Tag Archives: Kurt Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut, Music, and Proof of God

Leadership, Reflections,

(I went hiking in some beautiful mountains over the weekend, with one of my daughters, and decided to repost this one from 2007, just slightly changed. I can’t believe it’s been more than five years since this was first posted. I feel like it’s as timely as ever.) 

“If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph: The only proof he needed for the existence of God was music.”

Kurt Vonnegut died on April 11, 2007.

The quote is from Man Without a Country, his last book, my favorite. The same thought appears in some of his earlier books.  Here’s a picture of a page from Man Without a Country:

Extended_families_kurt_vonnegut_3

He wrote many great books. My favorites are Slaughterhouse-Five, Cat’s Cradle, God Bless You Mr. Rosewater, Player Piano, and Welcome to the Monkey House.

Some of his quotes are put together into Confetti Prints, at www.vonnegut.com.

The work above is Copyright 2007 Kurt Vonnegut & Origami Express LLC.

Turning Noise into Music

Reflections, ,

Someone told me Friday that we’re not human beings anymore, but human doings. We’re all about doing. Not about being.  

“It’s all noise,” she said. “So much noise.”  She was referring to always being connected. The smart phone, the email everywhere, Twitter, Facebook, constantly checking in. Always focused on pendings and priorities. Doing so much that we never get anything done. 

And then I thought of this quote from Kurt Vonnegut: 

“If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph: The only proof he needed for the existence of God was music.”

That was in Man Without a Country, his last book, my favorite. I love several of his books. I love his writing style, his politics, and his sense of humor. 

But the thought came up as I was thinking about all that noise. Relax into being. Stop doing for a while. Turn the noise into music.