And so it goes.

I was looking for a way to end a comment on beBee and they just leapt from my fingers onto the page.

So I used them again.

And again.

And yet again.

They became a kind of signature.

But today as I typed them on yet another comment I questioned where they had come from. I had used those words ending think pieces I publish here both under my “Different Slant” business observations and “Personal Notes” that deal with the subject of living in these troubled times.

What is the Genesis?

I asked myself where this catch phrase had come from. That question banged around in the little grey cells for a while and then I turned to Google. I typed in “Quotes And So it Goes”

In seconds I knew the words “So it goes”

• Are in the lyrics of a song by Billy Joel

• Are in the Book of Pi when PI says, “And so it goes with God”

• Are the title of Kurt Vonnegut’s Biography.

But most importantly the phrase “So it goes” was used continually in Vonnegut’s “Slaughterhouse Five” Most reviewers think it was Kurt’s way of punctuating death in this anti-war classic. Some say it is a common phrase heard in Irish households.In either case it deals with the inevitable, after the fact.

It’s an homage to Vonnegut…kinda.

The truth is It has been many years since I read Vonnegut. The phrase did not trigger his name or stories in my conscious computer. But, I figure the unconscious one must have been fired up.

He wrote the phrase, “So it goes.” I could  eliminate the “And” in my interpretation but somehow, for me, that seems right. Regardless, I tip my hat to a formidably funny but deep thinking author that shifted a young man’s way of seeing the world a lot of years ago.

A nod to his drawings as well.

You can dive down the rabbit hole on a Google search. I had forgotten just how brilliant this man, acknowledged as an author, was in the graphic arts. His drawings, prints and lithographs provide reason to believe fame would have found him if he had never written a word.

Have a look for yourself:

https://www.google.com/search?biw=1920&bih=963&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=mT-6XI7cD4mv0wLI2JjQAQ&q=vonnegut+artwork&oq=vonnegut+artwork&gs

Stop into your library.

You’ll find most of his books still available. Here are the top ten as ranked by Publisher’s weekly:

1. Player Piano

2. Sirens of Titan

3. Mother Night

4. Cat’s Cradle

5. God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater

6. Slaughterhouse-Five

7. Breakfast of Champions

8. Jailbird

9. Bluebeard

10. A Man Without a Country

Take the time to get reacquainted. Share your thoughts with friends. Delve into why you interact here on beBee. Find a way to make the world a better place. Or just take it all in, comment as you see fit and say,

And so it goes

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His consulting practice, founded in 1990, is known for Trust-based Brand development, Positioning and business development for independent professionals on and off-line.

Consulting: www.JerryFletcher.com
Speaking: www.NetworkingNinja.com
DIY Training: www.ingomu.com