Because I prefer . . .
a meal to a menu,
baked bread to raw dough,
old wine to fresh grape juice,
fresh water to salt water,
a garden to a desert,
flowers to weeds,
roses to thorns,
daylight to electric lamps,
generosity to taxes,
a real person to a skeleton,
the Chosen to pretenders,
the beauty of order to the ugliness of chaos,
a living tradition to a vain novelty,
supernatural grace to natural talent.
Because I’d rather . . .
be creative than barren,
be clean than dirty,
be poetic than prosaic,
be well nourished than hungry,
compete than be a spectator,
travel than look at a map,
live in a house than study a blueprint,
enjoy a concert than play a recording.
Simply because . . .
it’s better for horses to race than remain at the gate,
the major leagues are more skillful than little league,
a plane with thrust is better than a glider,
solid gold is more precious than gold-plating,
the sense of touch is superior to that of smell,
understanding is more important than knowing,
virtues are better than charismatic gifts,
moderation is better than extremism,
unity is better than division,
community is better than individuality,
reaping is more joyful than sowing,
spirits are more substantial than bodies,
eternity is more perfect than time.
