F I C T I O N I ran into Albert Einstein the other day and coincidentally it was in front of a hair salon and an Einsteins Brothers Bagels. I was very perplexed because he certainly didn’t look like a man who just came from a “just a little off the top” experience.
Al? It is you. It’s been ages. Got a minute or are you in hurry?
“The faster you go, the shorter you are.”
Funny you should mention that because I thought maybe you got a haircut or you’ve been combing that mane of yours.
“Sometimes one pays most for the things one gets for nothing.”
Right. So what’s new? What do you know?
“The only source of knowledge is experience.”
You are so right about that. I guess that’s why everyone says you’re a genius.
“The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.”
That sounds so quotable. Mind if I use that?
“I never said half the crap people said I did.”
That may be true but people think you have real talent.
“I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.”
Okay fine, but the theory of relativity? I mean come on, who thinks up stuff like that?
“It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.”
Sure, but do you think there’s some kid in school right now who can top E=mc2?
“It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education.”
No kidding. So what’s it going to take for some physicist to top what you came up with?
“The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.”
I get that but the kids coming out of school now just want to score the next big app or invent the next cool gadget.
“It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.”
I hear you. I worry that these kids are missing the beauty that surrounds them.
“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science.”
Well it’s no mystery that we’re living in scary times. You almost feel helpless when it comes to knowing how to resist.
“The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.”
You got that right!
Jay Harrison is a graphic designer and writer whose work can be seen at DesignConcept. His mystery novel, Head Above Water, is available on Amazon and Kindle.
