"Nobody'd be different. The only thing that would be different would be you. Not that you'd be much older of anything. It wouldn't be that, exactly. You'd just be different, that's all. You'd have an overcoat on this time. Or the kid that was your partner in line the last time had got scarlet fever and you'd have a new partner. Or you'd have a substitute taking the class, instead of Miss Aigletinger. Or you'd heard your mother and father having a terrible fight in the bathroom. Or you'd just passed by one of those puddles in the street with gasoline rainbows in them. I mean you'd be different in some way -- I can't explain what I mean. And even if I could, I'm not sure I'd feel like it."
-- an excerpt from The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
-- an excerpt from The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
My dad used to tell me the oil rainbows were unicorns trapped in an alternate dimension through the puddle...
ReplyDeleteNice excerpt! I have yet to read Catcher in the Rye; always have looked over it for some reason. (Potential summer read, perhaps?)
ReplyDeleteGasoline rainbows are purdy too; another really nice quote on them is actually from the Lovely Bones (sorry if you haven't read it yet!):
"That week Ray would kiss me by my locker. It didn't happen on the scaffold like he wanted it to. Our only kiss was like an accident--a beautiful gasoline rainbow."
this reminds me of watching drops of vanilla extract explode in milk. :)
ReplyDeleteCatcher in the Rye was a beautiful coming of age novel. Difficult to love, but I've come around to it. This quote reminds me of these thoughts I've been having lately about change. I think that nobody really changes. We always go on and on about changing who we are, but these changes never really stick. People are born a certain way and you've just got to accept who they are and not try to force them to become something else. If you aren't going to get along, you aren't going to get along, and forcing change just results in broken promises and risidual anger. I could go on further, but I think I should write a post on this.
ReplyDelete-indigo
I just finished reading the catcher in the rye, literally a couple of days ago! I loved it. Holden Caulfield's a damn interesting protagonist, I think.
ReplyDeleteI really love your blog. Hope you can pop over to mine sometime.
x
http://sodarknessibecame.blogspot.com
That seems like an obvious choice. But maybe I'm just not a very good friend, lol. You're lucky you have a source of income besides your parents. I need a job or something. Unfortunately, there aren't many jobs available for thirteen year olds. Sigh.
ReplyDeletethankyou for your comment on my blog! you are a sweetheart!
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