Just when you think that nothing else could go wrong, something does. Yesterday the joy was An Arabic Adventure, complete with camels and sand dunes, and food and dance. However, I tripped on the carpet that was laid on top of the sand and fell on my left knee screaming in pain and in horror. I was immediately surrounded by wonderful, caring people. The Arabic Adventure staff were absolutely the most helpful, caring, considerate people. An ambulance was called and it was off to Rashid Hospital Emergency Room. The ambulance attendants kept me entertained, one decided he would marry me and come and live in San Francisco – I laugh in memory of the ride. The emergency care was excellent, caring physicians and technicians. Nothing was broken said the X-ray. A perfalgan infusion numbed the pain, the two Arabic Adventure staff members brought me back to the hotel and I was wheeled to my room. The infusion is beginning to wear off but a doctor has been summoned. Of course, the good news is that I did not fall off a camel, that would have been a long drop and greater injuries would have been sustained. I did not get to kiss a camel, but those are the breaks. At least I did not fall in love with the camel. PHEW!
This is the most disastrous trip imaginable. Believe me I am giving up travel adventures (and many other adventures as well). My seventeen hour flight to SFO takes place tomorrow – what fun that will be. But then I will be home. The phrase Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall comes to mind. It comes from a poem written by Longfellow called Rainy Day.
The day is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
The vine still clings to the mouldering wall,
But at every gust the dead leaves fall,
And the day is dark and dreary.
My life is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
My thoughts still cling to the mouldering Past,
But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast,
And the days are dark and dreary.
Be still, sad heart! and cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary.
But what has been most impressive throughout all of these dark and dreary times is the care and attention shown by strangers. I, like Blanche, have been relying upon the kindness of strangers. Sometimes that is best – there is usually an abundance of strangers and a paucity of intimates. Paucity is the presence of something in only small or insufficient quantities or amounts, for example a paucity of information.
But now to stop feeling sorry for myself and instead looking to the outside world. BBC News (without the sound) was turned off because I was being driven crazy seeing images of Harry and Meghan. Suddenly the word fatuous came to mind, and certainly that describes them. Silly; foolish, stupid, inane, nonsensical, childish, puerile, infantile, idiotic, brainless, mindless, vacuous, imbecilic, asinine, witless, empty-headed, hare-brained; pointless, senseless; ridiculous, ludicrous, absurd, preposterous, laughable, risible; informal daft, moronic, cretinous, dumb, gormless. ANTONYMS intelligent, sensible. Used in a sentence: She was irritated by a fatuous question.
There is an expression that is not quite remembered but if you do not examine or learn from history – one is doomed to repeat it. That is exactly what his happening in this instance. The Duke of Windsor and Wallace Simpson, all over again. The Royal Family of Windsor did not learn one thing from history. They are repeating the same mistakes made seventy years ago and brought to all of our attention through The Crown, that incredible series that is on my Netflix at home. Friend CPI weighed in when questioned:
CPI: Meghan evidently flew into Victoria, picked up Archie (God, I hate that name) and went off to LA to visit her mother. Wouldn’t surprise me if JKT owned the mansion or at least has an interest in it as title seems quite murky. They (M&H) seem to want everything their way – royal prerogatives and little royal responsibility. If they stay part time in Canada we could be responsible for security evidently. Both are wealthy, they can pay for their own security. Detect a certain lack of sympathy here? Meghan is not Mrs. Siddons. Could the Sultan negotiate?
Me: How clever of you to recall Mrs. Siddons from ‘our’ book – an excellent analogy.
“Our” book: In Conversation and In Contemplation – CPI edited it and did an amazing job. I learned so much from the experience. It made me a much better writer. So I am going home to my book – there is a pile of them in boxes in my apartment. It will be such a relief to be there with them, as much as I love this hotel I do need a time out and to be amongst my familiar things and familiar people. I will have been gone for almost an entire month – it has not been an easy month, in any way, by any stretch of the imagination. Camels or no.
At this moment in time I contemplate this simple truth. The opposite of love is not hate; it is indifference. So I am working on indifference, to bring peace of mind. It is defined as lack of interest, concern, or sympathy: she shrugged, feigning indifference. It is lack of concern about, unconcern about, apathy about/towards, nonchalance about, lack of interest in, disregard for, obliviousness to, uninvolvement in/with; heedlessness of, mindlessness of, carelessness of, dismissiveness of; boredom with, weariness of, unresponsiveness to, lack of enthusiasm about; impassiveness, impassivity, dispassionateness, aloofness, insouciance, detachment, distance, coldness, coolness, unresponsiveness, passionlessness, emotionlessness, lack of feeling, lack of sympathy, callousness; rare poco-curantism. ANTONYMS heed; care.
So developing insoucance, detachment, impassiveness and lack of enthusiasm is my goal. In order to reach that state it is necessary to not blame, neither he nor me, but see it as something the other person cannot help – not directed toward me in particular but a rather a defect or flaw of character. I am getting there.
Picture is of me and handsome Arab man.
