Una piccola storia che scalda il cuore in questi giorni difficili

We knew from an early age that my brother Ron was different. 

When he was nine years old, Ron decided to take a mile walk from our home down to the library — which was, of course, a public library, but not so public for black folks, when you’re talking about 1959 in segregated South Carolina.

So as he was walking through the library, all these folks were staring at him, because it was white folk only, and they were looking at him and saying, you know, “Who is this Negro?” [Laughter.]

He found some books, and he politely positioned himself in line to check out. 

Well, this old librarian says, “This library is not for coloreds.” 

He said, “I would like to check out these books.” 

She says, “Young man, if you don’t leave this library right now, I’m going to call the police!” 

He just propped himself up on the counter and sat there and said, “I’ll wait.”

So she called the police and subsequently called my mother. 

The police came down, two burly guys, and say, “Well, where’s the disturbance?” 

She pointed to the nine-year-old boy sitting up on the counter. 

One of the policemen says, “Ma’am, what’s the problem?”

So my mother, in the meanwhile, she comes down there, and she’s praying the whole way: “Lordy, Jesus, please don’t let them put my child in jail!”. 

My mother asked the librarian, “What’s the problem?” 

The librarian said, “He wanted to check out the books. 

You know that your son shouldn’t be down here.”

The police officer said, “Why don’t you just give the kid the books?” 

And my mother said, “He’ll take good care of them.” 

Reluctantly, the librarian gave Ron the books, and my mother said, “What do you say?” 

He said, “Thank you, ma’am.”.

CARL MCNAIR

Callings: the purpose and passion of work.

Una vita ben vissuta non e' quella immune dalla sofferenza emotiva, ma quella nella quale permettiamo alla sofferenza emotiva di contribuire alla nostra crescita

Across history, the articulation of melancholy attitudes in works of art has provided us with relief from a sense of loneliness and persecution.

Among others, Pascal, Keats, Shelley, Schopenhauer and Leonard Cohen have been able to reassure us of the normalcy of our states of sadness. 

In particular, they have made a case for a species of low-level, muted sadness that arises when we are open to the fact that life is inherently difficult and that suffering and disappointment are core parts of universal experience. 

It’s not a disorder that needs to be cured. 

The good life is not one immune to grief, but one in which we allow suffering to contribute to our development.

THE BOOK OF LIFE

On being cheered along.

E' la tensione tra familiarita' e sorpresa a generare relazioni forti: il supporto reciproco insieme alla continua scoperta

What sustains our relationship is I’m extremely happy with her, and part of it has to do with the fact that she is at once completely familiar to me, so that I can be myself and she knows me very well and I trust her completely, but at the same time she is also a complete mystery to me in some ways. 

And there are times when we are lying in bed and I look over and sort of have a start. Because I realize here is this other person who is separate and different and has different memories and backgrounds and thoughts and feelings. 

It’s that tension between familiarity and mystery that makes for something strong, because, even as you build a life of trust and comfort and mutual support, you retain some sense of surprise or wonder about the other person.

BARACK OBAMA

Dreams of my father.

Forse non piu' l'unico, ma certamente il libro di carta resta uno dei modi attraverso i quali l'umanita' puo' preservare la coscienza di se'

We need not fear a future elimination of the book. On the contrary, the more that certain needs for entertainment and education are satisfied through other inventions, the more the book will win back in dignity and authority.

For even the most childish intoxication with progress will soon be forced to recognize that writing and books have a function that is eternal. It will become evident that formulation in words and the handing on of these formulations through writing are not only important aids but actually the only means by which humanity can have a history and a continuing consciousness of itself.

HERMANN HESSE

My belief: essays on life and art.

A scuola ci insegnano di tutto, tranne le conoscenze che determineranno la qualita' delle nostre vite

They teach us everything other than the two skills that really determine the quality of adult life; knowing how to choose the right job for us and knowing how to form satisfactory relationships. They’ll instruct us in Latin and how to measure the circumference of a circle long before they teach us those core subjects: Work and Love.

THE BOOK OF LIFE

Success at school vs. success in life.

Sono come mi vedi: attraverso il nostro modo di vestire comunichiamo il desiderio di essere compresi

We’re understandably reluctant to accept this loneliness – and are, consequently, very concerned to control the external appearances that we present. That’s what fashion trades on. We hope that if we could tinker sufficiently with what other people see externally of us (perhaps our hair or design of collar), we may eventually be properly understood.

THE BOOK OF LIFE

Jacques Lacan.