Je m'en remets à Toi

1965

The first two verses of "Je m'en remets à Toi" by Jacques Brel

Pour ce qui est de vivre

Ou de ne pas vivre,

Pour ce qui est de rire,

Ou de ne rire plus,

Je m'en remets à Toi.

Illustration "B&W" by Finger & Toe

Pour ce qui est d'aimer,

Pour une part de chance,

Pour ce qui est d'espérer,

Ou de désespérance,

Je m'en remets à Toi. 

                                                          

"Alone"

March 17, 1829

From childhood's hour I have not been 

As others were, I have not seen 

As others saw, I could not bring 

My passions from a common spring

From the same source I have not taken 

My sorrow, I could not awaken 

My heart to joy at the same tone

And all i loved, i loved alone

Then-in my childhood in the dawn

Of a most stormy life was drawn

From ev'ry depth of good and ill

The mystery which binds me still

From the torrent, or the fountain

From the red cliff of the mountain

From the sun that 'round me rolled

In this autumn tint of gold

From the lightning in the sky

As it pass'd me flying by

From the thunder, and the storm

And the cloud that took the form

(When the rest of Heaven was blue)

Of a demon in my view

                                        -Edgar Allan Poe

Tāmaki Makaurau

12:45 AM / Auckland City, NZ

Kīa Ora, Auckland!
I am ready for the adventure! 

If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen

"If you can not stand the heat, get out of the kitchen." 

This phrase was made popular by US President, Harry S. Truman that simply implies if you can not cope, you should leave the work to someone who can. 

At first when i was bumped into this phrase, 2 years ago, i was certain that 

this is a perfect defense brought up by "some people", so then they can flee from their responsibility.

I totally ignored the fact that some people have limits. 

My old elementary school friend totally quitted her study she's been doing for almost 3 years, after she broke up with her boyfriend. 

I won't lie, but that still sounds completely like a joke to me.  

But, once again, i ignored the fact that some people's capabilities are not the same as ours. 

A couple of weeks ago, i encountered something that brought me back again to this Truman's phrase which in the end takes me into a conclusive interpretation of his phrase. 

Not everybody can understand what truman understood. Everybody has his/her own capabilities, and if they are faced by certain situations might trigger them to either give up or commit suicide. (limit)

What Truman understood was, people had limit and he did not want to push people to their limits. 

Perhaps, i was too cocky to accept the fact that we are all human beings who were born with limitations.

Or 

Perhaps, i was just too arrogant to say the words "I can't bear it anymore" 

 Illustration by Alexa Chung.