Wishes of an Elderly Man

I wish I loved the Human Race;
I wish I loved its silly face;
I wish I loved the way it walks;
I wish I loved the way it talks;
And when I’m introduced to one
I wish I thought What Jolly Fun!

– Sir Walter Raleigh,
Wishes of an Elderly Man, Wished at a Garden Party
June 1914

This poem reminds us of the power of humour as a way of keeping a balanced perspective. Of not to Zoom-In on the unhelpful intricacies of life and of humans in particular. Life and humans often don’t make sense. We cannot always fully understand or explain certain events, actions or behaviours. Life is simply too complex. Life is absurd. Life can be fun regardless.

Here’s another end of life perspective – another Life / Death Zoom-Out:

My Own Epitaph

Life is a jest; and all things show it.
I thought so once; but now I know it.

– John Gay (1685–1732)