“You have to look! . . . Closing your eyes isn't going to change anything. Nothing's going to disappear just because you can't see what's going on. In fact, things will be even worse the next time you open your eyes. That's the kind of world we live in . . . Keep your eyes wide open. Only a coward closes his eyes. Closing your eyes and plugging up your ears won 't make time stand still.”
More from Haruki Murakami
“You wait for the right moment, and it will come to you. You need confidence that you will…”
“No matter how far you travel, you can never get away from yourself.”
“Time weighs down on you like an old, ambiguous dream. You keep on moving, trying to slip…”
“If you remember me, then I don't care if everyone else forgets.”