Search This Blog

Thursday, October 4, 2007

autumn

There are no books available in the Amsterdam Public Library that describe the seasons in their essence. Strange. I found loads of children's books, but no adult books about (the changing of) seasons. Was looking for some quotes, neat descriptions of the four seasons. Only found some poems and corny books with pastel coloured images of tulips and 'lovely birds I found in my own garden', as the lovely-addicted female writer stated time and again.
One great description of autumn, in a book of poems: autumn is the paradox of 'carpe diem' and 'memento mori': all in nature is full of fruit but still there is the growing gloom that it will all soon be over.

The analogy with autumn in my theory is clear: the feeling that growth is ending and we have to grab the last bits before someone else has taken them lead to opportunism, nihilism and, for example, to 'exhibitionistic enrichment by top-managers' as it was called a few years ago when those managers gave themselves outrageous bonuses. Now the Dutch government is trying to create new laws to prevent such bonuses. Question is, did those managers already feel their schemes would be ending, did they believe in the memento mori-part?

No comments: