Passing Along the Life

I think a large majority of individuals would agree with me in saying that almost every decision we make in our lives is influenced, in some part, by a previous situation we have experienced. I am still very young and obviously don’t have a whole lot of experience with certain things under my belt, but I do look at the obstacles and situations others have overcome and use that as a model. In the novel, An Artist of the Floating World, I believe the main character, Ono, is similar in his understanding of society and the life-style he chooses to lead.

It is almost a sense of nostalgia that I feel when reading the ‘back flashes’ Ono leads to discuss. I grew up without grandparents, but reading the narrative of Ono makes me think of a grandfather type figure. His thoughts are recited to me (the reader) in a way I would assume one’s grandparent to narrate. It makes me feel as though I am sitting next to Ono, drinking tea and reminiscing about his previous life experiences.

I have yet to read too far into the book just yet, but I have begun to realize that Ono seems to be very calm with his descriptions of past life. For example, when mentioning his wife, he talks about it like he would anything else. I could just be reading the text with an altered view, but I think if I were married and my spouse passed, I would not be so nonchalant when discussing our memories. This is why I say Ono’s stories remind me of a grandfather type figure. From my own personal experience, it seems as though there is a group of people in the ‘older’ generation that can express a past experience with so much enthusiasm and detail that you wish you could have been a part of that very memory.

It makes me think of the movie Big Fish. My brother and I always discuss this movie and attempt to correlate the main character with my father. The man in the movie has all of these fascinating stories that seem so unrealistic, but you find out in the end that they are all actually very true. Because of the enthusiasm and our lack of presence, I think it is difficult for us to grasp the idea that it actually happened. Ono, like the man in Big Fish, uses this knowledge of life and the memories in his mind to help him with daily life decisions. His past helps him determine what type of future he would like to live, and how exactly he could lead it.

Similar to my idea is a quote by Leo Buscalgia:

The majority of us lead quiet, unheralded lives as we pass through this world. There will most likely be no ticker-tape parades for us, no monuments created in our honor. But that does not lessen our possible impact, for there are scores of people waiting for someone just like us to come along; people who will appreciate our compassion, our unique talents. Someone who will live a happier life merely because we took the time to share what we had to give. Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have a potential to turn a life around. It's overwhelming to consider the continuous opportunities there are to make our love felt.