29 May 2005

Gentle speech

'Follow what may, great deeds are not lessened in worth,' said Legolas.
(The Return of the King, J.R.R. Tolkien)

Though there is no deed of mine that I would deem great, I find comfort in these words for there are accomplishments from my past of which I was proud that have diminished in importance over time. I wonder if it's a trait peculiar to Americans to assume you're only as good as the next thing you do, no resting on laurels and all that. A first novel or film can be great, but if their second doesn't surpass it, many sink to the level of one-hit-wonder. That's unfortunate, a detriment to creativity.

No comments:

Post a Comment