Apart from nearly digging up an electric cable and inadvertently digging up some plants (see photo) I think my hour or so of weeding went quite well.
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| Granny's bonnets |
It was more successful than my search for the scooter document last week. I do now, however, have an empty drawer, where before it was bulging. Proof that if you keep things long enough they will eventually become unimportant or unnecessary.
And American friends will undoubtedly know this but it was news to me. Included in the American Declaration of Independence is the assertion of every individual's right to 'the pursuit of happiness.'
My latest radio talk is about happiness so I delved a little. Happiness wasn't always something people necessarily expected. Aristotle, observed that those who counted themselves content were the “happy few," and, indeed, that was the message of most religions and philosophies.
It wasn't until the middle of the eighteenth century, with slowly improving living standards that people began to expect other aspects of life to change as well, and started on "the pursuit of happiness".
I am amazed at the things I discover and how very very little I know.
5 comments:
I note the wisdom of only mentioning the pursuit. Not saying we're entitled to be happy, just to try for it.
Have you watched the outstanding American mobster series "The Sopranos"? One of my all-time favourite scenes occurs between mob boss Tony Soprano during a session with his therapist, Dr. Melfi --
Tony Soprano: You know we're the only country where the pursuit of happiness is guaranteed in writing? Do you believe that? A bunch of fucking spoiled brats. Where's my happiness then?
Dr. Melfi: It's the pursuit that guaranteed.
Tony Soprano: Yeah, always a fucking loophole.
Indeed, Boud, although as I mentioned in my talk, some people think of it as an entitlement.
Yes, we did watch it. Brilliant scene. That little loophole!
The Sopranos has a lot of footage of the area a bit north of me. The opening scenes are very familiar. And some of the streets in north Jersey.
Sometimes life seems like one big loophole!
Happiness is something everyone has strived for since time immemorial, I think. There are just different levels of happy. An empty drawer! Wow. How long before you manage to fill it up again. I don't think I've ever managed to completely empty a drawer!
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