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I met you in the rain on the last day of 1972

boston.craigslist.org

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Re: I met you in the rain on the last day of 1972

#91

Post by Camillo »

chris_wot wrote: post #68
Camillo wrote: post #28

I'm not sure what people find "beautiful" or "touching" in this story. A man is wracked by guilt over what he has done to the point of deciding to end his life, but then he forgets all about it as soon as a pretty girl gives him attention. Inasmuch as it is believable, this is a story about how all our lofty notions of justice, honor, purpose etc. are just bullshit, and it's really all about fucking, consuming and ke…

I disagree. The very act of listening to someone with that level of pain, a level so great he was about to end his own life, and similarly listening to the pain of the other person with the same intensity, that's where the beauty lies.

As if that woman was the first person to talk to him. Even if he had somehow lost all his family and friends back home, he would still have had some comrades in arms. And if he had been abnormally lonely it would have - should have! - been in the story, but it wasn't.

No, the point was not the act of listening, it was that the girl was hot.

Re: I met you in the rain on the last day of 1972

#92

Post by Camillo »

uhtred wrote: post #85
Camillo wrote: post #28

I'm not sure what people find "beautiful" or "touching" in this story. A man is wracked by guilt over what he has done to the point of deciding to end his life, but then he forgets all about it as soon as a pretty girl gives him attention. Inasmuch as it is believable, this is a story about how all our lofty notions of justice, honor, purpose etc. are just bullshit, and it's really all about fucking, consuming and ke…

I find it sad that people feel it is acceptable to attack you personally, for this comment. It is your opinion and you are entitled to it, although apparently not on Hacker News.

Don't worry, I am unscathed.

Re: I met you in the rain on the last day of 1972

#93

Post by Camillo »

Theodores wrote: post #40
Camillo wrote: post #28

I'm not sure what people find "beautiful" or "touching" in this story. A man is wracked by guilt over what he has done to the point of deciding to end his life, but then he forgets all about it as soon as a pretty girl gives him attention. Inasmuch as it is believable, this is a story about how all our lofty notions of justice, honor, purpose etc. are just bullshit, and it's really all about fucking, consuming and ke…

Harsh! First of all it is human to feel suicidal for whatever reason from time to time. These times are lonely and just meeting a new person and having a normal conversation, no matter how short, can make a huge difference, to 'snap out of it'. The life force is strong even with those determined to kill themselves - conscious decision making to end it all is over-ruled by some mystery hypervisor deep down in the brai…

> Guy snatches a few moments with one of those pretty girls that have been ignoring him for all of his life - what do you expect?

That's not in the story! It would at least have made a modicum of sense if he was a desperate loner who was going to kill himself over his feelings of absolute social and romantic rejection, but none of that is in the story.

Re: I met you in the rain on the last day of 1972

#94

Post by bartvk »

pvg wrote: post #57
Cidan wrote: post #4

I think a lot of people miss the point of this posting -- it doesn't matter if it's real or if it's fake, but rather it's an evolution of artistic expression. Someone is using Craigslist as an entirely new medium for writing a bit of poetry or short story. The potential for this type of work to reach people is huge, and that to me is the most exciting part of it all.

Of course it matters. If it's real, it's a strange, perhaps touching story. If it's made-up, it's a trite and rather artless attempt to yank at your heartstrings. Being coy about whether something is a true account, fictionalized or outright fiction is a cheap way to avoid criticism of both one's reportage and art. Jack Shafer wrote about this sort of thing regarding a David Sedaris flap a few years ago: http://www.s…

Perhaps it matters to YOU whether it's real or not. But people are different.

Re: I met you in the rain on the last day of 1972

#95

Post by aagha »

pvg wrote: post #81
sosborn wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If it's made-up, it's a trite and rather artless attempt to yank at your heartstrings. Should we consider all fiction works in this way?

If it's a trite and artless attempt to yank at your heartstrings, sure. The difference is, fiction declares itself as fiction so you can judge it on its merits as such. This thing would not get a single repost nor an iota of internet attention if it announced itself as fiction. Comparisons to Murakami notwithstanding, it's terrible fiction.

Does it always "declare itself"? What about Wells' War Of The Worlds?

Re: I met you in the rain on the last day of 1972

#96

Post by DanBC »

aagha wrote: post #95
pvg wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If it's a trite and artless attempt to yank at your heartstrings, sure. The difference is, fiction declares itself as fiction so you can judge it on its merits as such. This thing would not get a single repost nor an iota of internet attention if it announced itself as fiction. Comparisons to Murakami notwithstanding, it's terrible fiction.

Does it always "declare itself"? What about Wells' War Of The Worlds?

I enjoyed the Coen brothers tweaking of this convention with their fake "The events depicted in this film took place in Minnesota in 1987. At the request of the survivors, the names have been changed. Out of respect for the dead, the rest has been told exactly as it occurred" declaration.

Re: I met you in the rain on the last day of 1972

#97

Post by sridca »

nappy-doo wrote: post #29
Camillo wrote: post #28

I'm not sure what people find "beautiful" or "touching" in this story. A man is wracked by guilt over what he has done to the point of deciding to end his life, but then he forgets all about it as soon as a pretty girl gives him attention. Inasmuch as it is believable, this is a story about how all our lofty notions of justice, honor, purpose etc. are just bullshit, and it's really all about fucking, consuming and ke…

I bet you're fun at parties.

I bet you will do anything – including degrading yourself (such as imitating the inanities of the group) – just to not be seen as a spoilsport at parties.

Re: I met you in the rain on the last day of 1972

#98

Post by sridca »

tluyben2 wrote: post #52
datalist wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am sorry, but thats all you have to say? Camillo is absolutely right on that subject. This person killed hundreds (if not more) of beings, realised his guilt, subsequently wanted to choose the "noble" path of taking the consequences (even though, realistically, it wouldnt have changed a single thing for those he bombed) and suddenly forgot everything the moment he met a pretty girl. Fake or not, if you are saying p…

What age are you and Camillo? I had your sentiments as well in my early twenties but 20 years later I find those thoughts unhelpful for both me and others around me and taught myself first not to express them and then not to think them. So I am wondering if it might be an age thing or that experiences, social interaction and managing many people in companies changed me.

Not thinking about or expressing doesn't necessarily falsity it, much less serve as a reason to castigate someone at HN for pointing it out, albeit in a sentimental way.

Is it really that hard, even in this supposedly liberalized day and age, to have a conversation about these outdated romantic notions?

Re: I met you in the rain on the last day of 1972

#99

Post by sridca »

Camillo wrote: post #89
joostdevries wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's one view of life where everything is only about ultimate timeless contextless values. That seems your perspective here. '...so by the transitive property it's only about fucking.' At some point in my life I learned that I no longer subscribe to that point of view. The way I read that story is that within the context of flying bombing raids he felt he had no right to live. Which to me as a reader shows that he…

Sounds like you're projecting your younger self on me. But in fact, "it's all about fucking" is not a conclusion from some philosophical perspective. It's all there in the story. The character forgot his guilt because a hot girl spoke to him. That's 90% of what we know about her, that she's sexual attractive to him - in fact, that she's the most attractive girl he's ever seen. This is not a story about "human connect…

Although there are complex emotions involved on top of "his own boner" - I agree with the substance of your post. Reading joostdevries's comment reminds me of how much people still undervalue the power of instinctual passions in guiding behaviour, thoughts and (as all the sad love songs and this craigslist post amply demonstrates) words.

Re: I met you in the rain on the last day of 1972

#100

Post by droidist2 »

DanBC wrote: post #96
aagha wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does it always "declare itself"? What about Wells' War Of The Worlds?

I enjoyed the Coen brothers tweaking of this convention with their fake "The events depicted in this film took place in Minnesota in 1987. At the request of the survivors, the names have been changed. Out of respect for the dead, the rest has been told exactly as it occurred" declaration.

But they caused the death of that Japanese woman that went looking for the money.
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