I can never drive my car over a bridge without thinking of suicide. I can never look at a lake or an ocean without thinking of suicide.
Charles BukowskiRead
You are thirty minutes late." "Yes." "Would you be thirty minutes late to a wedding or a funeral?" "No." "Why not, pray tell?" "Well, if the funeral was mine I'd have to be on time. If the wedding was mine it would be my funeral.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote humorously reflects on how certain events can prioritize our time and attention.
Charles Bukowski's quote cleverly contrasts the significance we attach to different events in our lives, suggesting that being late is often a matter of personal importance. By implying that if the funeral were his, he would prioritize timeliness, and if it were a wedding, it would be ironically just as important because of its potential consequences, he encapsulates a humorous take on how we navigate our priorities.
Themes
TimeHumorPrioritiesLifeWeddingFuneral
In practice
Example use cases
This quote would be perfect for a toast at a wedding, emphasizing the importance of being present.
More from Charles Bukowski
All quotes →when I am feeling low all i have to do is watch my cats and my courage returns
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I'm going to open another vottle. not a vottle, but a bottle. you open it and I'll drink it. and you try to write as much as I did without falling off of your chair.
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To experience real agony is something hard to write about, impossible to understand while it grips you; you're frightened out of your wits, can’t sit still, move, or even go decently insane.
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I lapsed into my pathetic cut-off period. Often with humans, both good and bad, my senses simply shut off, they get tired, I give up. I am polite. I nod. I pretend to understand because I don’t want anybody to be hurt. That is the one weakness that has lead me into the most trouble. Trying to be kind to others I often get my soul shredded into a kind of spiritual pasta. No matter. My brain shuts off. I listen. I respond. And they are too dumb to know that I am not there.
Charles BukowskiRead
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