I was eating a sandwich and writing at my friend's cafe when I felt something hovering over my shoulder. It was a guy I know. He looked like he wanted to sit down, but I wanted to dissuade that.
"I saw your friend. He doesn't look like he's doing that well. He told me that the only pleasures he has now are whiskey and masturbation."
"Well, those aren't bad. I thought he was back with his girl."
"Not really. She stops by and wants to talk, but they aren't really together. I told him he needed a philosophy. I gave him Siddartha to read. He needs to learn how to be alone."
"I don't know," I said, "he might be a little old to read that. It is something you should read in college like The Hobbit or the works of Ayn Rand or "The Prophet." I don't think that stuff has much of an effect when you get older."
I could see that pissed him off.
You can't tell. Maybe the book will move him. But I think he is probably better off just sitting and thinking.
"He told me that the only pleasures he has now are whiskey and masturbation."
ReplyDeleteAt least he won't get aids.
A very good and old time friend, who's read lots of Herman Hesse plus much more, told me recently when I chided him for sleeping with prositutes in Africa without condoms, "I don't care if I live or die".