With books it’s like with life itself: A big deal is made of first and last words. As writers we think long about how to start a sentence and especially how we want a book to start. We might have favorite first sentences. I often flip to the last page of a book and read the last sentence. Why did the writer stop exactly there? Why did (s)he feel that this one last sentence was needed?
Our daughter Coco is on the verge of talking, but right now she is still struggling with sentences. Like so many toddlers, one of her first words was “no!”. She can say that over and over again. Also in German: “nein! nein! nein!” “Nein, what?!” I ask, but that seems to be beyond the point.
And again at the end of our lives one is asked to say something meaningful. A last message to the afterworld. I wonder, if we don’t attribute too much importance to first and last words – at least what our lives are concerned. Instead, we should think more about how we choose our words in-between. I for one could have avoided the one or other argument, if i made a practice of being more considerate instead of blurting out what is on my mind.