An afternoon drive from Los Angeles will take you up into the high mountains, where eagles circle above the forests and the cold blue lakes, or out over the Mojave Desert, with its weird vegetation and immense vistas. Not very far away are Death Valley, and Yosemite, and Sequoia Forest with its giant trees which were growing long before the Parthenon was built; they are the oldest living things in the world. One should visit such places often, and be conscious, in the midst of the city, of their surrounding presence. For this is the real nature of California and the secret of its fascination; this untamed, undomesticated, aloof, prehistoric landscape which relentlessly reminds the traveller of his human condition and the circumstances of his tenure upon the earth. "You are perfectly welcome, " it tells him, "during your short visit. Everything is at your disposal. Only, I must warn you, if things go wrong, don't blame me. I accept no responsibility. I am not part of your neurosis. Don't cry to me for safety. There is no home here. There is no security in your mansions or your fortresses, your family vaults or your banks or your double beds. Understand this fact, and you will be free. Accept it, and you will be happy.Christopher Isherwood
About This Quote
The idea that "everything is at your disposal" and that "I must warn you, if things go wrong, don't blame me. I accept no responsibility" was a great inspiration to me. This quote makes me realize that nothing is safe and nothing is guaranteed in this world. Only in the wilderness and in the wilderness we live alone.
The secret of California lies in accepting this truth we can be free and happy even when all around us we see only misery and chaos. When we accept this truth we will be happy and free because we can enjoy life and do whatever we want without any regret or regret that we did not do something or something did not happen.
Source: Exhumations
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