“Right where I belonged”

Andei por esses dias lendo alguns contos distópicos de Kurt Vonnegut. Vale citá-los. Harrison Bergeron, disponível online, onde a sociedade leva o igualitarismo quase às últimas consequências; e 2 B R 0 2 B, também online, sobre um futuro onde a humanidade foi “curada” de todo os males biológicos, como o envelhecimento.

Foi o suficiente para despertar em mim uma certa curiosidade sobre o autor. Lendo algumas de suas entrevistas, descobri que é um sujeito de simplicidade intrigante, e que não é fácil entendê-lo. Fiquei encantado pelo seu humor, e estranhei bastante o seu “humanismo”. Mas vou deixar comentários sobre Vonnegut para outra data, hoje quero apenas colar aqui um trechinho (longo...) de uma entrevista, sobre coisas que, sim sim, são muitíssimo interessantes:

Q: When I was reading Dr. Kevorkian, I was reminded a bit of a Japanese film from a couple years ago called "Afterlife."

Vonnegut: I haven't heard of it.

Q: Its premise is that those who have recently died are taken to a waiting room for one week, during which time they must choose only a single memory from their entire lives which will endlessly replay for them, while all of their other memories are erased.

Vonnegut: So everybody's fucking, right?

Q: See, that's the peculiar thing. Maybe in your world or mine, everybody's fucking. But in this movie, some of the memories are much simpler, almost elegant. Many people can't choose a memory at all.

Vonnegut: See, that's a whole different culture. I don't know anything about it.

Q: Any idea what memory you might choose?

Vonnegut: [Long pause] I think it would be the moment where I was doing everything right, where I was beyond criticism. It was back in World War II. It was snowing, but everything was black. The trucks were rolling in. I was surrounded by my buddies. And my rifle was between my knees, my helmet on my head. I was ready for anything. And I was right where I belonged. That would be the moment. It would have to be the moment.

Q: There are not many moments in a man's life like that, I would imagine.

Vonnegut: No. But you know who gets those kinds of moments all the time? A musician. They're doing exactly what they're supposed to do. I look at a symphony orchestra and everybody's doing exactly right. How the fuck do they do that? It's like watching somebody's who's just inherited a big bunch of money. "Well, enjoy yourself.... I'm just gonna fuck off — you know what I'm saying."

Entrevista completa em: http://www.mcsweeneys.net/2002/09/16vonnegut1.html