Where Madness Lies Dale Wasserman

At the beginning of January I did a post here title On Seeing which included some work and a video of the wonderful writer Dale Wasserman who died in 2008.

So when this quote from Wasserman appeared In my inbox this morning from Inward /Outward ( yet again !!) I thought it would make sense to include it with a link to my previous post, for those who may have missed it.

I have also put the video interview with Wasserman here again as he talks about the life of Cervantes, Don Quixote and Man of La Mancha for ease of access. The video was done shortly before Wasserman's death.

Where Madness Lies

Dale Wasserman

I have lived nearly 50 years, and I have seen life as it is. Pain, misery, hunger...cruelty beyond belief. 

I have heard the singing from taverns and the moans from bundles of filth on the streets. I have been a soldier and seen my comrades fall in battle...or die more slowly under the lash in Africa. I have held them in my arms at the final moment. These were men who saw life as it is, yet they died despairing. No glory, no gallant last words...only their eyes filled with confusion, whimpering the question: "Why?"

I do not think they asked why they were dying, but why they had lived. When life itself seems lunatic, who knows where madness lies? 

Perhaps to be too practical is madness. To surrender dreams--this may be madness. To seek treasure where there is only trash. Too much sanity may be madness. And maddest of all, to see life as it is and not as it should be.

Source: Man of La Mancha