Thursday, 2 October 2008

Metaphysical typo


It's unusual for a typographical error to make you take a moment,  sit back and ponder life's mysteries.  Well to be honest it's never happened to me at all.  Until today,  that is.  And I have the online version of Melbourne's The Age to thank.  They just ran a story reporting the sudden and unexpected death by stroke of Rob Guest,  a cast member in the Australian production of the musical Wicked.  The crucial sentence:

Guest talked to a friend early on Tuesday night and seemed fine before collapsing at his computer and being,  according to radio station 3AW.


Fascinating, isn't it.  Initially I thought they meant "dying",  but he died later in hospital,  not at his computer.  So I am left pondering their meaning – and ultimately other things besides.

I actually saw that show just two weeks ago,  by the way.  I remember thinking how amazingly agile he was,  marvelling at the way he could leap around the stage like a ballet dancer,  and hoping I would be in such good form at his age...

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