6I looked long and hard at what goes on around here, and let me tell you, things are bad. And people feel it.H3426H7451H7200H8121H7227H1202There are people, for instance, on whom God showers everything—money, property, reputation—all they ever wanted or dreamed of. And then God doesn't let them enjoy it. Some stranger comes along and has all the fun. It's more of what I'm calling smoke. A bad business.H376H430H5414H6239H5233H3519H2638H5315H183H430H7980H398H376H5237H398H1892H7451H24833Say a couple have scores of children and live a long, long life but never enjoy themselves—even though they end up with a big funeral! I'd say that a stillborn baby gets the better deal.H376H3205H3967H2421H7227H8141H3117H8141H7227H5315H7646H2896H6900H559H5309H28964It gets its start in a mist and ends up in the dark—unnamed.H935H1892H3212H2822H8034H3680H28225It sees nothing and knows nothing, but is better off by far than anyone living.H7200H8121H3045H2088H5183H20886Even if someone lived a thousand years—make it two thousand!—but didn't enjoy anything, what's the point? Doesn't everyone end up in the same place?H432H2421H505H8141H6471H7200H2896H1980H259H47257We work to feed our appetites; Meanwhile our souls go hungry.H5999H120H6310H5315H43908So what advantage has a sage over a fool, or over some poor wretch who barely gets by?H2450H3148H3684H6041H3045H1980H24169Just grab whatever you can while you can; don't assume something better might turn up by and by. All it amounts to anyway is smoke. And spitting into the wind.H2896H4758H5869H1980H5315H1892H7469H730710Whatever happens, happens. Its destiny is fixed. You can't argue with fate.H7121H8034H3528H3045H120H3201H1777H862311The more words that are spoken, the more smoke there is in the air. And who is any better off?H3426H7235H1697H7235H1892H120H314812And who knows what's best for us as we live out our meager smoke-and-shadow lives? And who can tell any of us the next chapter of our lives?H3045H2896H120H2416H4557H3117H1892H2416H6213H6738H5046H120H310H8121
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