, but one who can reveal the secret behind the trick and yet still continues to captivate. I don’t know if that metaphor came out quite right, but after my summer of pausing with reading, starting up again with your writing is like coming back to something I’ve experienced many times before.
Love this. I turn 60 in September. I am looking at this milestone as a new dimension for changes I’ve been contemplating. Thank you for your idea on how to look at September. I do love to spend time in Italy in September. This year I’m going to do it in Portugal instead. Keep up the great works Silvio
Thank you, Stan. It is indeed a big milestone, and a belated happy birthday to you if your September day has already passed (if not, happy birthday for when it comes) :). September is a good month for Italy, some years you can still be at the beach although days are getting shorter. :) Have a nice one in Portugal this year. A place I do not know, but I hear it's beautiful.
Silvio, I hope one day sooner rather than later, you put all your essays in a book. In my current Silvio binge, I find a familiarity with your voice and humor that carries me from topic to topic effortlessly, as if we were having a long dinner. It's great!
I love the idea of a second January. For me October has a bit of that feel as well but I think because it is the beginning of the fourth quarter of the year and my sales training has taught me the importance of it. But I love your reflection on circularity.
This part made me laugh: "This contrasts with the idea of living each moment as if it were the last, which I personally don’t like. If I had certainty that a moment is going to be my last, I would not care in the slightest to make it special -- I’m going to die right afterwards!"
Camilo, my friend, I hope that long dinner happens soon. And I know it'll be a great one, with a lively and interesting conversation and lots of laughter. I'll be waiting for you in Milano, near Arco della Pace. :) And I'm glad we're in sync on the "living each moment as if it were the last" notion (at least it seems to me we do).
I loved this Silvio. September really is a special time of year. As a kid, it marked the beginning of the year much more than the turning of the calendar come January.
I love abstract, deep, philosophical ideas and circular time is one of them.
I’ve noticed especially the recursive nature in emotions. How feelings ebb and flow. If you’ve felt something before you’ll feel it again — all the joy and despair, euphoria and terror. It’s something I tried to write about but probably didn’t do justice.
The memory of writing labels on notebooks hit me with a wall of deja vu :)
Thank you, Tommy! Yes, I believe the circularity of time involves emotions more than facts and actions per se. And I have experienced it in my life several times. Its cyclicality is more in how things go in general and what you feel about that.
"It’s something I tried to write about but probably didn’t do justice." -- please point it out to me, I'd love to read it. :)
I wrote about the ups and downs of emotion, the tides of life, here: https://thomasdixon.substack.com/p/the-tides-of-life
At its core, I wanted it to comfort people who are going through a period of darkness. A reminder that its all cyclical and darkness gives way to dawn. Things will get better.
Yes, I do remember that now. Great piece! :)
Love new beginnings and loved this essay (as well as the fact you started with an ensō, a figure and meaning I've recently fell in love with).
As I told you, reading this reminded me of my favorite prologue: The Unbearable Lightness of Being. A new take and reinterpretation on the deep and amazing concept of eternal recurrence, of which your essay also does.
I wish you many new, exciting and different beginnings my friend
Thank you so much, Oscar! I have to pick up again Kundera's book, as I read it a million years ago. Sometimes re-reading books after years bring a whole new perspective of what the author really meant to convey and what it did to you. This is one more reason to do it soon. Thank you, my friend. :)
You’ve inspired a new beginning in me Silvio with this piece. Starting up reading about the emotional resonance you conjure up like a skilled magician, but one who can reveal the secret behind the trick and yet still continues to captivate. I don’t know if that metaphor came out quite right, but after my summer of pausing with reading, starting up again with your writing is like coming back to something I’ve experienced many times before.
Eric! So glad it did something good to you! And the magician metaphor is fantastic. Thank you so much for your wonderful words!
Love this. I turn 60 in September. I am looking at this milestone as a new dimension for changes I’ve been contemplating. Thank you for your idea on how to look at September. I do love to spend time in Italy in September. This year I’m going to do it in Portugal instead. Keep up the great works Silvio
Thank you, Stan. It is indeed a big milestone, and a belated happy birthday to you if your September day has already passed (if not, happy birthday for when it comes) :). September is a good month for Italy, some years you can still be at the beach although days are getting shorter. :) Have a nice one in Portugal this year. A place I do not know, but I hear it's beautiful.
There's so much richness and crispness to this piece. It makes me wonder what each month feels like for you, similar to how each number has a color :)
Thank you, Rachael. Each month definitely has a feel for me. And each one has a color too! September is dark brown. :)