Ffolkes,
Apple Brown Betty. Sounds good, doesn’t it? It’s one of my favorite desserts. What it has to do with creating a morning Pearl is somewhat unclear to me just now. When I typed it a moment ago, I had a reason, a lead-in for this missive, but, it is now gone wherever those fleeting thoughts go, and I’m left holding the empty bag, again. If I weren’t already confused, this would have done it, and did……
It must be the Beast. Or, the aftermath of the Beast, to be more accurate. Last night, to celebrate making it through another month, I took myself out to dinner, and, in the process, consumed an adult beverage, or three. It has been such a long time since I went out, I believe my capacity for hard liquor went south, because I’m feeling more than just a little foggy this morning. One might think I’d never had a hangover before, if one didn’t know better…. and this one is old enough to know better…
“Drinking makes such fools of people, and people are such fools to begin with, that it’s compounding a felony.” — Robert Benchley
Hung over or no, I still am here to Pearl, not to complain, so I think we’ll just get to the meat of the matter, before I sink into the miasma…. great word, eh? Miasma…. it just trips so smoothly off the lips….. never mind. Sorry, distracted for a moment…. so, shall we Pearl?……..
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A Hymn To God The Father
Wilt thou forgive that sin where I begun,
Which was my sin, though it were done before?
Wilt thou forgive that sin, through which I run,
And do run still, though still I do deplore?
When thou hast done, thou hast not done,
For I have more.
Wilt thou forgive that sin which I have won
Others to sin, and made my sin their door?
Wilt thou forgive that sin which I did shun
A year or two, but wallow’d in, a score?
When thou hast done, thou hast not done,
For I have more.
I have a sin of fear, that when I have spun
My last thread, I shall perish on the shore;
But swear by thyself, that at my death thy Son
Shall shine as he shines now, and heretofore;
And, having done that, thou hast done;
I fear no more.
John Donne
One of the characteristics of an honorable man is the ability to accept ideas that he doesn’t agree with, without becoming emotionally engaged in challenging the idea’s verity. I consider myself to be honorable in that sense, so it isn’t difficult for me to accept the idea that Christianity, while having had an extremely deleterious effect on society at large, still provided, and provides, the impetus for many an artist to display their talent in praise of the Christian ethos. A large number of exquisitely beautiful cathedrals exist, all over the world, as visible proof of this idea. This poem is another perfect example of how faith can produce beautiful expressions of art, even though the faith it celebrates is, to my mind, an illusory belief. That illusion doesn’t detract from the beauty of these words…..
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Everybody knows Winnie the Pooh. He is, without a doubt, one of modern society’s Uncarved Blocks. There have been complete books written, just to explore the depth of Zen philosophy Pooh demonstrates with his little aphorisms. But most folks don’t know that Pooh has a dark side, as well…. and it is very dark indeed! I have listed below some of the aphorisms collected to show just how scary this little Bear of Little Brain can be….
— Bother! said Pooh, as he sold Eeyore to the glue factory.
— Bother! said Pooh, as Tenebrae fed him to Cthulhu.
— Bother! said Pooh, as he flooded the computer room with nerve gas.
— Bother! said Pooh, as Q destroyed the universe.
— Bother! said Pooh, as the Monitor blew up in his face.
— Bother! said Pooh, as he hid Piglet’s corpse with Roo’s.
— Bother! said Pooh, as he was arrested for indecent exposure.
— Bother! said Pooh, and lit another joint.
— Bother! said Pooh, as the Romulan Warbird uncloaked.
— Bother! said Pooh, as he sold crack in the school yard.
— Bother! said Pooh, as he destroyed the human race.
— Bother! said Pooh, as he misquoted the druidic Spell of Making.
I guess it’s just one more piece of proof that things are not always what they seem…..Ā š
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Ā Ā Ā I found this on Facebook, and found after reading the list, that all of them were a part of my earliest training from my father. He was an old-fashioned gentleman, even though he wasn’t an officer. But then, he declined the promotion to captain, preferring to remain aĀ Master-Sergeant. More proof of the old saw about the sergeants running the army…. Every one of these items is good advice, and together comprise an excellent approach to living with honor….
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If I traveled to the end of the rainbow
As Dame Fortune did intend,
Murphy would be there to tell me
The pot’s at the other end.
— Bert Whitney
I found this poem just as I was finishing up today’s Pearl, and thought it would make an excellent closing thought. One of these days, I’m going to catch Murphy in the act, and there will be a come-uppance, for one of us. He may be a force of Nature, but he’s been messing with me for a very long time, and force or no force, he WILL pay….. In the meantime, y’all take care out there, and May the Metaphorse be with you…..
Sometimes I sits and thinks,
and sometimes
I just sits.
gigoid
Kowabunga!
gigoid 
Workaround still necessary…. but the Pearl is okay, so, I hope you enjoy it…. š
Did all of those Winnie the Pooh aphorisms come from you??? Poor scary Little Bear of Little Brain! I’ll be thinking of him in a whole new way the next time I read one of his stories to my grandchildren. lol! As for The Rules of a Gentleman…I knew that was you before I even read the list. It’s just another one of those things that hides between the lines of your writing, but we still see it, or at least I do. Hope you have a great day my friend. š
LOL… no, they are all from my quote database, called Smart Bee. The program was written by some true hackers, so a lot of what is in there appeals to their interests, which includes SF, fantasy, Zen and Taoism, and higher maths, most of which I also enjoy. It does give Pooh a whole new look, doesn’t it?
Aye, well, I have to say that a lady will always recognize a gentleman, and vice versa, and I figured that out about you long ago…. š You have a great day, too!…
Your father was on the ball teaching you those things.
Red.
Red…. Aye, I agree; he lived his life with honor, and showed me how to do the same… Now what he taught me, and what I gave to my son, is being passed on by him to his own, and thus is chivalry kept alive, at least for these four generations…. gasping and wounded, but alive in some of us…. š
Do not undervalue it. I have instilled it in my sons. Even with their father gone, they know I expect them to be gentlemen.
Red.
š Excellent! The world needs as many as possible….
Winnie the Pooh on speed??
Aye, no doubt of it at all, at all…. and plenty of other less than legal substances, as well, I’m positive…. He sure doesn’t look like he’d be that way, does he? But I guess you can’t judge a book by its cover, eh? š
No you can’t having read the book many times I was amazed when I saw saw a clip from his Film that he did not speak with an Oxford/Berkshire and was in fact American??? ssh!! they kept that quiet did they…. ( whoever they are??? )
I love Pooh! And I love his dark side. Though I enjoy all your posts, this one was especially good. š
Loved the Benchley quote and the Donne poem, and I was intrigued by your idea that the “honorable man” does not immediately begin formulating arguments against ideas he disagrees with. There’s a lot of wisdom there, since quick rebuttals usually result in hostility and entrenched positions. Disagreeing respectfully is one of life’s biggest challenges. : )
Wow…. Haven’t thought about this one in ages…. Aye, respectful disagreement is indeed my challenge here, as I tend to get critical often, and don’t wish to drive folks, or ffolkes, away by being unnecessarily rude. Such rudeness almost always shuts off any dialogue, so, I try to be nice, even when I’m not….. š But, yes, I think ‘honor’ does have a bit to do with it, because true freedom has to flow in two directions, or it isn’t freedom at all…. Thanks for the comment, even on an old Pearl…. always nice to know ffolkes have enjoyed them…. š