In the midst of hate, I found there was, within me, an invincible love.
In the midst of tears, I found there was, within me, an invincible smile.
In the midst of chaos, I found there was, within me, an invincible calm.
I realized, through it all, that…
In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.
And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back.
-Albert Camus (maybe...)
Titles are a bitch, and I'm a little self-conscious, with this weird dose of "it has to feel right," and just the slightest sprinkle of "paralysis by analysis." So I made way-to-big-a-deal about it, and it took a month, but here it is, my title-- The Invincible Calm.
Doesn't that sound so fukin cool 😎? It's a Camus quote, and I've only ever read excerpts of "The Myth of Sisyphus," so I am no Camus-expert. However, I've known this quote for a while, and I've always liked it, so I went searching for its origin, and you know, I couldn't find it. In fact, this long version of the quote is misattributed or just plain wrong.
The actual quote comes from The Summer, after this beautiful take on love and justice: "For there is merely bad luck in not being loved; there is misfortune in not loving. All of us, today, are dying of this misfortune. For violence and hatred dry up the heart itself; the long fight for justice exhausts the love that nevertheless gave birth to it. In the clamor in which we live, love is impossible and justice does not suffice." He talks of fighting for justice in Europe and how one must "in order to keep justice from shriveling up...keep intact in oneself a freshness, a cool wellspring of joy, love the day that escapes injustice."
I don't know that any day "escapes injustice" anymore, but I love that sentiment and perhaps "loving the moments" that escape injustice can be a realistic thing we do. I also don't know too much about Camus' politics...I hear he was a libertarian socialist anarcho-syndicate (make sense?), so left of center (that's all you need to know really...I'm not going to talk about his politics right now).
What I want to talk about is this misattribution. The actual quote comes after a profound declaration that we're all dying because we can't love one another, and in the midst of this understanding that in the bleakest of times (fighting injustices, specifically) we can find joy and a fresh vigor to "return to combat." His words swim in a sea of "we's" and "ours." He connects himself to his comrades, to his environment, his past.
It's not "the world pushing against him," as the misattribution would have it. It's not this hyper-individualistic monologue either. It's "let US take some time to reconnect with OUR environment and OUR inner joy so that we don't burnout in OUR fight for justice." Here's a link, so that you can read this excerpt from the larger work The Summer.
So there's the origin of my title (and a glimpse into my brain)-- I went to great lengths to find the source of the quote I liked, only to have it be a misattribution, but I still like the notion of an "invincible calm" within the chaos, and I also love Camus' sentiment that there is real misfortune in not loving. I think when we can find this "invincible calm" within the chaos that is our modern world, we often find it through connection and community-- how fortunate to love, eh?
The title doesn't really say much about what the blog is all about, so let me share a little more!
The actual quote comes from The Summer, after this beautiful take on love and justice: "For there is merely bad luck in not being loved; there is misfortune in not loving. All of us, today, are dying of this misfortune. For violence and hatred dry up the heart itself; the long fight for justice exhausts the love that nevertheless gave birth to it. In the clamor in which we live, love is impossible and justice does not suffice." He talks of fighting for justice in Europe and how one must "in order to keep justice from shriveling up...keep intact in oneself a freshness, a cool wellspring of joy, love the day that escapes injustice."
I don't know that any day "escapes injustice" anymore, but I love that sentiment and perhaps "loving the moments" that escape injustice can be a realistic thing we do. I also don't know too much about Camus' politics...I hear he was a libertarian socialist anarcho-syndicate (make sense?), so left of center (that's all you need to know really...I'm not going to talk about his politics right now).
What I want to talk about is this misattribution. The actual quote comes after a profound declaration that we're all dying because we can't love one another, and in the midst of this understanding that in the bleakest of times (fighting injustices, specifically) we can find joy and a fresh vigor to "return to combat." His words swim in a sea of "we's" and "ours." He connects himself to his comrades, to his environment, his past.
It's not "the world pushing against him," as the misattribution would have it. It's not this hyper-individualistic monologue either. It's "let US take some time to reconnect with OUR environment and OUR inner joy so that we don't burnout in OUR fight for justice." Here's a link, so that you can read this excerpt from the larger work The Summer.
~:~
So there's the origin of my title (and a glimpse into my brain)-- I went to great lengths to find the source of the quote I liked, only to have it be a misattribution, but I still like the notion of an "invincible calm" within the chaos, and I also love Camus' sentiment that there is real misfortune in not loving. I think when we can find this "invincible calm" within the chaos that is our modern world, we often find it through connection and community-- how fortunate to love, eh?
 |
| This is Lobelia/Indian Tobacco (from my yard) |
TW 💢: This blog is going to be a wee bit political-- how could it not be (do you know me)? But, if you follow my stories on Instagram (the 10s of you🙏), this will be much lighter, less reactive, more gracious and thoughtful, and little vulnerable. Instagram is how I vent sometimes, so that space will be there as needed, but I also want a place to be thoughtful, reflective and integrative with my "shittakes." So I thought this blog would be a good way to "feed those chickens," so to speak (not doing the "feed that wolf" metaphor...I don't need wolves inside me).
Not-TW 💚: I also want this blog to chronicle my little "homestead journey." That's what I'm calling it right now. It's not that, though. I don't know what to call my little adventures just yet, but "homestead journey" is close enough for now. Plus, it will get me writing again, something I got degrees to do as a career, but sorta chose instead sports and fitness...and imposter syndrome (no regerts).
So the Camus part was my little "political" part for this blog, and check out the Lobelia (Indian Tobacco) I had growing in my yard this summer! Part of my yard-adventures have been learning the wildflowers and native plants I have growing here. I'll write more about the plants in my yard in an upcoming blog (hopefully, my ADHD brain will stick to the very loose blog schedule I've given myself). And maybe I'll have some folks read this, and something will stick out, and we'll connect over it and both have more community in our lives.
So the Camus part was my little "political" part for this blog, and check out the Lobelia (Indian Tobacco) I had growing in my yard this summer! Part of my yard-adventures have been learning the wildflowers and native plants I have growing here. I'll write more about the plants in my yard in an upcoming blog (hopefully, my ADHD brain will stick to the very loose blog schedule I've given myself). And maybe I'll have some folks read this, and something will stick out, and we'll connect over it and both have more community in our lives.
Thanks for reading The Invincible Calm 😸
Comments
Post a Comment