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Talking of eulogies......I have decided to offer my book on eulogy writing for sale on eBay. That will be an interesting exercise! I'll start with just one and see if there are any people interested. If there's even the slightest interest shown, I'll persevere with that 'arrangment' and see if eBay is a possible outlet. (I'll start tomorrow).
BTW, my book is called, "Tell It Like It Was - a guide to eulogy writing" and retails for AU $20. Wish me luck! Also, BTW, I have written nealy 500 eulogies over the past 12 years.
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Helping to write a eulogy for a 90 year-old man who passed away last week, found some notes that he'd written about his childhood. He and his brothers used to catch wild rabbits for food and to sell the skins. He wrote: "We were lucky to get about 50 a night. We set traps and also did some ferretting but we had a good dog that could catch them soon after they came out of the burrow. We had no money to buy nets to put over the holes."
And, "We mainly scun (sic) the rabbits. Made wire things to dry the skins. Used to get about 2 shillings for 10." This same man (as a boy of about age 10) was "paid one shilling (10 cents) to dig holes and empty the school toilets on a Friday night." And we think we sometimes have it tough? Quoting Dr Carmen Harra, from her book, "The Eleven Eternal Principals" : "The moment you recognise you are speaking negatively or treating someone disrespectfully, notice it and recognise that you are in a state of anger and ego......Forgive yourself and change your thoughts .....so you can generate feelings of love and compassion for yourself and others."
Sorry I'm being all philosophical...it's just the way I'm feeling. This author has some positive thoughts on how we (should) act. (I'm trying to take heed of her suggestions!) Do you know anyone who has lots of money but still feels that they need more? Do you know anyone who doesn't have much money but seems happier than the person who has lots of money? Does this 'say' something?
It seems that the simpler life, wih simpler tastes and needs (not wants) is the more sure way to a happy life than a life where the goal of making money is the biggest factor in how life is conducted. Just saying. So much hype about the London Olympic Games. They're not "real" anymore. So much security necessary, so much bickering between competitors and organisers and so much worrying about the London weather! Is it all worth it? No.
Is it worth all the millions of money spent on stadiums (stadia?), extra buildings and personnel. For what? About 10 days of television viewing for a small portion of the world and a lot of publicity for certain commercial enterprises and products. Is it worth it? No. Hate to be a "party pooper" but I sincerely hope that these London games are the last Olympic Games ever held. Great quote: "Fundamental happiness depends more than anything else upon what may be called a friendly interest in persons and things.”
-Bertrand Russell Show genuine interest in others - and the world around you - and it sure helps towards making you happy. (Good one, Bertrand!) Just been watching a TV program on the subject of obesity and how the condition has now spread to the poor countries of the world, causing horrendous health problems, which are not really understood by the people affected. Perhaps Coca Cola, MacDonalds, KFC, Pepsi, Nestle and so forth need to get a conscience. But, of course, money rules, doesn't it? Bugger the people; too bad for the kids dying young from diabetes and the rotten teeth they find themselves with - get in there and make some more $$$!
Even the thought is enough to make anyone ill. And money is King. I have a "thing" about apostrophes. I know it's a boring subject to most peole so I won't go on about it. BUT, I notice that a school not so far away is 'loudly' declaring itself (in writing) as "St Thomas' School". Now, I don't know about you, but I think that everyone who is connected to that school would call it "St Thomas's School". What is it that makes people put a single apostrophe after a name like St Thomas, (and no further 's') when it is something that 'belongs' to St Thomas? Is there a grammatical law that I have missed that states that there cannot be an apostrophe 's' between to 's' 's'? How about Nicholas's? or Silas's?
Please, someone, have some sense and call the school St Thomas's. Still have our house for sale. Nothing is selling in our 'neck of the woods'. Any advice? Or do we just keep hoping that someone will come along one day and say "We love this house. Let's buy it!"?
It's a lovely house but we need to move northwards. Ah, well, fingers crossed......and hope that "whatever will be, will be" is the right atitude. Recently read this: "Compassion is divine. Judgement, blame and punishment are man-made."
I think that this might be true! Think about it. Don't you just feel so much better when you are compassionate towards someone than if you seek to lay the blame on another or you severely judge someone - or even wish for them to receive punishment in order for YOU to "feel better"? Yep, showing compassion not only helps the person or persons to whom you are showing this compassion, but you receive the added bonus of feeling good yourself. "Win, win" (as they say). A great 'sporting celebration'? Sports celebrated from every (?) nation.
Well.............McDonalds is the OFFICIAL (!) restaurant for the London Olympics; Cadbury is the OFFICIAL (!) treat provider (treat provider????) and Coca Cola is the OFFICIAL drink provider. Heaven help us! How many athletes competing in these "games" live on McDonalds, Cadbury and Coca Cola products? Touch ironic, anybody? Woe betide anyone who disobeys these (commercial) rules! AND..........Some poor London cafe owner has had to remove one letter from his shop's frontage (for the duration of the Olympics), to (now) call it the "LYMPIC" cafe, so as not to be forced to close down! As I said....heaven help us when it comes to this! Check out www.simplelives.com.au to read about 'a quest to live with less'. (Oh, if only we all could!)
I'm assisting with a Baby Naming ceremony. Not somethng I relish doing - but an interesting part of this (so called) 'ceremony' is the statement (below) that is oh, so true. Worth sharing, I thought.
"The more a child is loved, the more she will grow as a good human being. And the more she is loved, the more she will, herself, have love to give to others. And there is another thing: The more people this child feels connected to, the more people this child can ask questions of; the more people this child feels she can trust, the richer her growth will be". If only the world functioned on this basic level! I am sitting at the computer wondering what to write, as I have nothing in my mind apart from the fact that my nephew is ill. I have been cooking chicken soup for his parents who are staying with us, as it enables them to be nearer to the hospital where their son is. What is there to say and do when someone is very ill and any remedy seems to be a waiting game? Waiting for time to heal a surgical wound so that he is able to undergo chemotherapy. Waiting to see if the tumour is growing or is shrinking. Waiting to see what the next doctor has to say. Waiting, waiting. There must be something else to do other than wait. Of course, while we are waiting we are also praying for his recovery ......and some cousins have summoned up their angel 'friends' to assist. I guess that's about all we can do.
Get well soon, David. The story goes: "In a past life, the Buddha was once told that a certain man was going to sink a ferry carrying five hundred people. He prayed and reflected on what to do. Should he kill the man to save five huindred lives? Or should he remain non-vioent, but allow those five hundred people to die? Finally he chose to kill the man, but not just to save all those lives. He killed the man for the man's own sake, to save him from the karma of committing five hundred murders. He created good karma by committing murder with the best of intentions. He did not creats feelings or thoughts of guilt, which would have created bad karma, but acted with intention and compassion for all: the five hundred men, the would-be murderer and himself" (taken from the book, "The Eleven Eternal Principals")
Does this help to understand karma? What does it say about our attitude to asylum seekers who risk their lives to come to Australia on leaky boats? Anything? Food for thought, at least! No time for blog writing tonight. Visitors staying......... too busy talking, cooking and drinking ....and now too tired. More tomorrow.
Bought a copy of Reader's Digest (why does it have an apostrophe before the 's' in Reader's? Surely it is intended for more than one reader?). Anyway, I bought a copy of Reader's Digest and am now considering sending in a story or anecdote to see if it would be published. Just not sure whether to use some 'old' writing ("Here's one I prepared earlier") or to write something completely new. A question to ponder.
Just watched a fascinating doco called (I think) "Kumari", which showed an American of Indian extraction (Not a native American 'Indian', but a man whose parents were born in India), who posed as a guru. It showed how anyone could "be" a guru and have the same effect as a "real" guru. People were taken in completely by him....mostly with (surprisingly) positive results. Made one wonder how much the effect of a guru-like figure needed to be anything other than a person who encouraged others to "see the goodness in themselves" and so on! A must-watch program and a good learning experience - even just to watch it.
Is there anyone reading this blog of mine? Please let me know. Just a "yes" would suffice. No need to comment. Thanks!
Picked up a book in a charity shop whilst travelling.
Called "The Eleven Eternal Principals....assessing the divine within". Most intriguing read. Am only up to the 'Second Eternal Principal' so far....it's 'The Law of Karma' ! Interesting explanation of something I have never really understood (apart from the glib saying of "That's Karma", when something happens to someone). The contents of this book provide supposedly a guide to "living a rich life - spiritually, mentally & physically". I think I am going to enjoy reading it. Any comments? The 'First Eternal Principal' is 'The Law of Totality'. More later. Been away for nearly 3 weeks. Headed north to see family and to have some warm sunny weather. Rained for days and was pretty cool in evenings, but had a few nice sunny days. The trip in caravan had us experiencing some very cold nights. Zero degrees on several occasions. Woke very early a couple of times and turned on the heater (at about 4am). Have realised that we should have left the heater on 'low' all night. That's a tip for next time!
While walking through a country town saw a sign that was offering special deals on books for "children" (sic). What did they really mean? Who were these books for? During our time away, there was a "house inspection" supposedly by people who thought they might like to buy our house. Seems that our carport was not high enough to fit their troop carrier (!) and its very high roof rack! Doh! What sort of an idiot drives a troop carrier and expects any house to have a carport large enough to accommodate such? By the way, there's a whole bloody acre of land to build a troop carrier cover if they can't manage to raise the roof enough on the existing car port! Time wasters! |
Author notesI choose to comment on social issues and write creatively on a variety of subjects - for a variety of audiences. Archives
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