Two kinds of failure

There’s the kind of failure that despairs and lusts and tears itself apart, X tells me, and then there’s the failure that comes out through the other side of itself and can almost laugh at itself, can almost live. The terrible thing is, once you’ve entered the realm of failure you can’t avoid the choice, he says. Do you even know what I’m talking about, he says, are you even listening? Once a person has entered the realm of failure it’s already over for them. You might as well – if you spoke, if you even listened – you might as well ask them straight away, What do you want? Do you want to go back to where you left the others behind or do you want to stay where you are? Do you want to live or die? It’s already over for you, you’re already dead, so die better. To go back you must go on, beyond the point of no return. Only then will you have returned. But I’m talking out of turn, says X. I don’t really know what I’m talking about. Do you?