General – scribblesdotbiz

Inspiration

What is something others do that sparks your admiration?

There is someone in my life who continues to demonstrate patience, passion and resilience as if from an endless spring. They manage the day to day stresses and trials that life continues to throw at them without shirking or complaining while showing kindness and compassion to those around them. They have done this for decades and continue to do so to this day. This someone has endured life’s hardships while showing gratitude with a smile. I have witnessed them experience the death of two husbands and more recently, cancer and hospitalisation at ninety. They battle on and inspire others with their tenacity and positivity, their ideas, their love and passion. They paint, they sculpt, practice craftwork – in many and varied forms – and sell their work in retail shops indicative of quality and take up. They have worked for the Red Cross, taught in hospitals and brought up a family. Asked whether they would do it all over again and their answer is ‘yes’ without question. This may seem a tall order but they don’t see it as such and they take it all in their stride. Yes, my mother sparks my admiration.

Kid at heart

What does it mean to be a kid at heart?

Reading stories, dreaming and enjoying simple things can be revealing. So too is the spark and special aura of certain unique individuals. They seem to have a wellspring of energy regardless of age. I have only ever met one or two of these in my entire life. They could be described as enlightened. But watch out for the fakes. They can mislead and shroud a troubled spirit beneath the surface. But some people really have a spark, a childlike energy that seems to set them apart. That wellspring of energy, that special something that has nothing to do with status, power or station in life. They attract everyone of course, including the needy, the troubled and equally, repel the narcissist or the politician. They seem immune to social norms, expectations and appear as outsiders. Perhaps we can learn something from them: we can take what we want – the life of an adult – and have the spirit of a child at heart. No, it has nothing to do with wanting and it’s not a shopping list. The enlightened don’t appear to want anything or need anything in particular. They just are.

Holidaze

What is your favorite holiday? Why is it your favorite?

My favourite holiday was as a kid and I didn’t have to travel far for endless fun. Exploring the hills above our street or the gully behind the house was a magical playground for me and the neighbourhood kids.

The summer holidays seemed to go on for ever. But I wasn’t really aware of ‘holiday’ in the adult definition. It was just escapism. Today of course, we are hyper aware of the potential dangers of gullies and hills but in those days there was always an elder assigned to supervise any excursion.

If it wasn’t the backyard it was the beach. After a long drive we’d arrive at our destination where the river meets the sea. For a couple of weeks we would immerse ourselves in a place that could only be described as paradise.

Occasionally I revisit these places in dreams and while they seem distant and mysterious they remain with me as if printed on my cortex.

Yes, I do the annual holiday like others. South East Asia has become a favourite, especially Thailand as it seems to represent something special for me. The jungle, the temples, exotic aromas, different social practices. I am taken to another place. But travelling never really compares to those seminal experiences as a kid. Nowadays my favourite holiday is to lie in the grass and bury myself in a book:)

Ghosts are real

What’s something you believe everyone should know.

I don’t know because I don’t know everybody. There’s always someone (out there) who you can’t entirely appreciate unless you’re Buddha or the like. You spend most of your formative years learning until your ‘cup runneth over’ only to realise (even if only partly enlightened) that you don’t really appreciate anything. Then you lose your close friends and realise the party’s over. The ones that don’t make it. They’re so close you can think their very thoughts – and find you’re still talking to them. What do you think of this or that? Would you do things differently? What a laugh as you share a joke or two – in your mind. Don’t look back. Never look back. But God, what a party. Some exquisite moments. Ghosts are real. They’re just souls in the ether.