I woke to a summer-like breeze coming in from the open window, all manner of bird calls, the distant buzz of a lawn mower, a cat shuffling across the foot of the bed, the hum of appliances, the warmth of blankets holding out the chill of late spring early morning air, and I felt suddenly mysteriously engaged in the sensations of my existence, of being alive, of Being. It’s hard to express this emotion fully, though I’m sure many of us experience it (and sadly, perhaps some don’t). It’s a moment of clarity and wonder, a whole-scale immersion into the strangeness, the incomprehensible essence of being something that both is and at the same time is acutely aware of being something that can be aware in this manner.
Bravo. From one English/Philosophy major to another, I love this essay. I remember stumbling through Heidegger in college—wish I’d had this essay then. I don’t think you’ve missed the nuance; you’ve just translated H with elegance and clarity.
Average everydayness. What a spot-on term for a diminished state of being so many of us are mired in. Explains so much. Well done.
You are a wonderful teacher, you know. And a snag is standing deadwood.
Bravo. From one English/Philosophy major to another, I love this essay. I remember stumbling through Heidegger in college—wish I’d had this essay then. I don’t think you’ve missed the nuance; you’ve just translated H with elegance and clarity.