There Is No Rewind Button for Life

A Nam June Paik image I found on the Internet to illustrate my point

That is the title for a life-retrospective book about one of my favorite pioneering video artists, Nam June Paik, who died only a couple years ago. What I liked about his work was that it was conceptual and simple, playful and direct. And when I saw that book in the Berkeley Art Museum bookstore, I told myself, Casey, remember that title. It will be useful to you one day. That day has not yet come upon us, but I am nonetheless hanging on to the phrase like some kind of good-luck-charm-for-tomorrow. As far as catch phrases go, I find that one to be pretty delightful. It rolls off the tongue rather nicely. It provides an easy-to-grasp visual. And when I am driving around in my truck looking for parking or when I am forced to watch Hardball on MSNBC by my politically impassioned boyfriend, it a useful phrase to shout out to all the asinine pundits or the meter maid who has just left behind a ticket.

It is also a nice reminder to get off my ass and do whatever it is I want to do with my life. Like now. And, from time to time, even I could use those kind of gentle reminders. So even though there was little of inspiration in the museum that day, and even though two floors were closed for installation and renovation, and even though when I first stepped into the bookstore my eyes instantly glazed over with the amount of, well, books, on the shelves, there was one book that stood out among many, and without even opening up its pages, I got every dose of medicine that I needed for the moment.

It really is that simple.