It’s another grey, heavy dark sky and the sense that we are in the threshold of rain this campervan morning. However, none is forecast. Bands of grey, dark grey and even darker grey cloud crawl slowly across the sky. A slight wind brings a wee chill, but the frost and cold of the last few days is gone. A solitary Starling in the top of the Ash, Magpies and Crows appear to be the order of the morning, cries and staccato calls from near and far in the air. Robin songs in the air but no sign of one. A lone Blackbird forages through low lying bushes. The usual sort of suburban busyness that accompanies my morning beneath the Oak. I forget to celebrate the writing of campervan morning 850 yesterday, so here we are at 851. Another Friday and the threshold of the weekend for some of us. As we continue to meander through one of the most bizarre episodes in our history I am drawn to a quote by the writer Bertrand Russell :
“ The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.”
My doubt allows me to hide behind the idea that I might be intelligent, but it is for sure that those that’s appear to be in charge are cocksure and are almost stupid to a man. However enough of this, I want to touch on the positive and another of my many favourite books and one I delve into now and again is Russell’s ‘Conquest of Happiness ‘. A small tome first published in 1930. , he extols people in the chapter ‘ Is happiness Possible ?
“ The secret of happiness is this : let your interests be as wide as possible, and let your reactions to the things and persons that interest you be as far as possible friendly rather than hostile.”
My interests and passions from nature to humanity, from drumming to silence, from isolation to community, from busyness to stillness allow me to experience and be lost in the moment touch the impersonal world and perhaps acquire what Russel writes is :
“ A poise and calm which enable him to deal with his worries in the best way”.
Lovely days people.
“ Remember your humanity, and forget the rest.” Bertrand Russell.
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