The thoughts of an Artist on Art and its connections to life and the philosophy of Taoism.
Thursday, 16 September 2010
It All Depends Where You Are.
I promise not to bore you with running but I have to share this with you. Enjoying so much being back on the trail I decided to buy a running magazine. There was an article in it about the best 10 half marathons in the UK. They decided to describe them under three headings. What was good about it, where it was and lastly its downsides. To be expected most of them were in the south of England, but there were two listed from Scotland. The downsides of all the others were small things, like how tough it was. The two from Scotland had the same downside. They were a bit inaccessible and a long travel if you lived in the south of England. I could not believe so instantly penned a letter to them to tell them that from where I stood Bristol was exactly the same, a long way from Scotland.
There is a similar story of a Prime Minister, who shall remain nameless, but he has been in the news a lot recently,
The Minister travelled for days by train and car and boat to one of the furthest islands in Scotland As he surveyed the bleak but inspiring landscape, he turned to a local villager and said: "You're very remote here, aren't you?" She responded: "Remote from what?"
We who have gardens, and I am aware many of you have, can so easily become obsessed with weeds, especially if they are in your lawn. A man who took great pride in his lawn found himself with a large crop of dandelions. He tried every method he knew to get rid of them. Still they plagued him.
Finally he wrote to the Department of Agriculture. He enumerated all the things he had tried and closed his letter with the question: "What shall I do now?"
In due course, the reply came: "We suggest you learn to love them."
Every single thing that happens to us in life always has more than one perspective. Nobody should know that more than the artist. It all depends which perspective we choose to take. I already know that if and when Susan reads this morning she is going to fully agree. How do I know that? Because she is a lady that is so upbeat about life she cannot help telling us to always look for the good in everything, and she is so right.
I have written so many of these blogs now I cannot remember if I have told you the old Native American tale of the two wolves. Whether I have or not it is worthy today of hearing one more time.
There was an old American Native Chief who was talking to his grandson. He told him, "I feel as if I have two wolves fighting in my heart. One wolf is the vengeful, angry, violent one. The other wolf is the loving, compassionate one."
The grandson asked him, "Which wolf will win the fight in your heart?"
The grandfather answered: "The one I feed."
So which wolf will you chose to feed. I will try my very best to feed the good one but I know I must always be on guard because the other one has a crafty knack of slipping in there and grabbing my attention.
Beware of hungry wolves
Have a great day.
This Blog is linked to my other. Jackie
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Love it! Wonderful blog!
ReplyDeleteGood Morning Ralph, I am up early this moring.
ReplyDeleteThese days I awaken and my thoughts are with "Autumnleaves" and I wonder how Sherry is doing? No one mentions her any more, we sent our prayers and I wonder if that is it, the end of our responsibilities? We are not powerless at all
that is a comforting thought that breeds inactivity. I can't do that, I can't help, so we don't. I am thinking that there is power in a blog but we don't use it. You must know the story of putting grains of wheat on a chess board? One grain on the first square, then 2 on the second, then 4, then 16, and always times itself. Their is not enough wheat in the world to complete this math! So, your blog introduced me to Sherry's plight, and I introduced others
on my blog. You have about 100 "followers" and I have a few. If the ball had not been dropped, if these followers had also introduced Sherry to their followers, and so on, by now the world would know! and eventually the right person, maybe someone with a job offer would find out.
I am like a bulldog with a bone. Until Sherry has a bed to sleep in and warm meals to eat I can't let this go. Bloging will be "wonderful"
when we realize we have this power and are not afraid to use it. Until then we are stuck with
"wonderful" and "Nice" and "pretty" and "good texture". Have a great day!
Hopefully Sherry will read this blog and get in touch with us.. Sherry you know how to reach me.. you've done it hundreds of times to post all those positive comments. If you don't want to be public just write to me.Come on...I'm here.!
ReplyDeleteI am so one hundred with you jerry and Barbra and my breakfast is here also. But more than that. I am now happy that this blog just might be getting somewhere. We are starting to care about each other. People are for the first time getting honest with me about art and helping me get better. Thank you Susan and Barbra. Thank you also Jerry let us make this blog work. Somebody knows where Sherry is and we all care and we all want to help. I want your help to be better and at last thank you we are getting there .
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ralph and Barbara and everyone else! The ball is in the air now and half way down the court. Our job is to keep playing, pass it down the court, and don't let up. We can blog about this until Sherry is settled, and then who knows?
ReplyDeleteI will bet there is someone else we could help also! Like the grains of wheat on the chessboard
we have a lot of power. We just have to learn to use it. This day is getting better and better!Sherry is checking her messages and we can link our blogs to hers.
Indeed, Sherry, please get in touch. I too would like to have with breakfast with Sherry and her family. Don't let us down Sherry...right now we need you.
ReplyDeleteAnd who knows, tomorrow I may need you Sherry to help me with my breakfast!
I have just read a post from Sherry and put my letter on there (and will here) asking her to help us .. help her... She sounds like she is doing alright.. but how good can this be.. I am sleeping in a bed tonight and she's sleeping in the car... I don't care what she says... thats not right... Sherry you need to write me... you know my email address.
ReplyDeleteBJ
Ralph, I appreciate your blog so much. Nearly every time I read it I think ..YEAH, Ralph!!! I think it is ok to have an angry wolf now and then, otherwise we'd be total doormats if we didn't stand up for ourselves when necessary--the secret (of course) is to not FEED the wolf..correct! I like that and like what you wrote about perception. I could not agree more. Thanks for reminding me once again!
ReplyDeleteHello Ralph. This was a wonderful blog post. Hope you're keeping well ;-]
ReplyDelete