To the question of "Would you rather be blind or deaf?" I have always said blind. Because then I would know true beauty. I mean preferably, I'd be neither, but still. I found it ironic that the husband's internal eyes weren't truly opened until he had closed his external eyes.
Carver's Cathedral was simply amazing. The story of a person opening up to another. Opening up to experiences completely different from any he's ever felt before. Human's are not good at coping with experiences very different from those of our day to day lives. We don't know what to do, what to say. We get anxious. It's a part of our nature to fear an hide that which is different. It's the reason so many people get stuck in their lives, jobs they don't like, relationships that are hurtful, places we've never been, bla bla bla. We're afraid of the unknown--duh. It's how we survive.
However, I've heard it said that people in the arts and especially in theater (who do not participate in destructive activities like drugs, alcohol, etc) live longer then people who are not artistic. It's because artists and actors open themselves up to experiences and characters that they would not experience in their regular day to day lives. They know how to cope. I have also heard this said of people who travel.
Funny, huh?
Also in the Cathedral, I was not sure whether I sympathized more with the wife or the husband. But maybe that wasn't Carver's intention. Maybe he was pulling an Alienation Effect with his simplistic minimalist writing style?
I love the idea of a tension between our inner and external eyes. Often, we get caught up in the things right in front of us. So much so that we miss the beauty that's just beyond our scope of vision. We miss out on the flowers outside of an academic building; the way the new leaves slowly blossom for a few days and suddenly, they're there; the tulips that are just starting to open, the bits of green peeking out of the last of the snow, you get the idea. Anyway, it stands to reason that those who notice and appreciate the everyday things, those who challenge themselves and push to new limits are those who enjoy life more, thus being happier in the long run.
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