I make a small and timid difference between pragmatists and romantics. The first ones manage the ideals to live better; the seconds sleep next to the death and they go through life in free fall without any ground stopping them, except the end of all endings: they do not differentiate theory from experiencealthough they also want to live better in the worst areas. Kant He helped us for a while trying to put order in the human thinking It is no longer of much use to us, but its existence still runs through the corridors of our neighborhoods, those that refuse to fall. I, like almost all of you, cannot stand dictatorships, tyrannies or unilateral canons. And if you tolerate them, then I envy you. I want to be one of you and I affirm it with all sincerity since, by joining your universal feelingeverything would be easier for me; from going down the stairs to watching a series of television. I would not feel that anguish that eats away at me knowing that my haggard life depends on others.
When I was nine years old and lived in a house washed (it is my fate or destiny: rent a roof), next to my brothers, my parents and my grandmother, a man knocked on the door one late morning. He carried with him a proposal that we could hardly reject, as they say. I wanted to print a calendarbut he needed the illustration that would adorn the pages of the almanac. One of those that are stuck behind the door or on the walls of the kitchen and on whose surface they make scrawl to help the mundane memory of the days that pass as soldiers. It was a man, the owner of a couple of stores in the neighborhood and he had already had his eye on my brothers – who would be seven and the youngest was five years old – and me to photograph us and be the image of the calendar that he would give to everyone. their clients. The man, well-intentionedperhaps close to forty, spoke with my mother while we children listened next to her skirts.
“I should ask your father, but I don’t think there is any problem,” my mother replied. We would be famous in the neighborhood! My brothers were beautiful; I wasn’t so much, but unlike today he looked like a handsome boy, although a little big-eared: nothing that a good hairstyle and a skilled photographer couldn’t remedy. My father gave his permission in exchange for a modest amount of money; We were photographed, the calendar was printed and our image was spread throughout the neighborhood. True fame came to us too soon; and then he was gone forever. And who wants celebrity? It comes and goes when you least expect it. The next year’s calendar changed our image and showed the image of some kittens. Why do humans cling so much to that celebrity that gives them the power? Aren’t you ashamed to show us your face or your words every day? I know that they also want some coins, like my father, but they must set a limit and settle for their exile, their opacity and banishment. This distance has its attributes and one does not torture or mistreat oneself with the unifying desire of Kantian truth. “Either I reflect or I govern,” a powerful man in politics answered me one day. I’m sure he hadn’t appeared as a child on a calendar. Neither posing like a garrulo nor much less like Madonna.
A few days ago, on Thursday, I had my birthday, and this matter did not matter to me; This date has always seemed empty, useless and full of complications for those around me. I was the calendar boy once, in the Portales colony. And I agree with it. And then the kittens arrived and maybe other children, I don’t remember. I don’t have to be pragmatic or romantic; perhaps a mix-up or a conversation that doesn’t end until the end comes. Why do they want so much celebrity and power? The answer is obvious, so I won’t even imagine it.
Join our channel
EL UNIVERSAL is now on Whatsapp! From your mobile device, find out about the most relevant news of the day, opinion articles, entertainment, trends and more.
What are some practical examples of how pragmatists and romantics approach problem-solving in their daily lives?
1. Pragmatists and Romantics: Can you explain the difference between pragmatists and romantics, and how their approaches to life can be beneficial or detrimental?
2. Kant’s Influence: What role did Kant play in helping us understand human thinking, and why do you think his ideas are no longer as useful today?
3. The Calendar Story: Can you share more about the experience of being the image on the calendar and how it affected your perception of fame and popularity?
4. Celebrity and Power: Why do you think people are so attracted to fame and power, even if it means sacrificing their privacy and autonomy?
5. Self-Reflection: How has your experience as the calendar boy influenced your relationship with celebrity and desire for power? Do you still struggle with these concepts?
