Ffolkes,
We’ll begin today with one of my all time favorite quotes…..

The first time I read this, years ago, it brought a huge smile to my face, a huge laugh, and one more piece of evidence that Mr. Clemens was more than just an author of good books. There are numerous websites that feature quotations by Mark Twain, with varying formats for finding the one you want, but going to a different website for each quote isn’t an efficient use of time, so I generally use what I find in my own secret pools, where I know the oyster beds well, and I know I’ll find just the right Pearl.

Now, obviously, Mr. Twain wasn’t talking about actually holding a cat by the tail; anyone who knows cats is aware of a cat’s reaction to having its tail grabbed, i.e., instant attack with all teeth and claws. Knowing this, no normally intelligent person would use this method of cat transport, so the immediate thing that comes to mind is that he (Mr. Twain) is not really talking about carrying an actual cat, he is referring to crisis situations in general, and how to deal with them. “He isn’t likely to grow dim or doubtful”……what a wonderful, tongue-in-cheek turn of phrase, to describe how one should approach a crisis, and how to describe the mind-set that will assist in resolving the crisis. The humorous light in which Mr. Clemens viewed the world was on full when he wrote this little maxim, and I find it to be one of great value in developing an attitude that allows one to take any crisis in stride, thereby removing one particular kind of fear from our lives. It is indeed a valuable tool that provides protection against fear…..

The day this was written, Johann definitely woke up with his crankypants on…..it may have the advantage of being true, but  I find it to be a flawed view to hold as a final belief. The flaw lies in the subjective, and somewhat snobbish nature of the quotation; superiority is claimed by the ascent to the summit of reason, and that reasoning is given as the evidence of the truth of the statement. But not everyone reasons using the same methods; there are many different ways to view something, all of which are subjective. Grandiose descriptive pronouns (‘malignant, madhouse’) don’t provide evidence of anything but the author’s own prejudices, and reason cannot be considered logical when based on prejudice.

Now, in some fashion, I have to agree with Goethe’s conclusion; I, too, have looked at the world and seen nothing but madness in every direction. And I, too, was filled with anguish at the state of the world’s affairs. But my experience in that world has taught me that negative prejudice is NOT the best way to approach living in the world in some sort of comfort. Assuming the negative stance actually can be easily shown to produce negative results, and I’ve found that a positive approach is much more effective in achieving the desired results. It’s too easy to find the bad; it is harder, but much more satisfying to concentrate on finding the good……

I wish this had come with attribution. It’s such a beautiful thought, I would like to have known the person who first said it. I suppose, since it exists, someone had to be the first one, and the people who knew, or know, them were lucky indeed. It takes a special kind of outlook to find the true nature of an idea, and express it in a way that not only gives the information contained, but provides beauty in the way the information is presented. I am of the opinion that this is the mark of a poet, and poets should be exalted in society. It is they who turn our eyes away from consensual reality, to show us another version, another view, another, better way to live.

To avoid confusion, (or maybe to increase it, who knows?), I tend to lump poets and authors of prose into one group, and use only one term, calling them all poets. This is to me, very simple; poetry doesn’t have to rhyme, it doesn’t have to be in cadence, and it doesn’t have to follow any particular form. All it must do is communicate ideas, and whether the ideas are simple or complex, their accuracy and efficiency  in communicating those ideas is the point. So whether one writes poems, or writes short stories, the only required characteristic is truth, in all its myriad of guises.

And as for friends, all I have to say is to treasure them. A true friend is truly the greatest gift we can receive from the universe, and should never be taken for granted. I give thanks every day; I don’t have a multitude of friends, but the ones I have are the best…..

—
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes
I just sits.

gigoid

Kowabunga!