Geoff Coupe's Blog

Reflections on life at “De Witte Wand”…

Cracks in the Pavement

When I was very small, I used to be scared to step on the cracks in the pavement. I also was quite convinced that there were dragons in the attic that would come after me when I left the bedroom to go downstairs each day. So there were rules that I followed (religiously) about not stepping on the cracks and running downstairs so that the dragons wouldn’t catch me.
 
Some people have similar rules, that frankly, in retrospect, strike me and Ophelia as just as bizarre and nonsensical. But then, we perhaps claim to be a trifle more rational than some.
 
Oh, and I grew up. One day, the dragons disappeared from the attic after I dared them to catch me. And the cracks were just cracks.

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2 responses to “Cracks in the Pavement”

  1. Gelert Avatar
    Gelert

    But, don’t you think that at that moment when the cracks are just cracks, some little bit of magic went out of the world?

    Reply
  2. Geoff Avatar
    Geoff

    Gelert, nope, I don’t. There’s a difference, I think, between a sense of wonder at the structure of the universe and its contents – which I think any scientist worth his or her salt should have – and an irrational belief that is powered by a sense of fear. Then again, as Arthur C. Clarke said: "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic".

    Reply

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