Driving home from town this afternoon I pondered on life, the universe and everything and came to the conclusion that Deep Thought was wrong and the answer is not 42. Of course in reality we don't actually know what the question was but wotthehellarchiewotthehell.
Why was I pondering? Well my day has, so far, been spectacularly good: in a superficial sort of way that is. Actually in a very superficial sort of way. However (I was going to use 'but' but I keep getting chastised for starting sentences with conjunctions so I thought I'd use however which is usually an adverb and the purists might not notice I've used it as a conjunction) quite a lot of not-so-good is happening to some of my friends at the moment and it's been affecting my thoughts because I can do nothing for them.
In fact these photos reminded me of my mood: full of admiration for the beauty of the nature they portray but full of foreboding for the storms they presage.
One of the emails I received was from a friend who is always amazingly cheerful and really does live by the mantra given to her by her father when she was a child: smile and the world smiles with you, cry and you cry alone. It was a very cheerful email which just happened to mention that she'd been burgled a day or so previously whilst she was out (doing voluntary work) but the the burglars had been very neat and tidy and even put everything back on the bathroom window ledge whence they had gained entry.
On reflection it makes me realise how shallow I have become. I did a puzzle given to me by a friend yesterday and on the first attempt I got 'pretty smart' and on the second attempt 'genius'. The fact that I'll probably never manage to do it again is irrelevant! Then my GC partner and I had a comfortable doubles win in a Club competition match. Last of all a friend invited me to play a game of Words with Friends (it's like Scrabble played over the internet) and promptly put in a word with a score of 71. I think the highest I've ever achieved is in the 40s. After thinking and experimenting (I had two wildcard tiles) for many hours I came up with a word scoring 95! I have absolutely no idea what the word means but I tried to put in a word and had one tile left over so just fitted it somewhere until the computer accepted it.
So perhaps the answer to the unknown question is 42 after all.
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Will you reveal the secret of the Most Valuable Word?
ReplyDeleteTo me, this is not shallowness (or maybe it is, but then I am even shallower than you). It means being able to appreciate every good thing in life, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem to others.
That's a wonderful way of looking at it Meike. I wish that I'd have thought of that yesterday. On the other hand then I wouldn't have had a post to write!
DeleteMELANIAN. I tried to use MELANIN (a word I do know) and managed to get an A stuck in. Apparently melanian means dark pigmentation or is one of a family of fresh-water pectinibranchiate mollusks, having a turret-shaped shell.
You must have been eating a lot of fish or indulging in other brain food.
ReplyDeleteGreat clouds as well.
You have obviously found the explanation Adrian. By sheer coincidence I ate fish every day last week (something I probably haven't done since the last time I did it).
DeleteJust enjoy where you are. Oh, well done on the werds and the clouds, oh, and the hay. They are all magnificent. Perhaps the edginess of some images is what makes us appreciate them more.
ReplyDeleteThanks Katherine. Yes, edginess, I like that werd!
Delete95 :(( and against me too!
ReplyDeleteShallow is as shallow does. There's a time for profound and a time for surface dwelling. Don't go reproaching yourself. We'd none of us manage anything if we thought too deeply about it all. Plus - I am sure my philosophy lecturer used to say: that way madness lies...
Yx
Yvonne despite the added kudos that would have given to my achievement I never divulge... And, of course, it is only the start of the game! As usual your thoughts are wise.
DeleteTimes like these appear in our lives for a reason. We stop and take note of ourselves and of others. Certain events bring us to the brink of these thoughts which can prove to be invaluable.
ReplyDeleteI always think about ebb and flow, sometimes good, sometimes bad, good times for me, bad times for others and vice versa.
It's when we don't think of others, that's when we are being thoughtless and insensitive.
Keep on thinking of others, and any way you can help, just do it, no matter how small.
One of my mantras "the good that I can do" serves me in good stead.
Shallow minded you are not.
The burglar seems to be a neat and tidy person at heart, probably sorry that he had to commit such an act. Please tell your friend I'm thinking of her. Good thing she was not at home, the possessions can be replaced.
I appreciate your words Virginia. One of the things I have learned about and from you is your 'the good that I can do' mantra.
DeleteI like the way you captured the "moody" clouds - and they don't look shallow to me. You're in good company. Even King Solomon kept seesawing between "all is vanity" and "nothing is better than that man should be happy in his activities" (Eccl. 1:2, 3:22) ...
ReplyDeleteMonica I wish that I had some of Solomon's wisdom!
DeleteIf the answer to the cosmic question is 'One hump or two?' what is the cosmic question?
ReplyDeleteWhether 'tis bactrianus or dromedarius, that is the question.
DeleteHmmm. Could be.
ReplyDeleteThe question I was looking for was "Would you like a camel for your coffee?"
Ah Katherine, not taking camels in my coffee I didn't think of that angle.
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