Howwasitpossible,Iaskedmyself,towalkforanhourthroughthewoodsandseenothingworthyofnote?Iwhocannotseefindhundredsofthingstointerestmethroughmeretouch.Ifeelthedelicatesymmetryofaleaf.Ipassmyhandslovinglyaboutthesmoothskinofasilverbirch,ortheroughshaggybarkofapine.InspringItouchthebranchesoftreeshopefullyinsearchofabud,thefirstsignofawakeningNatureafterherwinter’ssleep.Ifeelthedelightful,velvetytextureofaflower,anddiscoveritsremarkableconvolutions;andsomethingofthemiracleofNatureisrevealedtome.Occasionally,ifIamveryfortunate,Iplacemyhandgentlyinasmalltreeandfeelthehappyquiverofabirdinfullsong.Iamdelightedtohavecoolwatersofabrookrushthroughmyopenfingers.TomealushcarpetofpineneedlesorspongygrassismorewelcomethanthemostluxuriousPersianrug.Tomethepageantofseasonsisathrillingandunendingdrama,theactionofwhichstreamsthroughmyfingertips.Attimesmyheartcriesoutwithlongingtoseeallthesethings.IfIcangetsomuchpleasurefrommeretouch,howmuchmorebeautymustberevealedbysight.Yet,thosewhohaveeyesapparentlyseelittle.Thepanoramaofcolorandactionfillingtheworldistakenforgranted.ItisHuman,perhaps,toappreciatelittlethatwhichwehaveandtolongforthatwhichwehavenot,butitisagreatpitythatintheworldoflightthegiftofsightisusedonlyasmereconvenienceratherthanasameansofaddingfullnesstolife.

Oh,thethingsthatIshouldseeifIhadthepowerofsightforthreedays!

假如給我三天光明

海倫·凱勒

所有人都讀過動人的故事,故事中的英雄將不久於人世,長則一年,短則24小時。但我們經常關注的是這個命中注定要死的人如何選擇度過生命中的最後幾天或是最後幾個小時。當然,我在這裏所說的是有權做出選擇的自由人,而並非那些活動範圍受到嚴格限製的死囚。這類故事會激發起我們的思考:倘若身處類似的環境下,我們自己該做些什麼?在那臨終前的幾個小時裏我們會產生哪些聯想?會有多少欣慰和遺憾呢?

有時我想,把每天都當作生命的最後一天來度過也不失為一種好的生命法則。這種態度重視的是人生的價值。每一天我們都應該以和善的態度、充沛的精力和熱情的欣賞來度過,但當時間展現在我們麵前、來日方長的時侯,我們會忽視這些東西。當然,有一些人奉行享樂主義的座右銘——吃喝玩樂,但大多數人卻依然畏懼死亡的到來。