On Paying Attention - Warren Zevon
"You're reminded to
enjoy every sandwich."
— Warren Zevon
The Late Show with David Letterman, October 30, 2002
Photo by Quang Nguyen Vinh on Pexels
October 30, 2002. Warren Zevon sat across from David Letterman in a suit, dying. Two months earlier he'd been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. The studio audience knew it. Letterman knew it. Zevon knew it.
Letterman asked what his experience had taught him about life and death. Zevon answered with humour and precision: how much you're supposed to enjoy every sandwich.
He didn't say cherish every moment. He didn't say live life to the fullest. He said sandwich. A specific, ordinary, Tuesday-afternoon thing that most people eat without thinking.
After the show, Letterman went to Zevon's dressing room — something he didn't do with other guests. He couldn't let him go without saying it back.
Zevon survived another eleven months.
Long enough to finish his final album. Long enough to meet his grandchildren.
Long enough to mean it.
What ordinary thing are you eating without tasting — and what would change if you finally paid attention?
If this resonated, you might also enjoy: On Adaptation — Viktor Frankl and On Endurance — Frida Kahlo
