For all matters having to do with that four chambered, fist-shaped muscle we carry – that carries us – with constancy. That beats – did you know? – more than one hundred thousand times a day. Imagine that. Even when we’re pressing snooze and rolling over in bed, folding ourselves into our covers and postponing the day’s bubbling over, and soon after notching cold butter on warm toast, or later coming to a halt as we bound up a flight of subway stairs only to stall behind an elderly woman whose left leg trails behind her right leg – one leaden step at a time – even then, when time decelerates and the relative importance of our lives, of our hurry, undergoes a sudden audit, even then, our heart never stops…My heart continues as ever, pulsing towards its daily quota. More than one hundred thousand times a day. Eighty beats per minute.
~ Durga Chew-Bose, from “Heart Museum” in Too Much and Not the Mood: Essays
Photo: Durga Chew-Bose @ Twitter
Long may it beat…beat…beat…
And beat, and beat, and beat.
fingers crossed that it keeps on keeping on for a long while –
It really IS miraculous when ya stop and think about it…
Despite these bouts of wonder and alarm, when my heart races, dimples, is weary and deflates, it never exhausts. How is that possible? How does it maintain? Stays going. On and on. It’s percussive. It refuses to emote with me because its uniformly at it…How it pumps blood, carries blood, effects that lub-dub sound.
~ Durga Chew-Bose, from “Heart Museum” in Too Much and Not the Mood: Essays
I never thought about how many times a day my heart beats David. It’s both amazing and terrifying. <3
Diana xo
Me too! Feel exactly the same way!
It is a wondrous piece of equipment. When it falters, but picks up again, one is given the opportunity to realise the work it does. When it stops suddenly, the silence is more than intense and yet the reverb will be felt long and wide (if we used it well while living)
Smiling. So true.
I smile with tears…
My husband’s heart stopped a little over two years ago…
Awwww, so sorry Dale
Thanks, David. It is one of life’s curve balls. But I, and my boys, are doing well and living our new reality. Makes you appreciate what you have!
I bet. Based on the positive juju from your blog posts, your boys are lucky to have Mom.
I like that. Positive juju!
I hope they think so… hard to tell. Teenagers. Boys, to boot. Not exactly the most demonstrative, if you know what I mean!
Our two have past teenagedom and have come out. They klnow see the light. 😀
Ha ha! I have to admit the 19-year old is almost human… it gives me hope for the 17-year old 😉
Chew-Bose sounds fascinating and not to be taken lightly.
She is. Transfixed by her new book. And born in Montreal!
I saw that. I got the book as a late birthday present only because it was released on my birthday.
Her intelligence seeps through her beautiful writing.
Released on your birthday. Now there’s a sign.
And sometimes, like when seeing that old woman struggle with her walking, or an old dog hurt and lame, then, my heart beats even faster in hopes that I am beating some extra love for them.
Wonderful.
I like the words … but this woman looks as if she has just sucked on a lemon …. is it just me?
Laughing! I’m sure you aren’t alone… 🙂
Often unless we are having issues with our heart,it’s easy to forget this amazing organ of life 💕💕💕
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