“Fail in rapid succession.”

I am completely unsure of the origin of this quote - though surely the sentiment has been grasped by individuals, and perhaps even communities, for as long as anything has been anything. My dad said it to me one day in my early adulthood. He was responding to my lamenting that there were too many things worth doing in this life and world and simply not enough time for it all.

I’m sure I said something like, “I want to be a painter, a singer, a circus clown, a doctor, a professor, a mycologist, and traveling journalist! I want to be a nomad and a train-hopping hobo.” You see, I want it all. I want to bite the peach! I want to feel the nectar of life’s vibrance dribble down my chin.

So, my dad said, “Do all of those things. Quickly. Mess up. Fuck it up or get good, then try something else.” I’m sure he said something more eloquent than that, but that is what my brain gathered at the time. In any case, I’m here to fail as a painter.