Unavoidable
March 30th, 2009Lately I have been confused and troubled about some basic things like: who I am. What I’m doing. What I’m not doing. What I should be doing, etc. etc. ad nauseum. When I get like this I like to read Paulo Coelho, and in case anyone else is feeling that way, here’s why… he writes things like this:
“There is no tragedy, only the unavoidable. Everything hath its reason for being: thou needest only distinguish what is temporary from what is lasting.”
“What is temporary?” Asked Elijah.
“The unavoidable”
“And what is lasting?”
“The lessons of the unavoidable.”
This is from “The Fifth Mountain”.
He also throws around a lot of archaic words I don’t understand like “god” and “warrior” but his books hold a lot of wisdom and are generally a short, easy read if you’re in a place where you need that kind of thing.
Did anyone else happen to notice these incredible lyrics:
When I look back on the best days of my life
I think I watched them all on tv
I am so homesick now for people that I never knew
I am so homesick now for places I can never be
I might have a couple words wrong but wow what a heavy sentiment and so clearly expressed. I am humbled.
That’s by Sam Endicott from the Bravery. It’s called “Time Won’t Let Me Go.”
[pro-player width='400' height='300' type='FLV']http://www.dandywarhols.com/video/bravery.flv[/pro-player]
COURTNEY TAYLOR-TAYLOR
21 Comments
aliensaver says: “Humility is to see things as they really are. Pride is to see things as they are not.” Jerry Kinnison.
“There is no personality transformation when you die. You will be the same person as you were on Earth. So either get used to your bad self or learn now how to be happy forever.” Me.
“The desire to be wrapped up in a warm blanket for the rest of our lives is simply human nature. However, a cursory examination of mankind’s history suggests that God does not want us to be so comfortable. This Earthly struggle is for our experience, not our comfort.” Me.
sana says: i am with you so completely. paulo coelho is mindblowingly fantastic, as are the bravery on a more humble level.
I had to read Coelho when i was in high school. I think it’s very easy to read and his books are a collection of cliches. When i first read it i though ‘that’s awesome’, but seriously, after a long time i realized that there’s many other interesting and even more intelligent authors, like Jodorowsky, for example. Have you ever read ‘Psicomagia’?
Althought they both write -in different ways, of course- about that basic but at the same time trascendental things concerned with the complexity that involves to be a human being, personally i think that there’s much more wisdom in Jodorowsky than Coelho. It’s just my point of view, though.
Anyway, i try not to overthink too much about this things. When i do -and that happens almost all the time-, i become useless for the practical everyday activities of my life. In fact, i’m right now trying to avoid those feelings and questions like ‘do i really like what i’m doing or i’m just doing it because i have to?’…
I want to leave university right now. I think sociology doesn’t make me happy anymore, but here comes the big question: what does make me really happy? I don’t know.
And so on… ad nauseam.
Kisses from Chile, Courtney.
I get that way during the winter season every year. Part of it, for me, is the cyclical nature of the photography business (as I am a photographer by trade), and so much of my identity gets wrapped up in work. When there is no work, where is the identity? Therein lies the dilemma.
And the lyrics also reminded me of OTHER lyrics (how meta!), but by Soul Asylum, on their track “Homesick”:
Woe is me, I am so homesick
But it ain’t that bad
I’m homesick for the home I never had
Then I remember spring, and rebirth, and start to dig out of the snowdrifts in my own head.
RTS says: Need a hug, Courtney ? *Big Warm Virtual Hug*
Beth says: Antonio Porchia is also a great, wise poet. When I feel sad I think of his quote: He who has seen everything empty itself is close to knowing what everything is filled with
vesna says: 
) you said the…sometimes i ask the basic thing like..who i am?
but is it not never sold mystery of all the philosophic and religious views..the eternal search to our own self. the path with that we have forgotten to march on, swept away by the temporarity and its shine..:)
it is beyond the matter. vision beyond this time that you will find in lot wise thinkers of the east and of the west….that we are parts of the eternity and transformation. it is my view too..here temporarily we dwell, we learn, then we go..but where?? what is the next..so uncertain as the next moment in our earthly life may be…but is life not soo beautiful if we can learn, if it is not life of struggle for survival only. then we are fortunate to be able to learn..as Komensky said..in harmony with the nature..
or as Vigotsky said” we learn who we are through other people” and as Seneca said “when we leave this world all we take with us is that what we have given”…you have given a lot through your music..so a peace of my love is with you:pp..hugs and be well
vesna says: and Coelho is genius..as Khalil Gibran too…so simple so deep so true so strong as truth and love actually are…the perfection!
sarah says: these are very interesting questions … who we are, what are we doing, yeah. Biology speaking we are human beens, but we are so much more. According to me i’ve found myself thanks to psychologie (the question is: do you believe in psychology? Aha ! because much people don’t like it, they think it’s a bad science, or maybe, they are just too afraid to be in front of themself and to see what they are…). We can’t deny the importance of psychologie in the knowledge of ourself. We learn how to express your feelings, you learn your limits, what you are able to, what you like, what you feel (gosh its hard to express so complicated things and processes in english, hope you follow me !). But finally do we know ourself entierly ? i don’t think so. there’ll always be reactions that you couldn’t have expected from you. Well. I agree with Vesna, you can kwow who you are through other people, through art … finally through what you do, what you create, what you give, what you receive … can we say what you do is what you are ? Look, i’m preparing for an entrance exam of a private psychologie school for may. They ask you this question: who are you ? describe yourself (physically, psychologically, intellectualy speaking) in a few words. wow, thats not easy but so interesting …
This book of Coelho seems to be very interesting too, i think i’m gonna read it. Take care Courtney. xx
Ed says: I can’t believe someone who has brought so much enjoyment to my(and others) life is conflicted about what hes doing/not doing/should be doing. The Dandys music is my everyday therapy,and it makes my world a much better place. I know I speak for many others when I say you’re doing exactly what you should be doing.
martine says: Dear Courtney, i hate to read you feel confused and wondering about who you are : it’s so obvious a beautiful clever man full of talent who makes hearts beat all around the world and gives happiness to for instance the little frenchie i am who after a breakdown got the most ever happiness seeing you on concert last december.. it ‘s been the start for my total recover ! you are just so pure artist and so unic and gifted and i wish your life is what you dream it has to be… Paulo Cuelho is one of my best writers , oh yes, and a little book from Henri Miller called “virage à 80″ telling about the man falling crazy in love at eighty or the poems from Jacques Prevert, Boris Vian make my day… i don’t know what to say just i admire you for all what you have the courage to do and so gifted.. and at last .. just say i would’nt have imagined i would have to wait to be 50 to love life and to fall in love so much and be at last happy to be me…
life is a gift and you are a gift in my life, merci de tout mon coeur Courtney !
I was wondering… have you ever read Ernesto Sábato? I wanted to share with you some amazing words from “Abaddón El Exterminador”, but i couldn’t find it in english (i read it in spanish), so here it goes. I hope you understand it, because these are some really inspiring words:
“En cualquier caso, fuera como fuera, era paz lo que seguramente ansiaba y necesitaba, lo que necesita todo creador, alguien que ha nacido con la maldición de no resignarse a esta realidad que le ha tocado vivir; alguien para quien el universo es horrible, o trágicamente transitorio e imperfecto. Porque no hay una felicidad absoluta, pensaba. Apenas se nos da en fugaces y frágiles momentos, y el arte es una manera de eternizar (de querer eternizar) esos instantes de amor o de éxtasis; y porque todas nuestras esperanzas se convierten tarde o temprano en torpes realidades; porque todos somos frustrados de alguna manera, y si triunfamos en algo fracasamos en otra cosa, por ser la frustración el inevitable destino de todo ser que ha nacido para morir; y porque todos estamos solos o terminamos solos algún día: los amantes sin el amado, el padre sin sus hijos o los hijos sin sus padres, y el revolucionario puro ante la triste materialización de aquellos ideales que años atrás defendió con su sufrimiento en medio de atroces torturas; y porque toda la vida es un perpetuo desencuentro, y alguien que encontramos en nuestro camino no lo queremos cuando él nos quiere, o lo queremos cuando él ya no nos quiere, o después de muerto, cuando nuestro amor ya es inútil; y porque nada de lo que fue vuelve a ser, y las cosas y los hombres y los niños no son lo que fueron un día, y nuestra casa de infancia ya no es más la que escondió nuestros tesoros y secretos, y el padre se muere sin habernos comunicado palabras tal vez fundamentales, y cuando lo entendemos ya no está más entre nosotros y no podemos curar sus antiguas tristezas y los viejos desencuentros; y porque el pueblo se ha transformado, y la escuela donde aprendimos a leer ya no tiene aquellas láminas que nos hacían soñar, y los circos han sido desplazados por la televisión, y no hay organitos, y la plaza de infancia es ridículamente pequeña cuando la volvemos a encontrar.”
Chloé says: I know that french people love french writers but … when you feel nauseum, I think that you must read Nausea by Jean-Paul Sarte…
martine says: i answer to Chloé : Jean Paul Sartre is to read yes, but french people , i mean we read american writers too.. i love John Fante, Hemingway, Graham Greene, remember a maltese fiancé who came to visit Paris and wanted to walk on the same places as Hemingway so we went to St germain des Prés to “les deux magots” “la brasserie Lipp” and then to “la closerie des lilas” all this meetic places for existentialists in the fiftees.. it was delightful and a way to forget abot having nauseum but just find Paris beautiful…
i have warm thoughts for Courtney and Zia and Brent and Peter ..love you
marie says: And in the end it’s just love , the love you gave, the love you refuse to gave, ….
So be yourself, all that matters is to be aware of that…
Music make me feel better, and fed me like food and air, your music is certainly one that make me feel better and happy.
Nice song too!
PB says: What a load of trite rubbish. Coelho is the McDonald’s of philosophy. As if the complexity of life and emotions can be summed up in a line or two.
If you want good literature that deals with these kind of emotions on a human level, then read Thomas Pynchon’s ‘Against the Day’, Tom Robbins’ ‘Skinny Legs and All’, or Jack Kerouac’s ‘On the Road’. ‘On the Road’ is more a work of philosophy than anything else (and i don’t mean the cliched ‘everybody hitchhike and take drugs’ philosophy, I mean actual meaning-in-the-world).
martine says: pb, thanks, Jacques Kerouak ‘s “sur la route “is my pillow book i’m certain Courtney read it ! but… don’t treat rubbish please Boris Vian or Prevert… merci ! and to resume : artists are just human beings with up and down… i hope Courtney feels ok, fantastic mood 2day !
sarah says: yeah, thank you Martine ! I agree with you ! artists are human beens like us but people seem to forget it a bit too much ! Kerouac’s “on the road” is amazing … great litterature ! Well, Courtney, don’t ever stop making music … Zia, Brent and Peter too, of course. You’re genius, you’re gifted. You give us more than you can expect ! Thank you to make our daily lifes less annoying, thank you to make us dream … somebody says you know who you are and what you wanna do through what other people give to you… so i’ve to thank you: i’m making music but sometimes i feel desperate, i’ve no courage anymore, i lack inspiration. So, when i feel like that i’m listening to your music, to the Dandy Warhols and after listening i know WHY i’m making music and why i wanna keep going. That gimme me strengh. So, wow, thank you for giving that.
martine says: sarah i hope Courtney feels better after reading you, better than a book, no ? all that love we feel for you The Dandy Warhols… Your sound and words are exceptionnal, your look too and the way you are the coolest artists and smart together !really i realized yesterday no other music than yours (even The BJM) is so Genius (don’t find another word, and really mean it) and when you are on stage ( read what was told about your last concerts) you make hearts beat faster… never say enough i love you here so far away but close thanks to your songs..and you give me inspiration for painting.. merci pour tout je vous aime vraiment beaucoup !
joe says: Coelho..man what can i say simple and brill… and the dandys simple…yet complex what a great mix
DeliaDee says: Wow.. I didn’t know it was possible, but reading this just makes me like you soooo much more. The simplest questions are usually the most profound. There are alot of unconscious people in this world, and you are not one of them! Someone once wrote: “We are spiritual beings having a Human experience.” We must learn to put the ego aside in order to hear the soul speak. When we feel inner nudgings of discontent, that’s our soul trying to get our attention. It knows why we are here, and wants to keep us on track with our own evolution. This is what draws us to seek the wisdom and comfort of kindred spirits such as this.. Thank you for sharing:)
