Words

Alice Kahana , an artist living in Houston , has a painful and vivid memory of her journey to Auschwitz as a 15 year old girl. On the way, she became separated from her parents and found herself in charge of her little 8 year old brother. When the boxcar arrived , she looked down and saw that the boy was missing a shoe . "Why are you so stupid ! " she shouted at him , the way older sisters are inclined to do so. "Can't you keep track of your things?" .

This is nothing out of the ordinary except that these were the last words that passed between them , for they were herded into different cars and she never saw him again.

Nearly half a century later , Alice Kahana is still living by a distinction that was conceived in that maelstrom. She vowed not to say anything that could not stand as the last thing she ever said.

- The Art of Possibility , Ben Zander