A thought kept running through my head – I emailed CPI
Me: Who is the guy that was tilting windmills.
She: Don Quixote.
So of course I had to Google it. A Spanish novel written in two parts (1605 and 1615), by Miguel de Cervantes. “The plot revolves around the adventures of a noble (hidalgo) from La Mancha named Alonso Quixano, who reads so many chivalric romances that he loses his mind and decides to become a knight-errant (caballero andante) to revive chivalry and serve his nation, under the name Don Quixote de la Mancha. He recruits a simple farmer, Sancho Panza, as his squire, who often employs a unique, earthy wit in dealing with Don Quixote’s rhetorical monologues on knighthood, already considered old-fashioned at the time. Don Quixote, in the first part of the book, does not see the world for what it is and prefers to imagine that he is living out a knightly story.”
I guess one reason I thought about it was because in some ways I see the strange relationship between Personal Driver and myself as being the same as Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. I am sure Personal Driver is going to be impressed with this. It must be remembered that the quest began because he went mad from reading too many chivalric romances. In my case, I am going mad because I am experiencing too many chivalric romances. The strangest thing happened yesterday – my phone rang, it was a call from Nashville. Tennesse.
He: Remember me? We met in Las Vegas in July. I walked you to your room and you invited me to have a glass of wine.
Me: Yes I do remember you! That was so sweet of me to escort me from a rather unpleasant situation. You were most kinds.
We went on to chat for about an hour, but here is the surprising thing he said:
He: I was desiring you the whole time we were talking. I had a hard on the whole time.
Me: You must be kidding!
He: No I am not!
We said we would stay in touch with one another – he is 44, not married and a very nice man. I find my popularity with younger men inexplicable., I guess it is my sense of humour Now why he would call me eight or nine months later is rather interesting, to say the very least. He is not under quarantine, but, of course, I am.
So yesterday consisted of emails to three cousins, CPI and my computer guru. I asked Chris to get my statistics and. again, I about fainted. Just the numbers and not the countries this time. CPI was wondering how the ‘hone sheltering’ would affect the numbers – superficially it looks like slightly more viewers making many more views. It is most difficult to motivate myself to finish the Uncle Dave book knowing that it is not going to be the post popular book on the shelves and that I get far more readers on the blog. It also requires looking back on the past, and I do not like to dwell on the past. I emailed my Dryburgh cousins asking them about their health and also asking their permission to give up the book yet again. One had the best answer:
She: As the undertaking of writing the book about Uncle Dave was yours in the first place, it seems unnecessary for us to give you permission to stop
Me: Great and sensible answer. Thanks.
the New Yorker Humour cheers me again. This by Nick Hornby What to Watch During the Lockdown: Month 38.
“1997 NATIVITY PLAY, ST. SWITHIN’S SCHOOL You’ve seen “Downton Abbey” three times. You’ve even seen the movie. You’ve watched “Poldark,” “The Forsyte Saga,” “Grantchester,” “Victoria,” “Upstairs, Downstairs,” and everything Jane Austen so much as thought about writing. Where to go for your posh Brit fix? Try this nativity play put on by the exclusive St. Swithin’s primary school, in southwest London, filmed on a shaky but passable camcorder by a proud front-row parent. Harry Smith-Walker plays Joseph with youthful enthusiasm, although he tends to shout his lines, and his reaction to the flatulence of a Wise Man does break the fourth wall so. St. Swithin’s didn’t accept girls until 2002, so Nigel Parker-Lawrence plays Mary, with a rather winning modesty, although, as was true in so many pre-twenty-first-century productions, the part is underwritten, and Mary the woman is obscured by Mary the mother.”
Now does that make you laugh in great glee and forget all of our woes? What is a woe? It is misery sorrow, distress, wretchedness, sadness, unhappiness, heartache, heartbreak, despondency, despair, depression, regret, gloom, melancholy; adversity, misfortune, disaster, suffering, hardship; literary dolor. ANTONYMS joy, happiness. Well, oops, those words sort of took away all of the joy and happiness brought by the humour in the preceding paragraph.
Someone said in an email:
He: Thanks kind Alexis
That was so sweet, to be called kind its synonyms being. good-natured, kindhearted, warmhearted, caring, affectionate, loving, warm; considerate, helpful, thoughtful, obliging, unselfish, selfless, altruistic, good, attentive; compassionate, sympathetic, understanding, big-hearted, benevolent, benign, friendly, neighborly, hospitable, well meaning, public-spirited. ANTONYMS inconsiderate, mean.
It does seem to me that being kind to oneself is the first step – then to expand the world in kindness – not toward assholes but, toward those who are deserving. People who are critical of others are self critical – and they are most realistic in this regard. So life can be easy – think in compassionate, understanding and big-hearted ways toward oneself, be mean toward critical people and life can be good, even great it seems to me.
I feel so pampered at this moment. I have a man who ends a beautiful tribute to me with “I think I love you,” I am called kind, and a 44 year old man from Tennessee finds me sexy. Who could complain with all of that? Trust me, I do not! Moreover, I have my independence, and the man from yesterday’s blog accurately said: “You do not give a fuck about anything an I love embracing your body…..”
I had my daily conversation with Personal Driver and we spoke of many of these things. I told him that he did serve the purpose of Sancho Panza in my life.
Me: Do you agree?
He: Yes, one hundred percent.
Me: When you say that I feel grounded, that is what you do for me.
He: Thank you, Alexis
Me: No THANK YOU!
The attachments will be my most recent statistics and a beautiful painting composed by Chris the computer guru. He is at home, cooking, cleaning and painting while his wonderful wife Claire works from home.
