How paradoxical and full of coincidence can life be, that is the question? Paraphrasing Wliam Shakespeare. This is happened, it truthfully occurred. For some strange, and known, reason thought of Maya Angelo, a quote I knew was in this extensive blog collection. I was also thinking, for some strange and undone reason about a book purchased in the Asian Museum on the Kamasturea. So I jumped into the search engine of my blog and up popped a December 12, 2019 blog now being copied in its entirely. The title: Waking to an Inspiring Message on Instagram; Thoughts on Negative and Creative People; You Can’t Go Home Again; Back to Sultan Viewing; Oblivious Defined; Ending with a Book on the Kamasutra.
“This morning I awoke to an absolutely inspiring message on Instagram. Something from Maya Angelo “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive,; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humour and some style” Does that not say it all? I have taken it on as my goal in life. I wrote to shskinner64
Me: What an inspiring goal. Thank you for bringing this to us.!
Maya Angelou definitely left this world a better place, she did achieve her goal. My goodness what a wonderful way to start the day. Social media can be such a good thing. At the Retirement Party one woman, when hearing of my social media presence said:
She: I don’t do social media. I am not on Facebook, or on Instagram or anything!
Me: You are acting as if that is something to be proud of, that you are somehow elite and better than those of us who are actively involved in social media. I think you are merely behind the times and you are cut off from a source of inspiration.
This woman does not lead an exemplary life – she is stuck, I know of her life as I once wrote profiles of people’s lives for the organization’s newsletter, receiving massive criticism from people who criticized my writing. I spoke to a woman at this dreaded party, a former critic:
Me: I find it rather amusing, given my current fame and praise received for my writing. The same writing that you constantly criticized.
She: I did not!
Me: Oh yes you did!That was six years ago but I remember it well.!
I did rather enjoy facing down critical and negative people the day before yesterday. Yesterday I withdrew my membership in the organization. Very briefly, in the past, considered volunteering to be the program person, getting speakers for their luncheons but then realized that the majority of the populace would not enjoy the speakers chosen by good old me. What came immediately to mind was Thomas Wolfe’s “You can’t go home again” Googled it, of course.
“You can’t go home again. You can’t truly go back to a place you once lived because so much will have changed since you left that it is not the same place anymore. Jim is so excited to visit his childhood town—I hope he knows that you can’t go home again.”
But, in my humble opinion, it is not su much that it “home” has changed but you have changed The people and the place left behind have remained exactly the same. If I had not gone to London, I would have fit in, remained the same. But instead, at the ripe old age of 71, I ventured out. I am so eternally grateful that I did, so eternally grateful that I found the courage to get out of the rut. Here we go again, Google here I come.
“A rut is a groove in the earth, like an indent caused by wheels. It’s also a boring routine that can be hard to break. If you’re stuck in a rut, you’ve been doing the same old thing for too long.
If you see a groove in the ground, especially one caused by a bike or car, that’s a rut. If a rut is deep enough, you could get stuck in it, which may be why the word has another meaning. If your life has become boring, stale, and monotonous, you’re in a rut. Someone who works the same job for decades may feel like they’re in a rut and need to make a change.” So the woman who is oblivious to social media is most certainly in a rut. Oblivious is a rather cool word: defined as aware of or concerned about what is happening around one: Synonyms are: synonyms are unaware, unconscious, heedless, unmindful, insensible, unheeding, ignorant, blind, deaf, unsuspecting, unobservant, disregardful, unconcerned, impervious, unaffected, insensitive, indifferent, detached, removed; rare incognizant.
.
I am not ignorant, blind or impervious to the Sultan’s comings and goings as I am back to Sultan Viewing, it would be embarrassing to tell you how much time I spend gazing at those gorgeous brown eyes with the greatest of all eyelashes. I did say to CPI that he looked at me with soft eyes but darn, he looks at EVERYONE with soft eyes. There is footage from the Innovation Lab of 2018 of him hugging an older woman. I mean REALLY – all I got was a fist bump and I do love hugs. It made me jealous, horribly jealous, do have to admit. But then this: Sultan Internet Viewing came after an exhausting morning and early afternoon, However, viewing was invigorating, making one feel strong, healthy, and full of energy. It was all rather exhilarating and rousing watching his attendance at a Crime Prevention International Conference which he attended on December 9, 2019. The video presentation was in English, there was a touching scene where one Western woman broke down in sobs – one can assume that the footage shown was of a victim of an atrocious crime and was painful. I would be a valuable asset at such a conference as I worked as a probation officer for years and our County Counsel’s Office represented the Sheriff’s Office.moreover, I once briefly worked for the Canadian Penitentiary Service. Yes, that is me. When you get to be this old, you have accomplished a great deal, particularly when you did not have children to raise.
The Sultan is a busy man. On December 10, 2019 he opened an event called Innovations in Project Management, it looked fascinating. Many awards being awarded and the ideas (seen briefly) seemed most innovate. This man is not just a pretty face. He wears his white garb – I personally prefer him in grey because that is what he was wearing when I first spied him across a crowded hotel lobby (mine and his). (Cannot remember what I was wearing.) The Sultan’s control of the media is absolutely amazing, footage showing his attendance just a few days before. Well, I guess one can do a lot when you have that much money. But it shows such motivation and does get the word out there. The Sultan is the antithesis of oblivious.
Yesterday I attended a special Orientation at the Asian Art Museum as I am a volunteer at that fine Institution. It was fascinating, shall share tomorrow or the next day. I was briefly in the Gift Shop, went hunting for a book on Dubai and perhaps a copy of the Koran. But you will not believe the book I purchased! It made everyone laugh.
The name of the book, which is pictured below is Redeeming the Kamasutra. It was written by a woman, Wendy Doniger. I shall get around to reading it but also going to join the library and get a proper book on Dubai. I think I will download the Koran on my IPad. Honest to goodness, I am seventy-six and purchasing a book on the Kamasutra?!?”
The cover of the book was then pictured and shall be again. Rereading that blog was absolutely mind boggling. Oh, so many things have changed, radically changed. The book, purchased at the Asian Art Museum ,when plans were to be an active volunteer there. I was living in Hayes Valley, ideal location, my apartment blocks away from the Museum. But suddenly everything changed, My right knee seriously failed necessitating surgery – all plans thwarted. Then, lo and behold, along came the pandemic. Asian Art Museum shut, its door barred. I joined the throngs of people fleeing the crime ridden City for the joys of Marin County. . I got out in the nick of time.
December 12, 2019 found me sotted with the Sultan (aka the Crown Prince of Dubai, aka Fazza). Besotted means: smitten with, in love with, love-struck by, head over heels in love with, hopelessly in love with, obsessed with, passionate about, consumed with desire for, devoted to, doting on, greatly enamored of, very attracted to, very taken with, charmed by, captivated by, enchanted by, enthralled by, bewitched by, beguiled by, under someone’s spell, hypnotized by; informal bowled over by, swept off one’s feet by, struck on, crazy about, mad about, wild about, nuts about, very keen on, gone on, really into, hung up on, carrying a torch for; British informal potty about. I had just met him at my hotel in London but I was actually potty about, captivated by, entrhralled by, obsessed by his social media presence. Thousands (of us) were in love with, love-struck by and head over heals in love with Fazza. Now? I am repelled by him – blocked every possible Instagram site he crowds the Internet with, largely keeping my negativity to myself. Occasionally respond to posts of women (or men) consumed with desire for him attempting to warning them off. But seldom listen and defend him. I now regard him as dangerous. His social media presence was self-serving and vacuous. He did have power in Dubai but it appears that his father has assumed an extremely active leadership role – one that is admirable. The posts are most probably a ‘machine’ to promote a ‘true’ image of Dubai enticing folks to go to Expo o 2020 – its original opening delayed due to Covid.
Back to the old, did purchase a Dubai from a book store. It remains on my bookshelf along with the Kamasutra. I did download the Qur’an on my iPad and read it in its entirely. It was my prescribed entry into the Islamic faith.
Abandoned membership in MCARE (Marin County Association of Retired Employees) as promised but recently joined up again to track of the deaths of people I I worked with and valued. Absolutely no need do I have to socialize with most of those belonging to that Association. Everything is the same and everything is different. These are The Best of Times, The Worst of Times. That is, from Charles Dickens: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.
This following conversation would be fun to have. Me and the woman who did not ‘do social media”.
Me: Using rudimentary math skills I learned that I have had two and a half million visits to my blog since its inception. Two and a half million.
She: (I suppose would say) Well, what does that mean? Who cares?
Me: Clearly not you as you were not one of them.
Now what would I have in common with a woman like that? Who wants to be around her negativity, her criticism, her dysfunction. No more MCARE lunches for me!
