"The artist thus graced and cursed with the "style of old age" is not content with the conventional vocabulary provided him by his epoch. For to render the epoch, the whole epoch, he cannot remain within it; he must find a point beyond it." Hermann Broch, The Style of the Mythical Age
Consider that you are word-woven: that you define yourself and thereby the entire world and cosmos by your words. Over the years, you have adopted various words and phrases of self-definition, words to live up to or down to, as the case may be.
As one ages, it is more difficult to remain within the conventional vocabulary. The "style of old age" is to burst out of the old words, to be borne into unrestricted definition. Either that or one must die by chasing and while chasing the same old tale -- the tale provided by one's epoch.
"Old age" is a unique opportunity. One is facing dissolution and death -- two allies not readily fooled. The bromides and platitudes of a younger age either acquire new meaning or are abandoned as worthless. One is born into this world from Somewhere and is about to be borne from this world to Somewhere. It is not time to shit oneself and walk around wearing cognitive Depends.
Beethoven, Bach, Goya, Tolstoy, Goethe, Hokusai are examples of artists who broke through into the "style of old age." Each of us is an artist in our own right. We create through the artistry of our own lives. We have tried various expressions over time, gone through many periods. Now is the time to step out from what we have learned and open to the artistry and style of old age.
It is not so much a matter of learning a new vocabulary but of arranging one's existing vocabulary to form new meaning -- the meaning that comes with a view from here, as we feel ourselves leaving this world and opening and letting go to what is to come. From this calm daring comes the wisdom and the style of old age.
Consider that you are word-woven: that you define yourself and thereby the entire world and cosmos by your words. Over the years, you have adopted various words and phrases of self-definition, words to live up to or down to, as the case may be.
As one ages, it is more difficult to remain within the conventional vocabulary. The "style of old age" is to burst out of the old words, to be borne into unrestricted definition. Either that or one must die by chasing and while chasing the same old tale -- the tale provided by one's epoch.
"Old age" is a unique opportunity. One is facing dissolution and death -- two allies not readily fooled. The bromides and platitudes of a younger age either acquire new meaning or are abandoned as worthless. One is born into this world from Somewhere and is about to be borne from this world to Somewhere. It is not time to shit oneself and walk around wearing cognitive Depends.
Beethoven, Bach, Goya, Tolstoy, Goethe, Hokusai are examples of artists who broke through into the "style of old age." Each of us is an artist in our own right. We create through the artistry of our own lives. We have tried various expressions over time, gone through many periods. Now is the time to step out from what we have learned and open to the artistry and style of old age.
It is not so much a matter of learning a new vocabulary but of arranging one's existing vocabulary to form new meaning -- the meaning that comes with a view from here, as we feel ourselves leaving this world and opening and letting go to what is to come. From this calm daring comes the wisdom and the style of old age.
It is not time to shit oneself and walk around wearing cognitive Depends.
ReplyDeleteGood one George. Accurate and funny. Very well said.
John
This is a post filled with incredible wisdom, George. As I enter Geezerhood, your encouragement to "step out from what we have learned and open to the artistry and style of old age" has tremendous resonance. The fact is, most "middle age" people simply cannot comprehend this message. A person needs to have crossed over into a degree of physical debilitation and a deeper sense of mortality to grasp phrases such as "arranging one's existing vocabulary to form a new meaning." This is really very good stuff, George!
ReplyDeleteI love your style! :-)
ReplyDeleteGeorge~Aahhh, such gentle, powerful words from a wordsmith extraordinaire. Bless you brother for your dedication to life and it's mysterious beauty.
ReplyDeleteYour buddy, Burt