LIFE OVER AGAIN

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 485, 15 October 1928, Page 14

LIFE OVER AGAIN

THOMAS BURKE’S IDEAS AUTHOR OF “LIMEHOUSE NIGHTS” Thomas Burke, famous author of "Limehouse Nights,” writes in the "Daily Mail” on "If I had to live my life over again.” He says: "Well, if I did, I think I should lead pretty much the life I have led and do the things I have done. And so would most of us. We may imagine that we would make different decisions, but we forget that we would still be ourselves, and that the main course of our lives would therefore remain unchanged. An idler would be an idler, whether loafing in the union or in the hotels of Europe. A scoundrel would be a scoundrel. The small thief, given a second chance, would make use of his previous experience to become a bogus company promoter. JUST THE SAME “I remember an early book of Mr. Pett Ridge’s—a fantasy chat touched this very idea: ‘The Second Opportunity of Mr. Staplehurst.’ Mr. Staplehurst, wishing that he could have his time over again and make a success of life, has his wish granted, and starts at 20 with the accumulated knowledge and wisdom of 50. Conscious of his previous life and its errors, he carefully avoids repeating them, and at each turning-point he does what his 50 years’ experience tells him is the right thing. Result: At 50 in the second life he is precisely where he was at 50 in the first life. “This is truth. However many shots we may have at life we are still the creatures of our own characters. Turn and tack as we will, the invisible current carries us where we were meant to go. Several uears back I had a chance to settle in South America, with the free gift.of a good house in one of its cities and an assured and considerable income. “South America didn’t attract me and I refused. Perhaps I was foolish, and if the offer were made now I might give it serious attention. But supposing I had accepted and entered this vastly different sphere, 1 am certain that being rich in South America, instead of poor in London, would not have made any notable difference in the course and colour of my life; and I don’t regret my decision. “Indeed, looking back, I find little that I would wish to alter or that my experience would help me to alter. I have no envy of other callings and no desire to be anything but an author. I did, when young, look toward the musical life and was for some time trained as an orchestral violin; but when I look at the present state of the professional musician in England I would still, given a second chance, choose to be what 1 am.

“As for life at large, I find that at 40 1 don’t know much move about it, or about men and women, than I intuitively knew at 18. I have had 22 years’ more experience, but that experience has been merely a proving of what I already knew at 18. I had no illusions at that age; I knew that men were men and not angels; and if I have learned anything new it is how often they manage to be like angels. “GOOD FOR ME”

“Whatever I have done, mistakes and all, I find to have been good for me; and even if I started again, with the wisdom of the serpent to help me, I should still, I know, make other mistakes. Experience only teaches you to avoid mistakes you have once made; it does not and cannot teach you never to make any mistake at all; for men with 60 years of experience often make more monstrous mistakes than youth with none. Look at our great generals and Ministers and big business men! It is only in minor matters that experience is useful, and it is only In minor matters that I would behave differently. “I would, for example, lead a fuller social life instead of the almost re cluse life I have led. I would have many acquaintances, and would give a little of myself to each of them and all of myself to none; having learned that to give supposed friends your heart is like giving a child a football.

“I would be less active in doing things for people because I don’t like making enemies. I would not allow my feelings any expression. I would make myself agreeable to people who bored or disgusted me instead of (as I have done) letting my manner tell them how they impressed me. I would restrain my unhappy turn for levity and facetiousness, and for my own comfort would take people as seriously as they take themselves. I would be more concerned with myself and less concerned with others, for I have seen that the egotist has so much a better time and is so much more popular than his opposite. MAKING MONEY “I would be mor/ insistent upon making money. I have always been so interested in life and in my work that I have had no time to spare for what I considered a triviality, and I now know that I have neglected an important matter. I would give more attention to the outward show of life, the window-dressing of one’s self; for I have found ic quite true that, even intelligent people will value you by your shop-window, and not by the quality of the shop’s contents. "From this you will se that at 40 I have learned little since 8, beyond the not very serious fact that Lord Chesterfield was right. But suppasing I had my time again, and observed all these little matters—would my life be happier for me or more amusing to others I think not. I think it would be very drab and tepid; for the joy of living lies as much in its blunders and defeats as in its achievements. All life is good, and I don’t think any of us ought to wish to dodge its misadventures.”