Back to the Dark Ages
Oisin lost his two front teeth three weeks ago. Here he is showing them off. He is also eating pancake, which might explain the rather gruesome looking bits in his mouth.
Ghin is having his bacon with eggs. And toast. His favourite breakfast. He eats only the yoke of the egg ...
Peter crashes out on the sofa next to Oisin...
There has been no entry because i am tired of hearing myself say that i am tired. And that is indeed what i have been saying over the last three weeks. While there are things that i'm really pleased about like the garden, there are also things which i am less pleased about like the state of the house and the routine and the various email accounts. I feel as if everything has been backlogged and my head is a giant logjam. I've not run regularly since Rome - actually since i sprained my ankle - and work has been going crazy.
There have been hits and misses with the media, but that was always going to be the case with the state of the news. I do wonder that how people can take politics so seriously. And that's not because i think that politics is unimportant. I think that its very important, but how can we take a system that is so flawed so seriously? We need to reform it. How do we reform it? Where do you begin? First, i think that people who want to become politicians should not be allowed to become politicians. Mainly because they are needy and therefore susceptible to a variety of terrible failings.
When people say that politics is showbiz for ugly people they aren't falling far from the truth. The egoism that is required to succeed in show business is not a million miles from the egoism that is required to succeed in politics.
Then all candidates need to take the journey to the dark soul. They need to be completely honest to themselves about themselves. Only when this happens will acting out cease.
Money needs to be taken out of politics completely - and no person or party should be able to accrue so much power that they become a danger to themselves and others.
What would be good is there be a structure for public services - like water, electricity, hospitals, etc - and then people organise themselves locally in communities for things like childcare, education, food, recreation, etc. It's really half baked, but i saw a glimpse of something which i would like to live in when i was on maternity leave. People taking responsibility for themselves and others. And government taking responsibility for the infrastructure. And it's not even as if we don't have a programme for government - we do. And a global one at that - it's called LA21. If governments adopted the LA21 model and allowed a certain amount of support for devolution to local communities, i think we could get this working.
After years and years and years of academia, war, political history, we now have this... what we have is a witness to the failure of our education system, economy and philosophy. Everyone needs to take responsibility for the catastrophe that Europe now finds itself it.
The dark ages...we could so easily go back to the Dark Ages. It might not be so bad...
Maybe we'll all discover then the values of simplicity. Learn to appreciate the simple things.
And as i write that i remember that this year was about living simply. The irony is that i feel as if i have completely over complicated my life.
So i need to simplify. To weed out the things that are not contributing to my own well being. My sense of balance. To start strengthening at the roots again. To be able to enjoy life, to relax while being busy.
It is strange to see myself getting older too. This year the skin has begun to dry out. The fine lines and wrinkles which are the markers of life are emerging. Tracings and patterns, deepening tattoos. I am going to be 40 soon.
When i think of the life i have led till now, i am amazed. First, being here, in Northern Ireland. I don't know if anybody can feel at home - i think that so many here have a deep ambivalence towards the land because of its history. Perhaps that was why i was attracted to be here. But i think that my relationship with the land will always be one of ambivalence. My ancestors were not of Singapore - and no Singaporean behaves as if they come from the land. We will always be at sea. I am always at sea.
In Bangor today we sat at Ballyholme yacht club and enjoyed the blue blue sea. It was work, but it was pleasure as work. And it was why i had returned to the RSPB. Because we did great work - and work that was fulfilling. Work which made a difference to my life certainly - and i hope the lives of others. I should have take a picture of us there. I always do it though - i always, always say i must take a photo a day at least. And there are so many things to choose from. The garden is looking amazing. The children are wonderful. My job is fantastic... and then there are things which aren't so great as well. Well, well, well...
I will do that. I will today simplify and also add. And one thing that will be more simple is... one thing i can do without is... one thing i can stop doing is... and that's the annoying thing. The things which i would love to get rid of i can't... and the things that would add to my life i can't add because there isn't space to cram it.
There have been hits and misses with the media, but that was always going to be the case with the state of the news. I do wonder that how people can take politics so seriously. And that's not because i think that politics is unimportant. I think that its very important, but how can we take a system that is so flawed so seriously? We need to reform it. How do we reform it? Where do you begin? First, i think that people who want to become politicians should not be allowed to become politicians. Mainly because they are needy and therefore susceptible to a variety of terrible failings.
When people say that politics is showbiz for ugly people they aren't falling far from the truth. The egoism that is required to succeed in show business is not a million miles from the egoism that is required to succeed in politics.
Then all candidates need to take the journey to the dark soul. They need to be completely honest to themselves about themselves. Only when this happens will acting out cease.
Money needs to be taken out of politics completely - and no person or party should be able to accrue so much power that they become a danger to themselves and others.
What would be good is there be a structure for public services - like water, electricity, hospitals, etc - and then people organise themselves locally in communities for things like childcare, education, food, recreation, etc. It's really half baked, but i saw a glimpse of something which i would like to live in when i was on maternity leave. People taking responsibility for themselves and others. And government taking responsibility for the infrastructure. And it's not even as if we don't have a programme for government - we do. And a global one at that - it's called LA21. If governments adopted the LA21 model and allowed a certain amount of support for devolution to local communities, i think we could get this working.
After years and years and years of academia, war, political history, we now have this... what we have is a witness to the failure of our education system, economy and philosophy. Everyone needs to take responsibility for the catastrophe that Europe now finds itself it.
The dark ages...we could so easily go back to the Dark Ages. It might not be so bad...
Maybe we'll all discover then the values of simplicity. Learn to appreciate the simple things.
And as i write that i remember that this year was about living simply. The irony is that i feel as if i have completely over complicated my life.
So i need to simplify. To weed out the things that are not contributing to my own well being. My sense of balance. To start strengthening at the roots again. To be able to enjoy life, to relax while being busy.
It is strange to see myself getting older too. This year the skin has begun to dry out. The fine lines and wrinkles which are the markers of life are emerging. Tracings and patterns, deepening tattoos. I am going to be 40 soon.
When i think of the life i have led till now, i am amazed. First, being here, in Northern Ireland. I don't know if anybody can feel at home - i think that so many here have a deep ambivalence towards the land because of its history. Perhaps that was why i was attracted to be here. But i think that my relationship with the land will always be one of ambivalence. My ancestors were not of Singapore - and no Singaporean behaves as if they come from the land. We will always be at sea. I am always at sea.
In Bangor today we sat at Ballyholme yacht club and enjoyed the blue blue sea. It was work, but it was pleasure as work. And it was why i had returned to the RSPB. Because we did great work - and work that was fulfilling. Work which made a difference to my life certainly - and i hope the lives of others. I should have take a picture of us there. I always do it though - i always, always say i must take a photo a day at least. And there are so many things to choose from. The garden is looking amazing. The children are wonderful. My job is fantastic... and then there are things which aren't so great as well. Well, well, well...
I will do that. I will today simplify and also add. And one thing that will be more simple is... one thing i can do without is... one thing i can stop doing is... and that's the annoying thing. The things which i would love to get rid of i can't... and the things that would add to my life i can't add because there isn't space to cram it.
And yet i feel as if nothing is being done. I really have to stop this. And start enjoying life again. That's what life is for - it is for enjoying. When did i forget this most basic principle. Whatever we are doing, we must enjoy it. Not hedonistically, but intrinsically.
Beauty + simplicity = Happiness (Enjoyment)
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