Igniter

今天晚上，翻箱倒篋地在找大學畢業時發的transcript。找了好一會，transcript找不着，郤找回了一段發人深省的字句。

“ If I could live my life once again
In the next life, I would try to commit more errors,
I would not try to be so perfect,
I would relax more.
I would be dumber than I have been, in fact,
I would take less thing seriously,
I would not be so clean.

I would run more risks, I would take more trips
I would contemplate more sunsets, I would climb more
mountains, I would swim more rivers…
I would go more ice creams and less fiber
I would have more real problems and less
imaginary ones.

I was one of those people that lives sensibly, and
prolifically every minute of my life; of course
I had moments of joy.

But if I could go back, I would try to have
only good moments. For if you do not know, that is
what life is made of, only moments; don’t miss the now.

I was one of those persons that never went anywhere without a
thermometer, a bag of warm water, an umbrella and a
parachute; if I could travel again I would travel
lighter.

If I could begin to live again, I would begin to walk barefoot
at the beginning of the spring and I would continue on
through the conclusion of the autumn.

I would take more turns around the merry go round, would contemplate
more sunsets,
I would play with more children, I, if had my life ahead of me
once again.

But, you see, I am 85 years old and I know that I am dying.”

當年在Texas隨便地選了一課Leadership Issues。期中考試時，教授發了一張前後兩頁的考卷，大家都在埋頭苦幹地把它完成。只是，做完了第一頁，翻到背面去，郤竟是上面的一段話。

每次再看這段文字，心裡總有一份感動，像在讀着一個老人對我們的臨終囑咐。

講堂內的同學漸漸完成試卷，陸陸續續地離去，大家沒有說什麼，教授也很輕鬆地跟助教閒聊着。可是，我想，從離開講堂那刻，我將不會再遇上這位教授了，而且這不僅是地域上的阻隔，更是時空上的。如此的心情怎容我淡然地走出講堂?

我留下來，把那「臨終之言」再看一遍，當中有一句當頭棒喝: “if I could travel again I would travel lighter.”

唉，何不瀟灑一點呢?

這是一份畢生難忘的考卷，也是畢生受用的一課。