“In the window before me I can vaguely see the image of my face. Apart from my eyes, which are shining, and the part directly beneath, which dimly reflects light, the whole of the left side lies in shade. Two deep furrows run down the forehead, one deep furrow runs down each cheek, all filled as it were with darkness, and when the eyes are staring and serious, and the mouth turned down at the corners it is impossible not to think of this face as somber.
What is it that has etched itself into you?”
~ Karl Ove Knausgaard (My Struggle: Book 2: A Man In Love. P.553)
I (finally) finished Knausgaard’s My Struggle: Book 1 and My Struggle: Book 2. Highly recommended.
Related Post: That is when time begins to pick up speed (Karl Ove Knausgaard quote and bio)
Image Source: dagsavisen
Live & Learn 
Somehow the final question leaves me silent. Too many etches and grooves to count; too deep to adequately explain; too personal to fully acknowledge; too obvious to completely ignore.
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Exactly. On point. And in two sentences you have captured the essence of his books.
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Well then why the heck did it take him two books to get to the point? 😉
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Not everyone operates at your level of genius.
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Now THAT’S funny!!! And sarcastic – even the spacey part of me gets that..
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Laughing!
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I feel so inadequate now
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Why???
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your comment was amazing
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Ohhh – thank you and I’m sorry for being so dense..That quote really affected me..
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it was not dense at all–found it illuminating!
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If I knew how to make a heart stand up straight, I’d do it – but you’ll have to take this instead..<3
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accepted happily (grin)
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🙂
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Back at you my friend…that I can do.
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Exactly.
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Smiling. No you don’t!
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Wonderful. One of the most beautiful thing “Self-Observation” and I must say he is looking really Handsome a proof that age has it’s charm and grace.
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Certainly does Sonia.
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Its a hobby, of sorts, for me to watch people’s faces as they’re going about their business and me, mine. It started from a corporate team-building exercise where the presenter suggested we be more aware of what we are projecting through our facial expressions. David, were you the one who introduced me to the Goodmornings Project? Check it out on You Tube, its great. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srgAUJVy0-I
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Yes Carolann. I was the Pied Piper on the Good Mornings Project…thanks.
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Hopefully, we will see kindness and love etched into more faces than not.
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And less anxiety, pain and suffering.
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Yes…
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Watching myself and others age tells me that we become more and more of what we are, for better or worse. James Hillman says your character is your fate. Scary thought on the one hand, on the other, it inspires me to try to be a little more forgiving and kinder than when I was a youngin’.
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“Your character is your fate.” New to me and powerful Debra. Thanks for sharing. And I can see how it inspires you to be more forgiving and kinder. Terrific thought and comment.
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Thank you David 🙂
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Life shouldn’t be that hard on a person.
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Shouldn’t. Is.
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Etching by time and experience if taken positively leaves the face sombre and elegant.
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Yes, so true Indira
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