Thursday, May 1, 2014

Far, far away the music is playing

Just another rainy day in a quiet neighborhood ....

One never knows .... does one ??

A segment from:
"The Clock That Went Backward"
By Edward Page Mitchell
published in September 1881

"Your clock does not go," suddenly remarked the professor. "Does it ever go?"

"Never since we can remember," I replied. "That is, only once, and then it went backward ...."

Here I caught a warning glance from Harry. I laughed and stammered, "The clock is old and useless. It cannot be made to go."

"Only backward?" said the professor, calmly, and not appearing to notice my embarrassment. "Well, and why should not a clock go backward? Why should not Time itself turn and retrace its course?"

He seemed to be waiting for an answer. I had none to give.

I thought you Hegelian enough," he continued, "to admit that every condition includes its own contradiction. Time is a condition, not an essential. Viewed from the Absolute, the sequence by which future follows present and present follows past is purely arbitrary. Yesterday, today, tomorrow; there is no reason in the nature of things why the order should not be tomorrow, today, yesterday."

A sharper peal of thunder interrupted the professor's speculations.

"The day is made by the planet's revolution on its axis from west to east. I fancy you can conceive conditions under which it might turn from east to west, unwinding, as it were, the revolutions of past ages. Is it so much more difficult to imagine Time unwinding itself; Time on the ebb, instead of on the flow; the past unfolding as the future recedes; the centuries countermarching; the course of events proceeding toward the Beginning and not, as now, toward the End?"

"But," I interposed, "we know that as far as we are concerned the ...."

"We know!" exclaimed Van Stopp, with growing scorn. "Your intelligence has no wings. You follow in the trail of Compte and his slimy brood of creepers and crawlers. You speak with amazing assurance of your position in the universe. You seem to think that your wretched little individuality has a firm foothold in the  Absolute. Yet you go to bed tonight and dream into existence men, women, children, beasts of the past or of the future. How do you know that at this moment you yourself, with all your conceit of nineteenth-century thought, are anything more than a creature of a dream of the future, dreamed, let us say, by some philosopher of the sixteenth century? How do you know that you are anything more than a creature of a dream of the past, dreamed by some Hegelian of the twenty-sixth century? How do you know, boy, that you will not vanish into the sixteenth century or 2060 the moment the dreamer awakes?"




22 comments:

Anita said...

Beautiful post Fram♥And the music!!!!!the last one by Elictik light orchestra!!Wow!!thats a looong time no heard:))
yes who knows?May be we all live in a dream??and when we die..we just wake up..



Wish you all great..and thanx for this post and music♥

Anita said...

i ment Electrik ...

Fram Actual said...

Or, maybe, Anita, when whosever dream we are living within wakes up, we die.

I have had some "near misses" in my life, and, sometimes, I cannot help but wonder if I actually did die and have been living in a dream the past few decades. I could say more, but that is enough for the moment.

Yes, the music. I have been on a bit of a kick for ELO in recent days and thought the band's rainy day music would fit in with this post. This is the sixth consecutive day and night of rain for me. I might change my name to Utnapishtim and sail away.

Nice to see you, Anita ....

A Cuban In London said...

Interesting discussion about time and its contradictions. Indeed, why shouldn't a clock go backwards? The question is, would we live our lives back to front? Would we begin with deatha nd move onto birth? :-)

I'm just messing around, but it's worth thinking about.

Greetings from London.

Fram Actual said...

Well, for anyone who is a fan of Isaac Newton and the law of equal and opposite reactions, it does pose an interesting concept, CiL. And, in essence, the Universe will reach a maximum limit of expansion at some "point in time" and begin collapsing back in on itself. Will time reverse itself, as well, when that happens? Unfortunately, you and I would need a "time machine" to learn the answer to that question.

The point of this short story is that the clock could transport people back to its time of origin by running backward and, in a sense, slow down the aging process significantly.

Thinking about various concepts of time travel is addictive to me. It has been since I was a boy and I stumbled onto H.G. Wells. I have "binged" on the notion for days at a time on occasion.

Thank you, CiL, for your visit and your comment.

Humberto Dib said...

It takes me a time to get the post right, because of the language, I mean, but when I get it, I enjoy it much.
Last week I wrote sth about time travel or so.
Cheers!
HD

Fram Actual said...

You are a braver man with languages than I am, Humberto. I rely on translation devices to read what non-English writers post, and I leave my comments behind in English rather than summon my courage and attempt to convey a message in another language.

The segment of the story by Edward Mitchell in this post generally is acknowledged to be the first literary work in history about a time machine. He was ahead of H.G. Wells by a decade.

I am glad you enjoy coming here. I am learning from your blog about you and your writing -- and, about your world, which is largely unknown to me. I think it might be time for me to travel south, rather than east or west.

Thank you, Humberto, for your presence today in my world.

Smareis said...

Oi Fram!

Boa noite!

Sempre a chuva fina trás coisas boas ainda mais se estiver tocando uma música mesmo que seja de longe. Pelo jeito chove bastante.
A fotografia é curioso, algo acontecido na imagem, resgate de alguém. Será que a chuva anda tão forte por ai.

Gostei do texto, uma máquina do tempo deveria ser bom viajar. Quem não gostaria de fazer uma viagem assim, regredir, lembrança boa, voltar ao passado. Um relógio andar pra trás.

Charles Chaplin certa vez escreveu que a coisa mais injusta sobre a vida é a maneira como ela termina. Eu acho que o verdadeiro ciclo da vida está todo de trás pra frente.
Mais a vida é assim, começo, meio e fim, triste mais é assim... Pena que seja assim tudo acabar.

Adorei a música fiquei aqui pensando, refletindo com esse vídeo maravilhoso Klaus Badelt - Small World. Boa demais tua música! Gostei muito da escolha.
Deu saudade da chuva fina!

Estava meio que ausente do blog por isso demorei atualizar.
Deixo um abraço e um ótimo domingo e uma ótima semana.

Fram Actual said...

It might be a bit early in the day, but I will say, good morning, Smareis.

Before I mention anything else, your reference to the words of Charlie Chaplin reminded me of my own words which I wrote in a post last December:

"The cruelty of this world is that we eventually have to say goodbye to everyone and to everything we love and hold precious in our lives."

Things such as that have been on my mind a great deal during this long, long winter which finally seems to be ending now. I think the burdens of life grow with each year that we live, and, too often, the final years of life are the most difficult for both the mind and the body.

As for time machines, even beyond my own life and times I have an insatiable curiosity about the past. So much in the context of history is shrouded in mystery. I want to see things for myself and to know what really happened at particular points in time. My first "jump" back in time if I had a time machine, for instance, would be to about 2,000 years ago. Can you guess where that might be ??

In terms of my own life and times, I wish to begin a new era / a new chapter / a new episode so that my mind can break free from the past to a degree. I often feel I am chained to the past.

The photograph did record a medical incident, the degree, the cause and the effect of which I do not know. But, I am certain it was a matter created by people whose lives are out of control.

Yes, rain and the right music -- even when the music is from a distance -- can make life better and create a smile on the face of those who need more to smile about in their lives.

Reflecting a bit more on the music, in many respects the world does become smaller every year -- if not in terms of time, most certainly in the sense of distance.

For you, too, Smareis, I wish for good days to come and I thank you for your visit to me.

P.S. I have read your latest post, and will comment after I have had some time to absorb it. Your words are very thought-provoking.

Smareis said...

Fram Não se ai é bom dia, mais aqui ainda é bom dia. 11h00min da manhã. Então bom dia, boa tarde seja a hora que for.

Charlie Chaplin eu gosto muito, suas escrita sempre tem muita sabedoria.
Também gostaria de viajar numa máquina do tempo, mais a vida não nos permite isso, então temos que contentar com o nosso tempo de hoje.

A vida sem música é um mundo surdo sem ecos. Não sei como seria a vida sem um som musical mesmo que distante.

Que bom que gostou do meu post, eu acho que o ciúme precisa ser na medida certa para não ter discórdia nem desunião. Eu sou meio zelosa em relação as coisa que amo, mais nada em exagero. O ciúme na pitada certa é importante para que tudo flui bem.

Gosto da sua música, obrigada!
Ótimos dias Fram!
Até a próxima postagem!

Smareis said...

Obrigada pelo link do vídeo John Lennon- Jealous Guy *lyrics*
Linda musica Fram, obrigado!

Fram Actual said...

At this moment in time, Smareis, I have no one or nothing over which to be jealous. Hmmmm .... thinking of it that way almost creates a feeling of loss.

There are occasions when I say I am not certain I know what actual love is between a man and a woman. There have been people -- both women and men -- whose friendship I have valued to the point risking my own life if need be, but I have it in my mind that actual love is complete surrender to another person, which is considerably more than having a companion with whom to share the joys and sorrows of life. Anyway ....

I have little knowledge and, therefore, little opinion about Charlie Chaplin other than he makes me laugh. I know more about John Lennon, of course, and his music makes me both laugh and cry.

I agree with you about music. Melodies often stir the emotions and touch the soul, and when lyrics approach the level of poetry, a song might have real magic within it.

Returning to jealousy for a few more words, it really is like seasoning in food. A recipe often is improved with a bit of seasoning added to it, and a relationship cannot reach a summit without a range of emotions -- including a bit of jealousy -- added to its recipe. Your post was most excellent, and your comments here most wise.

Thank you, for being here once again, Smareis. I think it is time for linda musica.

A Cuban In London said...

Don't be surprised about the lack of comment on the photo from me. Sometimes an image is so visually striking that I prefer not to write or talk about it, especially if there are other topics to comment on. That photo speaks for itself. The monochromatic effect renders it more dramatic. He looks out of sorts, at the end of his tether. It's a brilliant contrast to the relaxed position in which the dog is sleeping. If it's sleeping, it could be dying for all we know.

You see what you've done? Now I'm off. :-) And all I ever wanted was ot listen to The Stones. :-)

Greetings from London.

Fram Actual said...

Ah, CiL. My apologies. I have been a derelict blogger, and had not seen that you had returned here and left another comment.

I have mixed feelings about the photograph. In a sense, I think it would be an "eight" on a scale of "ten" even if the man were not Allen Ginsberg. Technically, however, the lighting was not adequate to keep both the retriever and the poet in focus, which drops the photo's intrinsic merits. And, I am sure Ginsberg was sort of at the end of his tether. His glory days were gone, he was old and tired, he seemed moody and his responses to questions were without enthusiasm or emotion.

Time catches up to each and every one of us .... so some say ....

Anita said...

I found a place to leave a comment :)Ginsberg!Yes.I have heard of him.Was he not a famous actor?I think i have seen some of his movies with his daughter.But may be iam totally wrong.Its good you bring up forgotten writers and storietellers.._I miss that alot.No body seem to be interested in that any more.Also good movies.Its a shame how we act nowadays.Always in a hurry.No time to think.Sometimes i really wonder what we hurry for?
Yes.You are a special man.And you know it Fram.I can only talk for myself.But *i find great comfort in you.(well mnot always..i can remember beeing very angry with you at some discussions)hahaha

Some times i think it soo sad you live soo far away because it would be so nice to know you and girlfriend and family.I think you have a lot to share of life and wisdom.But now i shall not bore you.I hope to see something on your blog again soon.Greetings!

Anita said...

Sorry!!It is an American poet and one of the leading figures of both the Beat Generation of the 1950s..thats Ginsberg!I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by
madness, starving hysterical naked,
dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn
looking for an angry fix...

--Yea..he could write!

Bt way..open up your comment field!!thatis a great barn!!and a little bird house to the left!so nice!!Yes..and who is the woman??

Alot of hugs to you Fram:)

Fram Actual said...

You and CiL have a tendency to enter through the back door when the front door is locked, Anita.

You worry me, sometimes ....

I am teasing, but, no, I do not plan to open up the "barn post" for comments. I am not even sure why I published it, but that is true for probably fifty percent of my posts.

Yes, you were right the second time about Allen Ginsberg -- poet, compatriot of Jack Kerouac and one of the "founding fathers" of the Beat Generation. I am not so certain he has a real place in history, though. I think the "Beat Movement" and the succeeding hippie culture will become little more than footnotes in the annals of the Twentieth Century.

Well, I doubt I ever will live anywhere other than the U.S. on a permanent basis, but individuals can live thousands of miles apart and be friends -- even if temper tantrums flare up once and a while. Every relationship has ups and downs. And, who knows? I might come wandering through Norway some day so I can breathe the air of my Norse ancestors.

A Cuban In London said...

Why not paint black? That way you would have the perfect excuse to upload the The Stones' song! :-)

Greetings from London.

Anita said...

yes do that Fram!i know..in some years..we will meet!ay be I come o Minnesapolis when time is ready for a visit:)

But do continue with your posts Fram...

Here we today again have a wonderful weather with 27 degrees..i go to a jump in the water..but before i have to help my friend gardenig:)wish you a happy happy day!

and if you really really want to comment on a post..there is always a way...

Anita said...

So are you in a relationsship now???That would be wonderful :)

Fram Actual said...

Actually, CiL, I would have preferred to have the barn painted blue, but I often allow customs and traditions to rule the day.

The sealer and preservative originally used on barns was red because of its ingredients, and even when modern paints were developed, the custom continued to paint them red. I sort of like that and, besides, this one was already red because the original owner was a city boy who always had wanted to have his own red barn and had it painted that way.

Actually, I also would have preferred the Rolling Stones to have named the song, "Paint It Blue," but no one ever listens to me. That reminds me, I once wrote a story for a college publication which I titled, "The Green Door."

Hmmmm .... so many colors, so many doors. It gets confusing.

Fram Actual said...

Well, if you decide to visit Minnesota, Anita, let me know. I live ten minutes (literally) from an international airport (I like to be close to one in case I need a fast getaway), and I would be happy to meet you and to be your guide for a while. (Although, I get lost easily.)

Actually, there are direct flights, about twelve or thirteen hours long, from Minneapolis/Saint Paul to Oslo. The world is so small these days in so many ways. When my ancestors came here from Norway, the journey would last for months.

What do you think, Anita .... that I find a girlfriend and put her to work painting my barn? I am laughing. My only relationships with women are a few friendships and working arrangements. (I pay them to keep me healthy and out of trouble.) I think I might be through with women in romantic ways. I am beginning to believe women make life too complicated for a free bird like me ....

And, yes, I will have another post in a day or two or three ....

Something special ....