(TIME IS LIFE ITSELF, AND THE PLACE OF LIFE IS THE HEART)
In this article, I would like to tell you about a children's book that every adult should read. "Momo" Today's adults should first take a lesson from this book by Michael Ende and then let children read this book.
Momo, who gave the book its name, is the hero of the book. He is such a hero that he does not have super powers, but the thing that today's people lose the most is actually very easy. It has a feature that looks like this but is very difficult to do. What is this feature? LISTENING
In our time where we are dragged into a world where no one listens to each other anymore, Momo shows us what a good listener should be and how this feeling is healing for people who feel that what they say is listened to.
In the book, the kind of listener Momo is is explained with the following expressions;
“Very few people are really good listeners. Momo is unique when it comes to listening. Momo would listen to everyone and everything: insects, grass, rain, even the wind moving between the trees. Each of them would tell him something in their own language.”
Yes, listening is the first step to understanding, in order to understand, you need to be a good listener. We need to listen not only to others but also to our own inner voice. However, the intensity of modern life constantly brings time constraints. We are always running, not knowing what we need to catch up with and what we are missing. Just as we no longer have time to listen to others, we cannot find time to listen to ourselves.
Scavenger Beppo is Momo's close friend who teaches us important lessons. He describes today's people, who are constantly in a hurry in life, have a lot of things to do on their minds while trying to do them all at once, but are unknowingly unhappy in this rush, cannot enjoy life and want to want more, want to go further, and focus on quantity rather than quality, with these effective words:
“Look, Momo, sometimes there's a long street in front of me. It is so long that one thinks it will never end. Then you start to rush, you start to rush more and more. Every time you look ahead, you realize that the road has not gotten shorter at all. more speed You work hard and diligently; Eventually you become breathless and weak. And the street is still long waiting for you. One should not look at the whole street and make a quick decision. One should always proceed step by step. One must constantly think one step ahead. That's when life becomes enjoyable. The important thing is to do your job well. Next thing you know, you've completed the whole journey, step by step. Without understanding how and without getting tired.”
And time… The main theme of the book. It is a concept that we cannot find today and that somehow becomes less and less as the calendar progresses. 100 years ago, 1 day was 24 hours, but now it seems like this period has decreased and time is not enough for us anymore. Even though life expectancy has been extended with advancing medicine, time has become insufficient for humans. We don't have time for our loved ones, we don't have time to do the things we love, we don't have time to listen to others or even to ourselves. In this lack of time, we see that years pass without us noticing. We are usually left with regrets. Unfortunately, the time that passes does not come back. The book explains how time was taken from us with the Smoke Men. This is a metaphor, but it is so impressive that it helps us look back at ourselves and question what we are doing with our time.
They steal your time, dear friends, and children understand this the most. Mom and dad, make time for me and yourself, but let this be real time, full of time. The kids and Momo warn us.
“Time: Clocks and calendars are made to measure it, but they mean nothing. Everyone knows very well that while sometimes an hour seems as long as a lifetime, sometimes it passes in the blink of an eye. This strange shortness and length of time depends on the events taking place in that time period. Because time is life itself. And the place of life is the heart.”
Yes, the end of a person whose time is stolen is described in the book as the disease of "fatal boredom". Major Depression, one of the most common mental health disorders today, could only be explained so beautifully and simply.
“One day, people don't want to do anything anymore. He is not interested in anything and dries away. Moreover, this reluctance is not temporary. It gets worse day by day, week by week . A person does not like himself, it is as if he is empty inside and cannot reconcile with the world. Later, these feelings no longer exist and he cannot feel anything. He has become alienated from the whole world and no one cares about him anymore. He feels neither anger nor admiration. He knows neither how to be happy nor how sad. He has forgotten both how to laugh and how to cry. Such a person is hardened inside. He can no longer love anything and anyone. When it comes to the name of this disease, it is called "deadly boredom." Beware, the “Smoke Men” are stealing our time. Let's be aware and not waste our time. Let's appreciate the moment and raise generations who know this. It is a truly impressive book to be happy, to live a life without regret, to be able to spare time for our loved ones and to realize this before it is too late.
Thank you Michael Ende.
Wishing you a life where you can enjoy every moment…
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