I Would Rather Sit On A Pumpkin

I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion.

- Henry David Thoreau

I came across this line while watching CSI last night. CSI has thought me a lot…… besides how to get away with murder.

And this line about the pumpkin really got me. I like quirky quotes. But I also thought that there was more to the quote.

So I searched the net on Henry David Thoreau. I found out he was born in Concord, Massachusetts on July 12, 1817. He was born to John Thoreau and Cynthia Dunbar Thoreau. He contracted tuberculosis around 1835 and died in Concord, Massachusetts on May 6, 1862. He was buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetary.

Henry David Thoreau was not highly appreciated during his lifetime, but he is now considered one of the foremost American writers of the 19th century. Works like "Walden" and "Civil Disobedience" are often studied in classrooms.

Other than his biography, I could not find out that much more about the pumpkin line or in which context it was quoted it. Anyone got a copy of Walden? I usually like buying my books but I doubt I’ll be reading this one from cover to cover. I just wanna know more about the pumpkin.

As for how I interpret that line and how it affects me in modern life (the line was quoted about 150 years ago), I literally would like to sit on a pumpkin, if only I could find one that big here in Malaysia. Even if we can find some during Halloween, they’re usually quite small, dented and deformed.

As for metaphorically, in recent times, I find that I would rather do something cosy and personal like having a nice dinner with my darling or a small group of friends over going to a club where I get pushed and shoved , have no space to dance and have to wait too long for drinks. And this is in the VIP area! I have no clue how I managed it before….. 4 times a week.

Thus in a nutshell, I’d rather sit on a pumpkin with Paul than to fight the crowds in a club.