Living in the Shoes of a Woman
Being a woman is one thing. One important thing of initially two things. However, living in a global patriarchal dominance makes one thing dominant of another. A lifetime struggle of women resilience for being the one thing they are Women.
All the resilience of being a woman is another ONE thing. For being a Muslim woman is another thing. Being a Muslim woman living in an Occupied Land is a totally another thing. What if you add divorce to this?
Being a Woman, a Moslem, a Palestinian and Divorced … makes the introduction to living in my shoes…
Living in a Shoe of a Woman.
LIVING IN THE SHOES OF A DIVORCED MOSLEM, ARAB, AND PALESTINIAN WOMAN
I have lived my life advocating who I am, defending the great values that Islam holds, indicating the invaluable culture the Arabs have, defending the just…
Hajime…. As spring approaches this part of the planet, the day’s are a bit warmer, & longer by a bit each time we revolve, & move around our sun. I find myself wanting to spend more time out of doors, as made clear by today’s image of a downtown tree coming into its seasonal growth. My recovery from last weekend’s difficult journey continues apace, albeit a slow one; any wisdom we may accrue as we grow older comes with a higher price than at any previous time, to be sure. Even though I never mind paying whatever price is required, it does bring a bit of frustration along, as the price takes longer to pay. Ah, well, such is life, with all its beauty and pain, each of which, if accepted as part of the overall balance in reality, brings its own sort of appreciation and joy…. beauty at its perception, & pain at its absence….
It’s probably a bit early for such deep philosophy; one cuppa coffee isn’t quite enough to achieve that sort of equanimity…. which reminds me, it’s time to refill. Be right back…. Okay, good to go. The only question remaining, then, is to figure out where to go. I have put together the basic elements of a pretty decent Pearl, rantless though it may be, so, it shouldn’t be too much effort to finish it off. Of course, that makes the, perhaps, erroneous assumption we know where to go & what to do in order to complete that task; assumptions, while necessary at times to continue to function, are tricky bastards, often ill-advised. Today, since we aren’t going to make any, it shouldn’t prolong our agony for longer than we can endure….
That being said, I suppose it would be best to go on, without further delay; this might ensure at least a modicum of dignity, which is often completely missing from these pages. It’s not as if we care, (we don’t) (and, neither do I, in the normal, non-royal persona….), but, according to the general rules of blogging, we are supposed to make an effort to LOOK as if we do. I’m not sure, at this point, just how to do that, so, I’m going to ignore that rule, & just get on with the rest of this mess. That, in and of itself, is easy enough. All we have to do to accomplish that, is this….
Shall we Pearl?
“Don’t take life so seriously… it’s only a temporary situation.”
~~ Humanity’s Ancient Sage, Anonymous ~~
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I’m up quite late, so, naturally, we’re going with one of our default choices for music. This cut of Gimme Shelter is by the P4C Band, a live cut from one of their concerts…. It’s hot, as it should be…. Enjoy!….
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Playing For Change Gimme Shelter
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I came across these lines, from one of T. S. Eliot’s most famous poems, & decided to include the entire poem/song as today’s choice for this section. I’ve included a link, to a reproduction of the full poem on Bartleby.com, rather than taking up that space here. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do, every time I read it…..
We have lingered in the chambers of the sea
By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown
Till human voices wake us, and we drown.
~~ T.S. Eliot, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock ~~
“What is the hardest task in the world? To think.”
~~ Emerson ~~
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“He knows not his own strength that hath not met adversity.”
~~ Ben Jonson ~~
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“The belief that there is only one truth
and that oneself is in possession of it
seems to me the deepest root of all evil that is in the world.”
~~ Max Born, physicist ~~
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“I know but one freedom, and that is the freedom of the mind.”
~~ Antoine de Saint Exupery ~~
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“Work is not an end in itself;
there must always be time enough for love.”
~~ Robert Heinlein ~~
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“After all,
to the well-organized mind,
death is but the next great adventure.”
~~ Albus Dumbledore ~~
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Given the handicaps, (periodic outbursts of sanity, chronic pain, bozoid tendencies, cynicism, to name just a few….), under which I normally operate, I can’t consider this one as shabby. Fortunately for us all, I CAN consider it done, as it has a completed section in each space provided, it flows fairly well, and, most importantly, I can’t think of anything to add. To avoid any further embarrassment or build-up of unduly authorized angst among the participating denizens of this reality, I think I’ll just end it here, before it gets away from me. I’ll be back, tomorrow, hopefully, to try to get it right, one more time…. Please join me then, as we explore yet another dark corner of my mind, as it attempts to deal with Consensual Reality, as best we may…. See ya, ffolkes…. As yet, nobody has come up with a reliable way to prevent me from doing so….
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.
My age & condition caught up to me again; a mere one hour trip on a bus to pick up supplies wore me out. Add in SB’s periodic reluctance to share any aphorisms worth reading, & the Pearl for today went south. Here is one from 2014, during a time of uncertainty, with some rather extensive ranting, & a decent poem to go with the usual blather. I’ll be back tomorrow with some fresh stuff; until then, who knows? I’m playing this one off the cuff, after which, we’ll move on to better days, we hope. Of course, hope is a fatal flaw for us humans, but, what the hell? It keeps us busy…. See y’all tomorrow, ffolkes, if reality decides to cooperate….
How does it feel? To be on your own With no direction home Like a complete unknown?
~~ Bob Dylan ~~
The first time I heard Bob Dylan’s song, Like A Rolling Stone, I was half-asleep, riding in a car to go to work, very early on a summer morning in, I believe, 1963, or 1964….. Though not overly impressed by the voice that sang it, I was struck at once by the power of metaphor he employed so liberally throughout the piece…. It was the first time any of us had heard him; that was his first hit song, the one that catapulted him into fame, and the public eye…. Somehow, the plaintive tone of his voice, almost a whine, but, not quite, fit the words he spoke very well, and those words were, themselves, a new experience, as the poetry dug down into the subconscious to…
:Under all speech that is good for anything there lies a silence that is better.
Silence is deep as Eternity; speech is shallow as time.”
~~ Thomas Carlyle — Memoirs of the Life of Scott ~~
~~ London and Westminister Review — Nos. XII and LV (1838) ~~
Pine Cone Whimsey at Pier 39….
Hajime…. All will be well, and, all will be, well, as well as can be. Hmm… That is, no doubt, a little obscure, but, accurate enough. Leelu will be fine; she was reacting to the stress of my three day absence; it turns out this reaction affects her digestion, severely enough to make her ill. A return to routine, a couple days of bland diet, & she’ll be fine. The bond between us is strong, so, some mild, slow behavioral shaping, to get her used to me being gone, will need to be performed, to help her adjust better to my periodic need to be elsewhere for a time. Such is life, so, we’ll do what we can to keep her content, as we are each other’s whole world, in a sense, & I wouldn’t have it any other way…..
I managed to create a Pearl, cobbled together in pieces throughout the day, & on into this morning. I am still processing a lot of my weekend, which included a great deal of heavy lifting, mentally, but, none of it has evolved into anything to write as yet. We have music, a decent, recent poetic effort, and a pretty good pearl for the last section today, all as right & tight as I can make it on short notice/tight deadline. As such, it will have to do, ‘cuz I ain’t doin’ it over. In fact, I’m still pretty tired from all the hours I spent awake, so, I’ll forgo trying to impress here & now, opting, instead, for brevity, in spirit, and in sooth, by ending this before it becomes unwieldy, which often offers no opportunity to come to a dignified close. In point of fact, I intend to do that, here, and now, merely by doing this….
Shall we Pearl?
“Once conform, once do what others do because they do it,
and a kind of lethargy steals over all the finer senses of the soul.”
~~ Michael de Montaigne ~~
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I got a bit of a late start this morning, so, we’re going with our default musical selection, chosen, as always, by the one whose accompanying picture caught my eye…. Today, that happens to be Mozart Symphonies…. Enjoy!….
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Classical Music Mozart Symphonies 40 & 41
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Further Proof
No evidence exists, no rumored promise
of a guide on the path we seek.
Salient information lies hidden, seeking solace;
each possibility lost, no longer unique.
The past cascades through today, resolute;
finished and gone, by all reputable report.
Common failings decry any fever in the root,
as pillars of salt offer up little retort.
Longitude has latitude, one dimension to the next;
truth and lies, mirrored, transform on first exposure.
Born in chaos, living in change, by guile and pretext;
artful insanity, with no rational cure.
‘Tis no wonder, some do say now and then,
such creatures are doomed, by their own hand.
Cursed by the force of their very own ken,
until only the leaving seems very grand.
Perhaps, but, then, say those who doubt,
it’s all part of how it works, in fact.
We can’t know, really, what it’s all about
without completing the final act.
Is there any hurry?
~~ gigoid ~~
6/23/2016
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Naked Pearls
Learning to Learn….
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“If the thraskin puts his fingers in his ears, it is polite to shout.”
~~ Doctor, The Time Monster ~~
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“Schooling is what happens inside the wall of the school,
some of which is educational.
Education happens everywhere,
and it happens from the moment a child is born
–some say before–
until it dies.”
~~ Sara Lawrence Lightfoot, A World of Ideas, 1989 ~~
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“Each player must accept the cards life deals him or her.
But once they are in hand, he or she alone must decide
how to play the cards in order to win the game.”
~~ Voltaire ~~
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“Nothing in the entire universe ever perishes, believe me,
but things vary, and adopt a new form.
The phrase “being born” is used for
beginning to be something different
from what one was before,
while “dying” means
ceasing to be the same.
Though this thing may pass into that,
and that into this,
yet the sums of things remains unchanged.”
~~ Ovid — “Metamorphoses” ~~
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“I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I —
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
~~ Robert Frost, “The Road Not Taken” ~~
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“Do not fear death so much, but rather the inadequate life.”
~~ Bertold Brecht ~~
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“By letting go, it all gets done.”
~~ Tao Te Ching ~~
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Not too shabby, at all, for what it is; I am reasonably content. I shan’t make the error of commenting on its quality; instead, I shall continue the spirit of brevity as so aptly applied in the intro, by using the old “dump ’em where they are” method, which has worked so well for us in the past. Sometimes, ya just gotta do what you gotta do. Since, in truth, it’s already done, I’ll merely say, see ya for now, ffolkes. I’ll be back, probably sooner than I think. What y’all think is, for the most part, not irrelevant, but, unprintable. Well, maybe not, but, what the hell? It got us outta here, didn’t it?…. I know, strange, yet, normal, right?…. Be well, & happy as you may….
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.
I am fine, but, Leelu isn’t; she’s off her feed, and acting lethargic. I can’t think, due to worry, so, I’m re-posting this one, which is not bad, for all it wanders around in my head…
It’s tempting…. the urge to just give it up is getting strong, and the reasons to do so are growing more compelling each day. As I sit to write today, I’m struck by how conflicted I am inside, where one part of me wants to fulfill the routine I’ve established over the last two years, and another part wants me to just go back to bed. For those two years, the latter part of me has been meek, unable to have its way very often, if at all, over the big, blustering, powerful urge to spill my guts….. Of late, though, it has gained strength, and weight, and is now able to bring a sense of controversy to these morning battles with myself…..
Obviously, the part of me that is still dreaming in bed has lost again, as the words keep flowing on screen; I guess the meek aren’t…
“True silence is the rest of the mind.
It is to the spirit what sleep is to the body
–nourishment and refreshment.”
~~ William Penn ~~
Harold & Violet, circa 1910
Hajime…. In summary of the past five plus days, let me just say, whew! What a ride! It has taken me nearly 48 hours of near catatonia, and about 20 hours sleeping, to approach the near-human state I have awakened to this morning. I managed to finish a Pearl over that time, by working at it in spurts, as more energy became available. I can’t say it’s the most compelling Pearl ever created, but, it’s pretty good, all things considered. Any summary of the time leading up to today should also include two comments, to wit: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”, (shout-out here to Chuck Dickens….), and “Regardless of our perceptions, the universe remains in balance.”
I realize those may be a bit obscure, in terms of details which might explain their relevance, but, any such relation of details will have to wait for tomorrow, and/or other Pearls yet to be composed. I will say this now: it was one of the most illuminating periods of time I’ve ever experienced. During the time I spent traveling, and during my stay in Oregon to fulfill death duty, I connected with more new, and old friends than in any previous comparable time in my entire life. Though I am a trifle sad at the passing of my friend, his change of path was accomplished with love, and dignity, and compassion, so, in that, I am content.
I am also more than merely content at the serendipity I found in traveling. On both legs of the train ride to my destination in Oregon, I met people with whom I became incredibly connected, about whom I shall speak in time. Suffice to say, I met one of our species’ Great Souls, one of the most influential men of the 20th and 21st centuries, whom I met when I helped him navigate his way through the coach section in which we found ourselves to the dining car for dinner.
He is 85 years of age, though he appears to be in his 60’s, and spent much of the latter half of the 20th century pursuing his interests on the highest level stages of world events/history, starting with his invitation to come to the US from his home in India to participate in the Manhattan Project. He was traveling in Coach, because he wished to meet new people, to help him achieve a sense of balance lost at his wife’s death the year before. We spent, literally, hours and hours exchanging ideas, and our histories, and our contact information, to ensure we would meet again.
I also met two very intelligent, passionately alive young men, one traveling for pleasure, the other on his way to a Zen Buddhist institute to study advanced Zen mysticism, with whom I debated the existence of God for most of the last night on the train…. Since it is almost impossible for me to sleep on the train, it helped pass the long night in both directions. I’m just now getting over the exhaustion I incurred over the four day trip, having slept very little, but, cannot regret a single moment of the time spent awake, for my mind feasted on joyful cogitation, and discovery, the entire time I was gone…
Now, I’m back, and note I have rambled & blathered quite enough for one intro…. I’m sure I’ll relate more of the trip, as I am still processing all that occurred… In the meantime, let’s get on with today’s mess, so we can all get on with the rest of the day…. See ya down the page, ffolkes… Hang on, we’re goin’ in fast & hard….
Shall we Pearl?
“A man can do something for peace without having to jump into politics.
Each man has inside him a basic decency and goodness.
If he listens to it and acts on it,
he is giving a great deal of what it is the world needs most.”
~~ Pablo Casals ~~
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Image from You Tube via Google Images
I first became aware of this group last year when Leonard Cohen passed away, whereupon a number of artists covered his works in tribute. This A Capella singing group performed Lenny’s “Hallelujah” in a video, with excellent innovative passion. I found this via a link from a friend on FB, & thought it was perfect for today, to honor the passage of my friend, Dennis, and, offer some hope for the future of humanity…. If naught else, it’s grand craic, and, if you can’t appreciate its genius, you are in need of some cultivation of your basic humanity…. Enjoy!….
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Pentatonix
“Imagine”
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A Dubiously Soft Morning
Idiosyncratic images, clamoring for regard,
fill up the white, white screen on which I view
my life, never seeing, nor invited to sup
ambrosial remnants of anything new.
Still, yet almost in motion, allegory sails away
bobbing gently, quick and easy to find,
signs of one happy child, seriously at play,
blissfully immersed, focused joy in mind.
Formidable cries of outraged simple justice
echo plaintive relevance, in half the time.
Maladaptive infants, destined for hospice
salvage an only child, daring to sing in rhyme.
Creativity equals unquestioning farce,
often reaching for absurdity, brazenly afire.
Instead, a blow is felt no joy will ever soften,
accepting the price, added to the cost of desire.
~~ gigoid ~~
7/26/2013
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Naked Pearls
Notes on Life at Large….
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“All beginnings are hard.”
~~ Chaim Potok, “In The Beginning”, 1975 ~~
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“Big, undreamed-of things.
The people on the edge see them first.”
~~ Kurt Vonnegut Jr ~~
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“Only through time time is conquered.”
~~ T.S. Eliot, “Burnt Norton” ~~
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“Think of everyone as a idiot.”
~~ MSgt. R. H. Moore, Driving Rule #1 ~~
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“It is not enough to be busy; so are the ants.
The question is: what are we busy about?:”
~~ Henry David Thoreau ~~
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“To a rational being it is the same thing
to act according to nature and according to reason.”
~~ Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, Meditations, vii, 11 ~~
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“You think your pain and your heartbreak
are unprecedented in the history of the world,
but then you read.
It was books that taught me
that the things that tormented me most
were the very things that connected me
with all the people who were alive,
or who had ever been alive.”
~~ James Baldwin ~~
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“If you are stopping now, then stop.
If you are seeking a time when you finish,
there will never be a time when you finish.”
~~ Zen Koan ~~
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“If you get confused, listen to the music play.”
~~ Robert Hunter ~~
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It’s been a number of years since my mornings were so infused with positive energy to any appreciable degree; to feel such again is nothing less than a joy, which I can only work to extend as far as I can. I guess by seeking the balance it brings with it, that can be made real. In point of fact, that’s the plan for the day, and the coming days. Let’s go get a start on it, shall we? I’ll do my best to return tomorrow, with another fine Pearl of Virtual Wisdom, and hope all of y’all have as fine a day as I am having, and intend to maintain…. Be well, be happy as you may, and, remember to stay mindful, and, alert. Things really do work out better that way, y’know….
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.
Hajime…. Well, I’m back from my hiatus, but, due to having not slept more than four hours in as many days, I’m a bit fatigued… and, yes, that’s hyperbolic understatement. I’ll work on a Pearl for tomorrow, (hopefully), but, having not worked at this at all for all the time gone, it may take a bit longer…. For now, here is another old Pearl, from a time when I was also in a funk…. For those who stopped by, thanks for checking in; for those who didn’t, I hope you were okay…. It might take a while to get by to other sites, or comment, but, I’ll work at it ’til done…
Meanwhile, enjoy this little bit of past insight, & I’ll see y’all here soon….
Within the oyster’s shell uncouth The purest pearl may hide, Trust me you’ll find a heart of truth Within that rough inside.
~~ Mrs. Osgood ~~
Pluto as seen from the Dawn Horizons Spacecraft Mission Flyby Image from the UK Guardian 9/17/2015
Good morning, ffolkes. I’m tired, even after having slept a solid 8 hours for the first time in ages. I am also way, way off center, due to a concatenation of circumstances, many of which were not in my control, though in my possible sphere of prediction (had I been, naturally, more centered to begin). As a result, I find myself in the position of needing to make some alterations in lifestyle and routine in order to return to, and stay at my center of being, such as it is….
All that said, (with some difficulty I might add…. LeeLoo’s newest trick is to lick my hand…
“Life is too short for grief. Or regret. Or bullshit.”
~~ Edward Abbey ~~
Willamette River, Oregon…
Hajime…. Today, you are witnessing technology in action, which, as Arthur C. Clarke once noted, can appear to be magic. When this appears online, (hopefully), I will be off grid, as far as I can be in today’s world. I’m currently traveling, to make a last visit to one of my brothers from another mother, who went into hospice yesterday; I can only wish to get there in time to see him before he goes on. I’m leaving my computer at home, & turning off my smart phone, to practice dealing with life, again, without any robotic assistance. Sounds fun, doesn’t it?
I’ll be gone a few days, so, this post is simply to let y’all know I’m not dead, yet, when several day’s posts fail to appear. Since I also won’t be on FB, or Twitter, or Skype, or anywhere else virtual in nature, a few ffolkes might notice, & I don’t want them to worry I’ve gone completely bonkers, or underground on a mission. I’m just gonna catch up on some reading, and conversation, & take some pix. That’s it….
I now must go figure out how to make this magic happen, so, I’ll leave this, sans inclusions, sans closing lines… I’ll just say, I will be back, unless it’s just too much fun to give up…. I imagine it might even provide some inspiration, as I’ll definitely be giving my muse a chance to connect with me, on new levels… So, in a sense, I’ll still be out there, Pearling… just in a new venue for the time it lasts…. I’m off now….
Shall we Pearl?
He who searches for truth must not appease his urge
by giving himself up to the narcotic of belief.”
~~ Hans Reichenbach~~
~~ “The Philosophy of Matter in the Atomic Age” ~~
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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.
Once more, events in Reality precluded working on a Pearl for today. I did manage to pick out this one to re-blog; it’s actually pretty decent, for what it is, & since it, like yesterday’s fresh Pearl, didn’t get much traffic, I’m providing it with another opportunity for fame, or, whatever passes for such in these parts. My day is still problematically unpredictable, so, tomorrow remains the same. I will, you may be sure, be back, in time; time, however, moves without our influence, so, we’ll just have to take what we find. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy today’s reiteration, odd as it may seem in toto. See ya, ffolkes….
I can’t have what I want, so, I’ll take what I can…. There, that marks me as an American, don’t you think? It’s a typically American male attitude, for sure; just go watch freeway traffic for a while, & you’ll see what I mean…. But, I’m not here to rant (not in THIS section, anyway…), so perhaps I should begin today’s Pearl in a slightly different fashion…. that is, if you can call this fashion…. more like the direct opposite of fashionable, I’d say…. But, then, I AM a cynic, mostly, so, that, too, might be suspect to some people….
Well, that was certainly a wash, wasn’t it? Not a single compelling phrase to be found…. Hell, one of those is probably not to be found in the vicinity, though we do like to pretend they can be…. Unfortunately for me, today, that could conceivably have an effect on…
Hajime…. I spent yesterday geeking with my computer, but, found it still confused this morning. I managed to get it up & running, and am only here long enough to get this posted. I will be infrequently present for the next few days, & don’t know if or when I’ll have time to write, or post. I will try to at least re-blog each day, but, can’t promise anything, as I have some critical business to deal with out in the BBR, that cannot wait.
Since I will be busy most of today, dealing with all of it, I’ll forgo any trickery here in the intro; even today’s old-school pearl is truncated to five entries, as I don’t have time to find another pair to fill it out. So be it. There IS a new poem, which I hope you enjoy, &, as always, some rather fine music, to go with the first section’s journey into a past Pearl to share some personal views on living…. That’s it, though, and all you’ll get for a while. I’ll be traveling, to see a friend who went into hospice, so, I won’t be worrying much about anything else, until I’ve seen him, & made contact before he travels on to the next world….
For now, that’s all I’ve got, ffolkes. I’ll see you in a day or two, or, whenever I can get back to relative normality…. Onward….
Shall we Pearl?
“A human being should be able to change a diaper,
plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building,
write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying,
take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations,
analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer,
cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, and die gallantly.
Specialization is for insects.”
~~ Robert A. Heinlein, “The Notebooks of Lazarus Long” ~~
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From 6/9/2012:
My life, described in six words….
“Looked for love, found it everywhere.” — gigoid, to KDFC DJ Hoyt Smith, 2009….
While listening to the radio one day, the DJ was talking about a meme activity he had been told about via an email earlier that day from a listener. The challenge was to describe your life in exactly six words; he gave several examples of those who had already responded, and asked the listening audience to call in with their own. After a couple of moments the above six words floated to the surface of my mind, almost unbidden, so I called in, and, to my surprise, my call was taken, and my quote was put out over the air.
For life, with all it yields of joy and woe,
And hope and fear (believe the aged friend),
Is just our chance o’ the prize of learning love,–
How love might be, hath been indeed, and is.
~~ Robert Browning ~~
(1812-1890) — A Death in the Desert
Considering that what I said to Hoyt in the above six words, upon reflection, is something I can, and still do, say is as true as the day, it felt kind of good to have it shared over the air…. Fortunately, it didn’t lead to any more than 15 seconds of fame, the time it took to say my name, and my contribution…. It isn’t as if I was hoping it would lead to an appearance on Letterman or anything, but it did feel pretty good, as I am proud of the quote…. (Still am, in fact, and it still rings true…. gigoid, from the future, which is now the present, but used to be the… Oh, never mind….)
Of course, though finding love has never been difficult, I’ve never found the rest of the secret, the other part, about getting love to stay, other than that love between friends that is so important. Our culture, so tenuous in its support of monogamy, provides people with so many ways to leave a relationship without penalty, no one seems interested in making them last an entire lifetime any more. It’s like, “Oh well, that didn’t work… there’s lots of fish in the sea….”, and off they go into the dating world again…. Frankly, it makes me dizzy….
I can’t say I know what the problem is in society that dooms relationships these days; if I did, then it wouldn’t be a problem, as I’d know what to avoid…. What I do know is that on (at least) five occasions in my life, I’ve given my heart to a woman, and spent all my energy giving my all to that relationship, faithfully and fully. On all of those occasions, the woman eventually decided, for their own personal reasons, that they didn’t want to continue, and left. I guess they like Will Shakespeare more than I do… as they seemed to take on his attitude…..
“I dote on his very absence.” — William Shakespeare ( Though I hold most of his work to be crap and nonsense, even he came up with something coherent occasionally….)
I’ve been fortunate, I guess, in that, of those five times, only three were painful in their intensity, leaving my heart shattered, my life in tatters; two of them were relatively amicable breakups. (Sure they were; that’s what I keep telling myself….) But, I’ve just gotta say, it hurts when a woman I’ve loved for 23 years, and intended to die with, decides she’d rather pursue other options; it hurts, and it hurts a lot…. I can testify, from the evidence of a more recent nature, it also hurts when a woman has said she loved me for ten years, and has been lying the whole time…. That kind of betrayal brings a very lasting pain, and is slow to pass…
I hear you reproach, “But delay was best,
For their end was a crime.” Oh, a crime will do
As well, I reply, to serve for a test
As a virtue golden through and through,
Sufficient to vindicate itself
And prove its worth at a moment’s view!
. . . . . .
Let a man contend to the uttermost
For his life’s set prize, be it what it will!
The counter our lovers staked was lost
As surely as if it were lawful coin;
And the sin I impute to each frustrate ghost
Is–the unlit lamp and the ungirt loin,
Though the end in sight was a vice, I say.
~~ Robert Browning ~~
(1812-1890) — The Statue and the Bust
Pain is an old friend of mine, though, in all its various guises, and I know it always passes in time. Now I am looking for love again, in my own time, still trying to find that one woman who can be both loving and honest. The ones I’ve known so far have all had a problem with that last part…. it’s not something our society teaches well. But, until I find her, I’ll have to make do with the pain…. But, I know she is out there, somewhere….. There’s got to be some woman who would enjoy being worshiped by an old, fading, but faithful, romantic curmudgeon with a soft spot for dogs, cats, kids, & a good laugh, along with a severe case of wanderlust to complicate the issue….
In the desert a fountain is springing,
In the wide waste there still is a tree,
And a bird in the solitude singing,
Which speaks to my spirit of thee.
~~ Lord Byron ~~
(1788-1824) — Stanzas to Augusta
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This was found along with the above discussion; it’s too good to NOT include, so, you get it today, as a bonus pearl…. It’s pretty much a stand-alone anyway, requiring nothing to make it whole and complete….
The thought manifests as the word;
The word manifests as the deed;
The deed develops into habit;
And habit hardens into character.
So watch the thought and its ways with care,
And let it spring from love
Born out of concern for all beings.
~~ The Buddha ~~
I can’t think of a single thing that needs to be added here, so I won’t….. As Nike says, “Just do it….”
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I’m in a hurry, as noted, so, here is one of our default music selections to help move us along the necessary path…. Enjoy!
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Playing For Change
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Down, down, down into the darkness of the grave.
Gently they go, the beautiful, the tender, the kind;
Quietly they go, the intelligent, the witty, the brave.
I know.
But I do not approve.
And I am not resigned.
— Edna St. Vincent Millay, “Dirge Without Music”
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Motif en passant…
Death becomes me, I shouldn’t wonder;
or, perhaps, she merely beckons?
Ah, well, perhaps ’tis both, or, neither;
knowing how, now, might give pause,
or rise to such crescendo
exposing the crack in reality’s mask.
Such a burden to bear only comes
to those who wear the dark’s mark;
murder, slain by Cain’s evil twin,
on a Tuesday, of course;
Mondays have always been reserved
for expedience, the blessing of the coin.
Allegory chases metaphor around the parlor table
as eternity scoffs at such paltry buffoonery;
for those waiting upon the latest schedules
intricate mazes with traces of sincere regret
forgive the sins of all who travel, bereft
of any claim to legitimacy.
Patterns in simple fabrics wear better,
whenever reality intrudes.
Fabulous notions simply will not make the grade
until fashion completes a viable task.
All the petty reasons devised in haste
fall gently into place, softly saving grace.
~~ gigoid ~~
3/5/2027
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Naked Pearls
Five notes on Life at Large….
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“He that will not reason is a bigot.
He that cannot reason is a fool.
He that dares not reason is a slave.”
~~ William Drummond, “Academical Questions” ~~
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“I wonder why. I wonder why.
I wonder why I wonder.
I wonder _why_ I wonder why
I wonder why I wonder!”
~~ Richard P. Feynman ~~
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“Patience serves as a protection against wrongs
as clothes do against cold.
For if you put on more clothes as the cold increases,
it will have no power to hurt you.
So in like manner you must grow in patience
when you meet with great wrongs,
and they will be powerless to vex your mind.”
~~ Leonardo da Vinci ~~
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“It is easier to pull down than to build up.”
~~ Latin Proverb ~~
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“A hug is a heart to heart talk.”
~~ Bobby Matherne ~~
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Not only am I in a hurry, I’m in a big hurry. So, I’ll merely say, see y’all later, & leave it at that. Be well, be as happy as you may, and, be cool. There’s no sense go out without some dignity, & that is about all we humans have left….
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 