I like a world with Kurt Vonnegut in it a lot better than I like a world without him, so obviously I have some adjusting to do. I don’t think anyone will ever fill Mark Twain’s shoes, but Vonnegut came closer than anybody else in the 20th century. Like Twain, his view of humanity was pretty bleak, but his sense of humor was ever-present.
My favorite book of his is probably “God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater.”
Here’s a quote from that book, as Mr. Rosewater tells earth’s newcomers what they need to know:
“Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. It’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It’s round and wet and crowded. At the outside, babies, you’ve got about a hundred years here. There’s only one rule that I know of, babies — ‘God damn it, you’ve got to be kind.’ ”
Would that people like Don Imus had internalized this message when he came to earth. I am so tired of seeing hate passed off as humor. I am so tired of people like Imus being called “shock jocks”. Unfortunately nowadays, being cruel and hateful and narrow-minded is no longer shocking. What shocks me is when someone is kind.
Rest in peace -- and God bless you, Mr. Vonnegut.
My favorite book of his is probably “God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater.”
Here’s a quote from that book, as Mr. Rosewater tells earth’s newcomers what they need to know:
“Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. It’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It’s round and wet and crowded. At the outside, babies, you’ve got about a hundred years here. There’s only one rule that I know of, babies — ‘God damn it, you’ve got to be kind.’ ”
Would that people like Don Imus had internalized this message when he came to earth. I am so tired of seeing hate passed off as humor. I am so tired of people like Imus being called “shock jocks”. Unfortunately nowadays, being cruel and hateful and narrow-minded is no longer shocking. What shocks me is when someone is kind.
Rest in peace -- and God bless you, Mr. Vonnegut.
