Friday, April 13, 2007

‘God damn it, you’ve got to be kind.’

kurt vonnegut 1922-2007
Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. It’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It’s round and wet and crowded. At the outside, babies, you’ve got about a hundred years here. There’s only one rule that I know of, babies — ‘God damn it, you’ve got to be kind.’
when i was working at The Comfort Diner in 1997, i waited on Mr. Vonnegut and his wife. i had absolutely no idea who he was, but another waiter did and was beside himself. shamefully, i had never read any of Vonnegut's books (and i still haven't), but after reading the obit in the Times, particularly the quote above, i will.

what i remember - he drank lots of coffee and didn't smile much.

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