Ffolkes,

“Far from the madding crowd’s ignoble strife
Their sober wishes never learn’d to stray;
Along the cool sequester’d vale of life
They kept the noiseless tenor of their way.”

~~ Thomas Gray — Elegy in a Country Churchyard, Stanza 19 ~~

Simple pleasures….

Hajime…. The picture you see adorning the top of today’s post is one of my own, as can be deduced by the simple fact there is no attribution; if it isn’t mine, I always try to say whose it is. It’s a good one for today, & the comment below describes the feeling I had when taking it, as well as my reaction every time I look at it. I chose it for today because it seems to represent my current life, and what I seek to find in life, every day. To some, it may seem boring; others may find it charming, or even hopeful. However one sees it, I think, says more about the viewer than it does about the picture or its contents, which is, in my mind, exactly what a good picture does….

Today’s Pearl of Virtual Wisdom is fresh, if somewhat esoteric in nature; I suppose, in at least one respect, that’s a good description of my own nature. It came together fairly well over the past two days, as I continue to battle physical and mental demons, both of which, while progressing toward an improved status, are taking their own sweet time getting there. Life is funny, isn’t it? We live it forward, understanding it backward, while seldom taking the time to even consider which direction we take. I guess that’s a fair description of Life at Large, eh? Since that is the case, it’s probably best for our purpose here to acknowledge the truth of it, and get on with the rest of it, before it reaches its expiration date prematurely.

All that really means is I’m clueless as to how to get out of this intro; I seem to have written myself into a rather obscure corner, & finding my way back to rationality isn’t the most attractive option I see. Instead, I’ll take what we’ve already created, and run for the border, or, in this case, on to the next section, with the intention of making it to the end before it all falls down. To assist us in our quest, filled with folly though it may be, we’ll stop, right here, and right now, & head on down the page… That, in case you have forgotten, looks suspiciously like this….

Shall we Pearl?

“He who endeavors to serve, to benefit, and improve the world,
is like a swimmer, who struggles against a rapid current,
in a river lashed into angry waves by the winds.
Often they roar over his head,
often they beat him back and baffle him.
Most men yield to the stress of the current…
Only here and there the stout, strong heart
and vigorous arms struggle on toward ultimate success.”

~~ Albert Pike (1809-1891) ~~

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It’s a default day, but, we’ll go with classical, instead. Go figure, eh?…. I hope you enjoy this collection, chosen at random on You Tube….

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Classical Music

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Manifesto, sotto voce

In retrospect, I’ve gotta say,
it’s all been rather a muddle.
Life is tough, so ‘they’all say,
Lots of misery, not much cuddle.

Me, I’ve found life a bit different
than ‘they’ seem to have done.
It’s all been rather excellent;
I’ve had loads & loads of fun.

Sure, there’s been some bad shit.
Who can’t say that?
All of that pales, all of it
when one hugs a dog, a child, or a cat.

I’ve seen, fought, and felt, more than my share,
the presence of evil in life.
The pain that remains often seems unfair;
I ask why I chose to deal with such strife.

I can always find the answer in the same place,
right where it has ever resided.
All we need to do is embrace
the joy we’ve given, and been provided.

Simple is good.
Balance is good.

Life can be both.

~~ gigoid ~~

12/19/2015

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Naked Pearls

Notes on the Human Condition

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A thing moderately good is not so good as it ought to be.
Moderation in temper is always a virtue;
but moderation in principle is always a vice.”

~~ Thomas Paine ~~

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“Boys become men by watching men, by standing close to men.
Manhood is a ritual passed from generation to generation
with precious few spoken instructions.
Passing the torch of manhood is a fragile, tedious task.
If the rite of passage is successfully completed,
the boy-become-man is like an oak of hardwood character.
His shade and influence will bless all those
who are fortunate enough to lean on him
and rest under his canopy.”

~~ Preston Gilham ~~

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“Do not speak of what men deserve.
For we each of us deserve everything,
every luxury that was ever piled in the tombs of the dead Kings,
and we each of us deserve nothing,
not a mouthful of bread in hunger.
Have we not eaten while another starved?
Will you punish us for that?
Will you reward us for the virtue of starving while others ate?
No man earns punishment, no man earns reward.
Free your mind of the idea of *deserving*, of *earning*,
and you will begin to be able to think.”

~~ Odo, The Prison Letters~~

~~Ursula LeGuin, “The Dispossessed” ~~

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“The good life, as I conceive it, is a happy life.
I do not mean that if you are good you will be happy
– I mean that if you are happy you will be good.”

~~ Bertrand Russell ~~

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“We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute.
We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race.
And the human race is filled with passion.
And medicine, law, business, engineering,
these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life.
But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.
To quote from Whitman,
‘O me! O life!…
of the questions of these recurring;
of the endless trains of the faithless
–of cities filled with the foolish;
what good amid these,
O me, O life?
Answer.
That you are here
– that life exists, and identity;
that the powerful play goes on
and you may contribute a verse.’
That the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse.
What will your verse be?”

~~ John Keating, Dead Poet’s Society ~~

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“It is a terrible thing
for a man to find out suddenly
that all his life he has been
speaking nothing but the truth.”

~~ Oscar Wilde ~~

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“The truth you speak has no past and no future.
It is, and that’s all it needs to be.”

~~ Richard Bach, “Illusions” ~~

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I made it. It’s unclear to me, exactly, how that came to be, but, then, I’m used to a fairly extensive degree of ambiguity, so, no big deal, right? Right. In fact, it offers me the opportunity to continue the ruthless efficiency I applied so well in ending the intro, by cutting this off before it becomes unwieldy. To make sure of it, I’ll bid thee adieu without further delay, with the concomitant wish your day goes well. Mine, such as it is, has made a decent start, so, our goal thus becomes clear…. to maintain that direction throughout the day. I’ll even forgo any analysis of the efficacy of such a wish, & merely say, see y’all next time, which, given the progress made, may be sooner than any of us believe. Stay strange, ffolkes; it’s cool out there….

Y’all take care out there,
and May the Metaphorse be with you;
Blessed Be, dearest Carole, Mark,Theresa, & Richy
and everyone else, too…

When I works, I works hard.
When I sits, I sits loose.
When I thinks, I falls asleep.

Which is Why….

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

gigoid, the dubious

The *only* duly authorized Computer Curmudgeon.

PLEASE STOP READING THIS MESSAGE NOW.

“SCRAM!!!!!!!!!!”- Oscar the Grouch

À bientôt, mon cherí…