PDA

View Full Version : A Speech by George Carlin



WhiteFeather
23rd March 2012, 13:30
Came across this speech by George Carlin, Spoken words after his wife's death.

Pardon if this was posted before:

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up to tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions,but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been alltheway to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor.We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things,but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, bigmen and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers,throw away morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight,or to just hit delete...

Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will growupand leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say, "I love you" to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace willmend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

George Carlin

red_rose
23rd March 2012, 13:35
that was beautiful, especially the line:

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away."

in love

red_rose

Fundy Gemini
23rd March 2012, 14:58
This is EXACTLY what I needed today, a warm thanks to you WhiteFeather :-)
I'm going to pass this message on right now!

heyokah
23rd March 2012, 15:05
George Carlin is taking my breath away....

observer
23rd March 2012, 15:55
George Carlin was far more than a comedian, he was one of the best social commentators of my lifetime. He has always been quite cynical, but he grew even more so in his later years. Here's some of his earlier material on death:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOdg77jlo_k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOdg77jlo_k

heyokah
23rd March 2012, 16:21
LOL, while watching this Death Penalty, I was eating my soup.

"Pre-program"... "Roll-over on the autopsy table".... This soup almost came out of my nose.
Felt not very much like Dying Big...

conk
27th March 2012, 14:49
Loved him on Bill Maher show. "We have only the appearance of freedom". "Corporations make all the decisions". That type of thing. No one commented and Maher moved on. They simply WILL NOT talk about it on TV, HBO or not, liberal or conservative.

Carlin was up there with Bill Hicks, although Carlin was not as 'in your face" with it.

Church
27th March 2012, 18:38
While I do think of Carlin as enlightened, and definitely put him in the same category as Bill Hicks, it is truth that is much more important. And in this case, that means I have to point out to everyone that these are NOT George Carlin's words. I don't mean to disappoint anyone here, but don't you want to know the truth so that we don't misquote people, or attribute quotes to incorrect sources?

According to the official George Carlin website:


Floating around the Internet these days, posted and e-mailed back and forth, are a number of writings attributed to me, and I want people to know they're not mine. Don't blame me.

Some are essay-length, some are just short lists of one and two-line jokes, but if they're flyin' around the Internet, they're probably not mine. Occasionally, a couple of jokes on a long list might have come from me, but not often. And because most of this stuff is really lame, it's embarrassing to see my name on it.


And that's the problem. I want people to know that I take care with my writing, and try to keep my standards high. But most of this "humor" on the Internet is just plain stupid. I guess hard-core fans who follow my stuff closely would be able to spot the fake stuff, because the tone of voice is so different. But a casual fan has no way of knowing, and it bothers me that some people might believe I'd actually be capable of writing some of this stuff.

One of the more embarrassing items making the internet/e-mail rounds is a sappy load of **** called "The Paradox of Our Time." The main problem I have with it is that as true as some of the expressed sentiments may be, who really gives a ****? Certainly not me.

I figured out years ago that the human species is totally ****ed and has been for a long time. I also know that the sick, media-consumer culture in America continues to make this so-called problem worse. But the trick, folks, is not to give a ****. Like me. I really don't care. I stopped worrying about all this temporal bull**** a long time ago. It's meaningless. (See the preface of "Braindroppings.")

Another problem I have with "Paradox" is that the ideas are all expressed in a sort of pseudo-spiritual, New-Age-y, "Gee-whiz-can't-we-do-better-than-this" tone of voice. It's not only bad prose and poetry, it's weak philosophy. I hope I never sound like that.


So, there you have it. Carlin was brilliant in his own way, so I urge everyone to go on and look his works up. He definitely was a prophet, as far as I'm concerned. He had powerful things to say. It's just that the words in the OP are not his. They are definitely beautiful words, though.


Source: http://georgecarlin.com/home/dontblame.html

Cilka
27th March 2012, 23:01
I have this message hanging beside my computer at work. I love George, I wish there were more people like him in this world.

Menkaure
28th March 2012, 01:29
I have George as my Avatar, I do it to honor him in my own way. He was a genius who had the ability to mold words like putty. I cannot say enough good things about him and his work.