Too much sanity may be madness. And maddest of all, to see life as it is and not as it should be!
- Don Quixote via Wikiquote
I have a friend who thinks I have misnamed this site. I don’t think she understands the reference and thinks its too obscure.
From the musical Man of la Mancha , “To dream an impossible dream,” and “Dulcinea ” are beautiful pieces of music. I’ve been able to see the whole musical once and have come across bits and pieces of it several times. I have also read a significant portion of the first book in Tobias Smollett’s translation, but haven’t gotten to the second book.
The thing I most admire about the story is its simultaneous simplicity and complexity. Much of Don Quixote’s actions are utter folly, but even so, he succeeds in changing the world around him. Over the course of the story, there is incredible movement in the characters, particularly in how the roles of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza flip.
Reality can change based on our perceptions. Sometimes by stretching our perceptions, we can achieve previously unimagined acts of beauty. I think some of the most rewarding times in our lives will be spent tilting at windmills.
If you’re not familiar with the story, you can read more about it at Wikipedia. If you’d like to go further, you can read the story online here. If you’re interested, I would definitely recommend seeing a musical version of the story.
