Links, by Nuruddin Farah

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I'm reading this novel by the Somali author Nuruddin Farah, and came across this bit:

"A number of African myths centered death on two oral messages, the one given to a hare and guaranteeing uninterrupted life, the other to a chameleon and presaging mortality. In the myths, the chameleon delivered the message, in obedience to an ancient dark fear. The hare, however, was distracted by its playfulness and failed to pass on the message of life."

I love this little passage because it captures so well how hard times grab out attention, but so often the good times flow by without us paying attention.
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