The notary came in with the rest, and as soon as the preamble had been set out and Don Quixote had commended his soul to God with all the devout formalities that are usual, coming to the bequests, he said,
“Item, it is my will that, touching certain moneys in the hands of Sancho Panza—whom in my madness I made my squire— inasmuch as between him and me there have been certain accounts and debits and credits, no claim be made against him, nor any account demanded of him in respect of them; but that if anything remain over and above, after he has paid himself what I owe him, the balance, which will be but little, shall be his, and much good may it do him; and if, as when I was mad I had a share in giving him the government of an island, so, now that I am in my senses, I could give him that of a kingdom, it should be his, for the simplicity of his character and the fidelity of his conduct deserve it.” And then, turning to Sancho, he said,
“Forgive me, my friend, that I led thee to seem as mad as myself, making thee fall into the same error I myself fell into, that there were and still are knights-errant in the world.”
From “Don Quixote,” by Miguel de Cervantes
Don Quixote represents not only the work of one of the greatest geniuses of the literature, Miguel de Cervantes, but also an ode to friendship. Written with a realistic yet humane humor, the book touches the heart of the reader. The value of this human bond stands out in the relationship between the crazy knight and his gullible squire, “When I was mad I had a share in giving him the government of an island, so, now that I am in my senses, I could give him that of a kingdom, it should be his, for the simplicity of his character and the fidelity of his conduct deserve it.”
In today’s society, with so much television and social media, we are living in more isolation than ever. In this country, people are turning to drugs to cope with loneliness and the lack of real support from the structures of family and society. We should not look for esoteric reasons for the current rampant drug use in America. There are other considerations, but this is the major one. By the way, people confuse friendliness with civility. When you hear “How are you?,” it does not mean this person wants to know how you really are. Someone who greets you “good morning” every day is not being friendly. He or she is civil. Before the Isolation Era—where people feel alone in the midst of crowded buildings and cities—friendly neighbors used to ask their fellow men or women to come in for a cup of coffee and an opportunity to chat. There is no time for these interactions anymore. TV audiences would rather enjoy watching programs that show scenes of friendship as if they were nostalgic portraits of the past. We all should make an effort.
