Faithful readers will note that my December 14, 2022 blog contained more photos than originally promised. Searching through my multiple photographs looking for the magazine cover photograph. Discovered other images, so included them for publication. My memory did serve me well, there were photographs of the male members of the family, (interestingly titled a handful of his sons pose with the king), the harem from the outside (what was going on inside is left to our imagination), photographs of Saudi women in their abayas and hijabs, the main street of Riyadh. There is also a ‘head shot’ of King Saud with this caption: King Abu Saud, 63, has the head of an old Testament patriarch, the hooked eyes of an Arab warrior and the granite face of a Muslim fundamentalist.”
It is most amusing to see that this priceless magazine could be purchased for ten cents. Amuse is, again, a perfect word meaning to cause (someone) to find something funny. Its synonyms are a delight; entertain, make laugh, delight, divert, gladden, cheer (up), please, charm, tickle, convulse, beguile, enliven, regale; tickle someone pink, crack someone up, wow, be a hit with. Antonyms are bore, depress.
The many faithful readers who have had the vast privilege of meeting me (joke) know that I constantly entertain, cheer up, tickle, regale my stories.,tickle them pink, crack them up, wow and be a hit with. I am seldom (rarely) boring. Nor am I depressing – that comes later, when I am no longer in their life. I remember making a reel while living in my Marin County apartment (December 2021-October 2022) with the background music of “You Are My Sunshine.” The lyrics:
You are my sunshine
My only sunshine
You make me happy
When skies are gray
You’ll never know, dear
How much I love you
Please don’t take
My sunshine away
The other night, dear
As I lay sleeping
I dreamed I held you
In my arms
When I awoke, dear
I was mistaken
So I hung my head and I cried
You are my sunshine
My only sunshine
You make me happy
When skies are gray
You’ll never know, dear
How much I love you
Please don’t take
My sunshine away
I have taken the sunshine away from many a man, woman and some poor children, (but never a dog because I hate dogs and never gave them any of my rays to begin with).
I was totally surprised to read this about this treasured song: “You Are My Sunshine” is often called “heartwarming”, but a close look at the lyrics after the first verse shows that they’re better described as “heartbreaking”. It’s about unrequited love. This song has enjoyed enduring popularity for nine decades.” I ponder this – why unrequited love? I do love, so it is not me. But it becomes me if someone messes with me. I walk away and never look back, forget the person ever existed, forget both the good times and the bad times. Allah makes it very easy – you have no idea what happens to people who mess with me. Sometimes not immediately, recently and increasingly I have been blessed with patience. I take no joy from their demise, fall from favor, riches, privileges, sometimes everything they hold dear. Instead I pity them, not empathize but pity. There is a vast difference between the two. The synonyms that is closest to what I am trying to explain are those for take pity on. relent, show sympathy for, be compassionate toward, be sympathetic toward, have mercy on, put someone out of their misery.
I do laugh at the thought of putting someone out of their misery. Do admit to a fleeting feeling of knocking off the people who harm me. Shooting them I guess. But the feeling goes away and, moreover, do not have a gun and do not want one. It would be difficult to obtain a firearm because there is gun control in Canada, you silly Americans. There is also gun control in UAE, and most civilized countries. I am not saying that the UAE is civilized, I am saying it has gun control (to be perfectly clear).
But back to the ten cent May 31, 1943 magazine. There were a couple of other photographs, not yet displayed but shall be at the conclusion of this blog. The man in the center of the photograph of three men and three falcons is the photographer, dressed (rather uncomfortably it seems) in Arab clothing. Well, perhaps it is the falcons that are making him a bit uncomfortable. Then a photograph of camels eating dinner (or is it lunch?) The caption, in case you cannot read the small print says: “The camel really rules Arabia. Its hair makes Arab’s robes, its milk is its food, its dung its fuel and its back his transport. It eats camel’s thorn costs $15 to $150 dollars and loves its work.” Is not that absolutely precious? Does it not make you yearn for the good old days?
I am off to Riyadh this afternoon.Sent this email to a new found friend, met in the lobby of my Makkah hotel. She is a physician, educated in Saudi Arabia and going to Boston for a fellowship next year. I so look forward to spending more time with her. The subject of the email was: I come to your fair city today.
Me: Hello! I am most excited! A chariot driven by an English speaking driver shall arrive at my hotel at 2 and he will be with me until flight time. Then to Riyadh where I shall be met by Aziz Two, ATOG, and PEG (all the same guy). My heavy baggage already there taken by the guy with three nicknames. I truly am Sheikha Fatimah. Hahaha I so look forward to seeing you. We shall have great fun. THE Sheikha
But this is the miracle of it all. Finding the 1943 photograph of Riyadh makes it far more meaningful. And I was able to find it, at just the right moment, the timing could not be better. Do remember this: Allah is a Great Planner. Looks like Allah did it again.
I shall miss this hotel a great deal. They have shown me the greatest courtesy -immense as a matter of fact. I arrived in my room yesterday after an absolutely fabulous day to find my bed adorned with a swan and rose petals. Took a photo and put it on Instagram but shall also attach it to this blog.
By the way, found Judge Sham’s number in my contacts. It is 00971508617687. It might be a wrong number, or a temporary number? Who knows? See if you can track her down for me. What else are you doing with your time? Hahahaha
