Enough

Kurt Vonnegut wrote this in memory of his friend Joseph Heller:

True story, Word of Honor:
Joseph Heller, an important and funny writer
now dead,
and I were at a party given by a billionaire
on Shelter Island.

I said, “Joe, how does it make you feel
to know that our host only yesterday
may have made more money
than your novel ‘Catch-22’
has earned in its entire history?”
And Joe said, “I’ve got something he can never have.”
And I said, “What on earth could that be, Joe?”
And Joe said, “The knowledge that I’ve got enough.”
Not bad! Rest in peace!

I’ve never been ambitious in the usual sense, so I really like this piece.

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30 Responses to Enough

  1. Rose says:

    He is so right!

  2. tomthebackroadstraveller says:

    …yep, enough is enough!

  3. Some never know when it is enough.

    God bless.

  4. Shug says:

    Enough doesn’t mean life is perfect or free from challenges, but it does mean that we can find peace within. It is the realization that happiness isn’t tied to what we acquire or achieve, but to the gratitude we feel for what’s already ours. ??. Happy Tuesday..

  5. Myra Guca says:

    No more grasping for the carousel’s golden ring.
    Heller’s resonse is perfect!

  6. Ginny Hartzler says:

    Yes, the key is being satisfied with what we have! I love Vonnegut and have read most of his books. I think Slaughterhouse Five is a masterpiece.

  7. Linda Sand says:

    We have more than enough. That lets us share. I love finally getting to this place. We can now do things like pay for the PBS our daughter watched when we were broke.

  8. The OP Pack says:

    Yes, indeed, more is not necessarily better.

  9. Ann Thompson says:

    Now there is a smart man.

  10. MadSnapper says:

    Amen and Amen again!

  11. That is lovely. Thank you for sharing.

Comments are closed.