I am ruminating about the status of statistics revealed by my Computer Guru Chris – there is no doubt that they are accurate and scientific, by the way. But what does it mean to ruminate. It is a verb whose meaning is: think deeply about. It has several synonyms, all meaningful: contemplate, consider, give thought to, give consideration to, mull over, meditate on, muse on, ponder on/over, deliberate about/on, cogitate about/on, dwell on, brood on/over, agonize over, worry about, chew over, puzzle over; turn over in one’s mind;
So I have given thought to, mulled over, meditated upon and chewed over the sheer numbers of readers spread across the globe. The blog, active since the end of January 2017, was never marketed, never sought advertisers which would market it (I guess). Readers were entranced by my big mouth (when I talked about it) and the blog cards which I circulated, like candy. This transmission of blog cards has slowed since the pandemic, so it is largely word of mouth.
The United States, Canada and UK numbers are large but somewhat explainable was I have lived and travelled in those counties since the inception of the blog. The UAE, with its 267 readers is somewhat is understandable as visited Dubai in January of 2020. But the 323 readers in Qatar is nothing sort of amazing as I have never been there or even known where it was until a few months ago. Of course, meeting many, many members of the Royal Family of Qatar in London in December of 2019, supplies a partial explanation. It is a very very large family but not 323 of them and not everyone speaks and reads English. So it is all rather mystifying. Mystify an interesting word with synonyms of bewilder, puzzle, perplex, baffle, confuse, confound, bemuse, obfuscate, nonplus, throw, flummox, be all Greek to, stump, bamboozle, beat, faze. So I am baffled, it does not make sense but there is no reason to worry about it . Wise Man cleverly opined that I write for myself and others tune in.Writing tends to ground me, to canter me – the days Ido not write are rather vague and meaningless. I now derive a sense of identity from being a blogger – that and being a retired former lawyer and person who is planning to become a Muslim.
The book given to me by Personal Driver’s son answers the question: How does one become a Mulim. “Simply by saying with conviction La ilaha ill AllahMahammadar rasuoola Allah one converts to Islam and becomes a Muslim, This saying means “There is no true God but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger )Prophet) to God.”
My conversion to the faith has been delayed due to a strange reason. I learned that whenever I appear in public my arms and my legs must be covered and I must wear a head scarf. I thought such attire was necessary only at the mosque – but no it is an every day occurrence.
The covering of the arms and legs is not a difficulty but the head scarf rule is a bit difficult particularly when the head scarf and the mandatory face mask must be colour coordinated. The colour coordination is my rule – not one of the faith. So the plan is to ‘put together’ several outfits using my existing wardrobe, scarves and face masks. When that task is complete then then I can say the words with conviction, being able to comply with the necessary rules. It will not be a hardship.
Not sure how this all got started but a husband is being sought for me in Pakistan. A ‘matchmaker’ is putting a great deal of thought into the selection. He is not a professional ‘matchmaker’ but has served this function with many members of his family and done it successfully the result being many happy and long lasting unions. He thoughtfully established three criteria asking which would be suitable. The first would be a man who needed me – his wife may have died and he needed a woman to mother his children or perhaps grandchildren. The man would be English speaking. This is the most preferable he thinks. That would be acceptable to me – I am most maternal even though I have not had children. The second category would be an English-speaking wealthy man. The primary residence would be Pakistan The matchmaker fears that ‘this marriage would run the risk of divorce, the loyalty the man in question. The third category is a man who does not speak English – we would wed in Pakistan, after a honeymoon, I would return to the USA and apply for him to come to live in the USA. That could work as my retirement income sufficient to ensure that he would not be on the welfare rolls.
This process could take days, months or years. The election of the men and then a journey to Pakistan to choose. I shall be accompanied by Personal Driver and we shall be met with tens of his family at the airport. I hope this stupid virus does not get in the way of all of this. But one has to have dreams, essential in these troubled times. I have decided that the man described in the third category has to be SO handsome. Please, ‘matchmaker’!
Strange day today which will be reported on ensuring blogs. Ensuing: follow, develop, stem, spring, arise, derive, evolve, proceed, emerge, emanate, issue, flow; occur, happen, take place, surface, crop up, spring up, present itself, come next, come about, transpire, supervene; be caused by, be brought about by, be produced by, originate in, accompany, be attended by, be consequent on, come after. So I shall follow develop, proceed, emanate and pursue the Quest for the Husband for Alexis McBride (Aka Alya).
The photograph pictured was purchased in North Vancouver, I do believe. It does say it all. Hahahaha
