Reblogged
holden caulfield (on my wall)
Reblogged
“Finding beauty in the fold, it’s the only way to keep from growing old.”
Johnny says this knowing there’s a far more literal way to keep from growing old - dying young.
He’s cautioning Ponyboy not to mistake dying young for not growing old. Their neighborhood is full of kids who grow old but still die young. Like Dallas. Johnny doesn’t know that Dallas dies right after him, but he knows Dallas grew old long ago.
It’s a message of hope - you can always find the beauty. It can keep you young no matter how old you grow, and it can immortalize you no matter how young you die. It can give you a more meaningful life in sixteen years than most people have in a lifetime. It can transcend circumstance, age, death.
There’s also a note of warning. “It’s the only way.” There’s no other way. Just in case you start thinking there is. Just in case you’re so grief stricken by my death that you think following me will save you. It won’t. (Tell Dally. I don’t think he knows. I don’t think you do either yet, but I think you will.)
