The last day of the old year, I got up at 6.20am and went to the gym but it was closed, not open until 9am, silly really, I should have realised. Feeling exceptionally good this morning, the last three days rest has done me the world of good, and my batteries feel quite charged and ready to go.
(8.25am) I’ve been reading this morning, Shakespeare, you got it, Romeo and Juliet. I think I’ll read a few of his Tragedies over the next few days.
I’ll be leaving shortly to go down the library, it opens at nine, for me to post my log, later, I’ll call back and spend an hour in the gym. Since last Saturday, the barbecue night, I haven’t touched a drop of alcohol, and I can’t see me tonight either, I could easily give up wine without any problem whatsoever.
(2pm) Back from library and called in the gym on the way back and did some weight training. Spent the rest of the time reading and then at 4pm walked up to my son’s house for a barbecue and for my grandson’s birthday. He’s three years old today.
Load of people turned up, my son had to work until 7pm and the lot of them were going into town later, there’s a concert in the park. I didn’t drink alcohol, and offered to babysit to allow the both of them to go out for the night and I drive down to my house with my grandson at 8pm and after a little while he was in bed asleep.
I read for most of the night and in bed by 11.50am. I can hear fireworks being set off and music coming from a few houses in the street – they are having a good night, and so am I. I’m off to sleep stone cold sober – and it feels good, exceptionally good, I'm toying with giving up drinking alcohol for good. Happy New year everyone – we are twelve hours in front out here.
(Friday, 1st of January 2010 – New Years Day)
I’ll be leaving shortly to go down the library, it opens at nine, for me to post my log, later, I’ll call back and spend an hour in the gym. Since last Saturday, the barbecue night, I haven’t touched a drop of alcohol, and I can’t see me tonight either, I could easily give up wine without any problem whatsoever.
(2pm) Back from library and called in the gym on the way back and did some weight training. Spent the rest of the time reading and then at 4pm walked up to my son’s house for a barbecue and for my grandson’s birthday. He’s three years old today.
Load of people turned up, my son had to work until 7pm and the lot of them were going into town later, there’s a concert in the park. I didn’t drink alcohol, and offered to babysit to allow the both of them to go out for the night and I drive down to my house with my grandson at 8pm and after a little while he was in bed asleep.
I read for most of the night and in bed by 11.50am. I can hear fireworks being set off and music coming from a few houses in the street – they are having a good night, and so am I. I’m off to sleep stone cold sober – and it feels good, exceptionally good, I'm toying with giving up drinking alcohol for good. Happy New year everyone – we are twelve hours in front out here.
(Friday, 1st of January 2010 – New Years Day)
New Year has finally arrived, I was in bed, almost asleep, but the sounds of fireworks going off at midnight, with music from the nearby Park filling the air; they had a concert there last night. The music sounded good, but I must say, I slept well in spite of the noise, woke at 7.10am this morning.
My grandson came into the bedroom to say he wanted breakfast, and that was it. Sleep over for me for the day.
Listening now to music - piano, “Morning,” from Peer Gynt, by Greig. The sun is out, but there is a slight morning chill in the air, but there are no clouds around, so it should be warm later this morning.
(10.35am) Seems funny, back home they are just getting ready to celebrate New Year, and I’m here with my grandson getting ready to go swimming later today, the last year already spent. New Year is a time for reflection of what has gone and what the future holds, and I feel the relentless pull of time forcing itself forward, myself with it, into the unknown.
The last year for me is over, and it has slipped past among merriment and fireworks into history as I dozed into sleep last night, as so it will for everyone shortly as Mother Earth completes its daily spin and its yearly cycle around the sun.
What has happened has happened, the words are written, the ink on the paper dry – indomitably formed, the future is yet to unfold. I, like everyone else, wonder what is in store for me! For this world, for climate change, terrorism, and the myriad of other things that will happen this year, and are as yet, still masked behind the cloak of future time of what is to come. I am mindful of the song,
“Hey Que Sera Sera: what will be will be the future is not ours to see.”
And I am glad of that, to know would mean that whatever you do will make not the slightest bit of difference, so why try? But that is not the case, we control our own destiny, I believe that with a passion, but there again, sometimes, I think some things are preordained irrespective of our actions.
We the players in the stage of life, like a passing shooting star that burns bright for but a second and is gone, burned, as if we had never existed. Some will fall to earth and make their mark on the world, but most will not, and will soon be forgotten.
Sad you might think. But I don’t, we bestow our space upon someone else, a gift, for them to fill the space that we have left, so I come back to where I started: we all can make our mark in the world by not making a mark.
`Now you are being silly,’ you say.
`Not at all,’ I reply with an assured confidence.
Sad you might think. But I don’t, we bestow our space upon someone else, a gift, for them to fill the space that we have left, so I come back to where I started: we all can make our mark in the world by not making a mark.
`Now you are being silly,’ you say.
`Not at all,’ I reply with an assured confidence.
To make not a mark is good, because you do make a mark, very much so, `a clean mark.’ You leave the world the same as you entered it, leaving nothing behind for others to clean the mark away.
Perhaps you think I play with words and paradoxes, but just think about it for a moment!
You stop to rest when out walking, take a seat on a stone, look around, admire the beauty, build a fire, boil a kettle, have lunch, and leave your litter behind to tell everyone you’ve been there, you have made your mark by telling the world you have been there.
The other scenario, you take you litter with you, leaving the place pristine as if you’d never stopped there, leaving not a mark, no sign, no one will ever know, only you, that you’ve ever been there. But your mark is there as sure as the other person, more so in fact, you have left the same mark `as before you arrived there.’
You have left the place as you found it; you have retained the original mark that was there before you for others to enjoy, hopefully, the one after leaving the same mark that you have left - no mark. It’s an interesting thought, wouldn’t you agree, if nothing more. Anyway, Happy New Year to all, as I write it’s almost 12pm midnight in the UK, so I’m off out to lunch.
(Late afternoon) What a lunch in Acacia Bay, later we went down the lake for a swim. The weather was hot today; the beach was full, with everyone enjoying the holiday. Anyone who is not a good swimmer needed to be careful at this spot, almost straight off the beach the bottom drops away rather quickly, the whole lake is a volcano, good snorkelling, unfortunately there was not a lot to see, but I did see my first few fish, small fry, at the bottom, but well worth the effort.
Later, I did a bit of shopping in Woolworths for food and then home. I was intending to go out, but instead I read a little and watched a film, “The Kingdom of Heaven,” about the crusades and it was then too late, but there is always tomorrow.
(Saturday 2nd of January 2010)
You stop to rest when out walking, take a seat on a stone, look around, admire the beauty, build a fire, boil a kettle, have lunch, and leave your litter behind to tell everyone you’ve been there, you have made your mark by telling the world you have been there.
The other scenario, you take you litter with you, leaving the place pristine as if you’d never stopped there, leaving not a mark, no sign, no one will ever know, only you, that you’ve ever been there. But your mark is there as sure as the other person, more so in fact, you have left the same mark `as before you arrived there.’
You have left the place as you found it; you have retained the original mark that was there before you for others to enjoy, hopefully, the one after leaving the same mark that you have left - no mark. It’s an interesting thought, wouldn’t you agree, if nothing more. Anyway, Happy New Year to all, as I write it’s almost 12pm midnight in the UK, so I’m off out to lunch.
(Late afternoon) What a lunch in Acacia Bay, later we went down the lake for a swim. The weather was hot today; the beach was full, with everyone enjoying the holiday. Anyone who is not a good swimmer needed to be careful at this spot, almost straight off the beach the bottom drops away rather quickly, the whole lake is a volcano, good snorkelling, unfortunately there was not a lot to see, but I did see my first few fish, small fry, at the bottom, but well worth the effort.
Later, I did a bit of shopping in Woolworths for food and then home. I was intending to go out, but instead I read a little and watched a film, “The Kingdom of Heaven,” about the crusades and it was then too late, but there is always tomorrow.
(Saturday 2nd of January 2010)
Up form bed at 9am, late for me, weather stunning out today, read for most of the morning, reading Shakespeare, “The Tragedy Of Coriolanus,” still studying John Whitbourn’s novel. I walked into town an 11.30am, did a little shopping, walked around the lake, back home for lunch. Later, my son and grandson called down, my daughter in law is working today, and we went out, to the lake, on his new bike, which his other grandparents bought him for his birthday – done a video of him riding it with my son following on a skateboard.
I hope they like it, but I think they will despite the shaking as I ran alongside them – anyway, it was fun to do.
(6.50pm) I’m watching the news now, and I may go out tonight after I’ve had something to eat. It looks as if we’ve to have rain tomorrow, but fine on Wednesday.
(11.48) Just got back from town after a few beers, a good night, listened to a good band in “The Shed” and I like Tui beer, but it’s funny, because it’s a Bank Holiday, almost everyone places a surcharge on meals and drinks. Tonight in The Shed, it was 10% but in the other Irish bar, it was 15%, which is about the average, anyway, I’m off to bed.
(11.48) Just got back from town after a few beers, a good night, listened to a good band in “The Shed” and I like Tui beer, but it’s funny, because it’s a Bank Holiday, almost everyone places a surcharge on meals and drinks. Tonight in The Shed, it was 10% but in the other Irish bar, it was 15%, which is about the average, anyway, I’m off to bed.
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I do like the way you describe things, mark no mark, leave a mark by leaving no mark. I find that ingenious, and the shooting star bit. I've read all your exploited you say about NZ, i find them of interest, keep them coming.
ReplyDeleteKeith, gym.
I do not want no one to fill my space, I like it for myself. Good description I give you that. It makes one think if nothing else. have a good day
ReplyDeleteJan.