ithaca

肯塔基州路易斯維爾市的一位85歲老婦人娜黛茵‧絲泰爾﹙Nadine Stair﹚，在一篇名為〈如果我的生命重新來過〉﹙If I had my life to live over﹚之中寫道：

我如果我生命重新來過，我下一輩子要多犯些錯。
我要無拘無束。我要不拘小節。我要比這一生更傻乎乎地過。我要對事情少認真些。
我要更順其自然。我要多爬些山，多在些河流游泳。我要多吃點冰淇淋，少吃豆。
我說不定會實際上遇到更多麻煩，但是我心中的煩惱會更少。

你瞧，我就是那種一小時一小時，週而復始聰明理性過日子的人。
我有過自己的美好時光，噢，如果我能從頭再活一次，我會擁有更多美好時光。
事實上，我要儘量不去擁有什麼東西，只是一個個的片刻時光，不是那種一天跟一天過的那麼多年時光。
我曾經也是那種不帶體溫計、不帶熱水瓶，甚至不帶降落傘就那兒也不敢去的人。
如果我重新再去旅行的話，我要更輕便的出門，跟以往不一樣。

如果我的生命從頭再來過一遍的話，我要在春天一到就赤腳徜徉，直到秋天終了。
我要跳更多舞，我要多騎幾遍旋轉木馬遊戲，也要多採些菊花。

If I had to live my life over again, I'd dare to make more mistakes next time.
I'd relax, I would limber up.
I would be sillier than I have been this trip.
I would take fewer things seriously.
I would take more chances.

I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers.
I would eat more ice cream and less beans.
I would perhaps have more actual troubles,
but I'd have fewer imaginary ones.

You see, I'm one of those people who live
sensibly and sanely hour after hour,
day after day.

Oh, I've had my moments,
And if I had it to do over again,
I'd have more of them.
In fact, I'd try to have nothing else.
Just moments, one after another,
instead of living so many years ahead of each day.

I've been one of those people who never goes anywhere
without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a raincoat
and a parachute.
If I had to do it again, I would travel lighter than I have.

If I had my life to live over,
I would start barefoot earlier in the spring
and stay that way later in the fall.
I would go to more dances.
I would ride more merry-go-rounds.
I would pick more daisies.

Nadine Stair,
85 years old.