I only re-stumbled across this (long) quote the other day, but it's
fucking awesome (IMHO
) and, along with my signature, is one of my favourite pieces of wisdom from the late philosocomedian (?), Bill Hicks. So, here 'tis..
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"The world is like a ride in an amusement park - when you choose to go on it you think it's real, because that's how powerful our minds are. The ride goes up and down and around and around, has thrills and spills and it's very brightly coloured and very loud... and it's fun,
for a while.
Some people have been on the ride for a long time and they begin to question; 'Is this real, or is this just a ride?'.. And other people have
remembered - and they come back to us and say 'Hey, don't worry and don't be afraid - ever - because
this is just a ride.'
And we... kill those people.
'Shut him up! We have a lot invested in this ride,
shut him up! Look at my furrows of worry, look at my big bank account and my family - this
has to be real.'
It's just a ride, but we always kill those good guys who try and tell us that, you ever noticed that... and let the demons run amok? But it doesn't matter!
Because it's just a ride and we can change it anytime we want; it's only a choice. No effort, no work, no job, no savings or money - a choice, right now, between fear and love. The eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks on your door, buy guns, close yourself off. The eyes of love, instead see all of us as one.
Here's what we can do to change the world, right now, to a better ride - take all of that money that we spend on weapons and defence each year and instead spend it feeding, clothing and educating the poor of the world; which it would many times over, not one human being excluded... and we can explore space, together -
both inner and outer - forever, in peace."
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(Do I hear an "amen"?!
.. That'd be one kickarse signature if it wasn't so damn long :D )
[ 08 January 2002: Message edited by: lsd303 ]