ECHO

The impulse to slam the door on people often comes as a result of saying to yourself: I've done enough. But more often than not, you realize that your statement is echoed behind the door, as the other person, on the other side, might say the exact same thing. This being the case, you're then often left wondering what you did wrong. Perhaps nothing, as it is often the case that it is not your 'doing' that is something wrong with, but its degree of satisfaction. Often you realize that the 'doing' is just not good enough. I was thinking of all this today, while speaking and shouting at the stone formation, Svararsteinen, in Eikesdal, which is known for its echo. The best sound that the stones sent back was, however, that of my scales. Music still beats words. And yet, what the stones seemed to also have articulated in words through the echo, as if accompanying my music was this: try again. As my lungs were giving in, I heard another sound. I was receiving text messages on my phone from the Norwegian telephone company. “Velkommen til Norge,” it said. Although in Norway for almost a week, there was no apparent reason for the repetition of this message which I've already received as soon as I crossed the border. And yet, the fact that my phone decided to tune in on the echoing of my sounds, which were obviously loud enough insofar as they were picked by a satellite—the message was even repeated twice—,convinced me once more that where Norway is concerned, as I was saying, it's all cosmic.