These little three words came unbidden to my (alleged) mind. Hope springs eternal. So what did I do? Faithful readers will absolutely know the answer. I typed the three little words into Google, thereby learning the words formed a proverb with a most hopeful message. “It is human nature always to find fresh cause for optimism. This saying, Google informs , comes from a a man of the Enlightenment. “ People always hope for the best, even in the face of adversity. This saying is from “An Essay on Man,” by Alexander Pope.” The spring of hope, the meaning of hope is most enlightening and encouraging. “It’s the time when nature is waking up from its long winter sleep, when beauty is rising out of the cold. Spring is also the time of hope. Hope and new beginnings.
The metaphor for spring is also warming. The season of Spring is about rebirth and regeneration, and it is the perfect metaphor and reminder that no matter how difficult life may feel, there is a new season of rebirth right around the corner.
I am realistic, realizing that this level optimism is not true for all people residing on the planet earth. Hordes of individuals are mired in pessimism May I suggest that you just leave those people be, leave them stewing in their own juice? They actually enjoy being in that frame of mind and your presence in their lives will only serve to bring you down to their level. Misery loves their own company. Let them have it.
Stew in your own juice is an expression which means: to worry and suffer because of something that one did.Another way of saying this is to be left to suffer the natural consequences of ones on action. It has the strangest origins ” Bismarck is said to have used the phrase during the French-Prussian war (Franco-Prussian War/Franco-German War), a conflict he may have deliberately provoked. During this war, he told his armies to “fight until the French stewed in their own juices.”
But getting back to the topic of hope springing eternal. This is, as my usual modus operandi, absolutely true, but unbelievable. I went for my weekly blow-out, blow-dry, whatever you want to call it (but not blow job because there are other connotations to that phrase.). A sign found in Ricci’s Hair Salon on Japer Avenue, Edmonton, was so timely and exactly spot on. It shall be pictured at the conclusion of this blog so you can see for yourself, it said Spring is in the Hair.
Spot on is a British informal phrase meaning exactly right, completely accurate. The following is from a 2012 Fresh Air podcast entitled Even Americans Find Britishisms Spot On.
“ I’ve always associated “spot on” with the type of Englishman who’s played by Terry-Thomas or John Cleese, someone who pronounces “yes” and “ears” in the same way — “eeahzz.” It shows up when people do send-ups of plummy British speech. “I say — spot on, old chap!” But that wasn’t really fair to Romney.”Actually, “spot on” doesn’t sound snooty when it’s used as an adjective meaning accurate or on-target, as in “a spot-on impersonation.” And it has become more common in American speech than it was even 10 years ago, when it made a notable appearance in a 2003 episode of The Wire.”Spot on” falls somewhere in the blurry region between affectation and flash, like a lot of the Britishisms that have been showing up lately in American speech. The New York Times blogger Ben Yagoda has a site listing more than 150 of these imports. They’re a motley crowd, from “daft” to “dodgy” and “keen” to “kerfuffle.” Adding a foreign word to your vocabulary is like adding foreign attire to your wardrobe. Sometimes you do it because it’s practical and sometimes just because you think it looks cool. Some of the new arrivals are clearly useful. “One off,” for example — it’s a nicely concise noun for a one-time event. Other words have a whimsical appeal. “You’re a dab hand at the Google,” I told my wife the other day. I’d put “spot on” and “gobsmacked” in that group. And still others announce the arrival of imported sensibilities. “Snarky,” for example.. …After all, British English comes to us through a much narrower pipe than the one the the one that floods Britain with our words. They pick up our language from Friends and The Avengers. We pick up theirs from Downton Abbey and Inspector Morse. And when they do send us an occasional blockbuster like Harry Potter, they’re considerate enough to Americanize “dustbin” to “trash can” and “pinny” to “apron.
Back again to hope springing eternal, optimism appearing seemingly from adversity. Faithful readers may recall the amusing exchange with a former Marin County colleague concerning my Muslin name of Fatimah. She sent an email containing new treasures accompanied by a nickname request, she prefers to be called my friend La Marquesa
She: Hi: Just received a flyer from the Carmelite Sisters with a brochure containing this photo. Thought you’d like to see what Our Lady of Fatima looks like in their vision. Here she is appearing to three little Portuguese girls as the legend has it.
By the way, Fatima is the equal/same as Mexico’s Virgin de Guadalupe who appeared to a peasant walking home on a deserted road. His name was Juan Diego and the Virgin appeared to him several times. The first, of course, shocked the you know what out of him. She told him not to be afraid and said she’d return to the same spot another day and he was to bring a wreath of fresh roses.. Then she told him to take a message to the local church to ask that a cathedral be build in the city in her honor for all the poor people to come and pray. Legend has it that she encircled herself in the wreath of roses and somehow her image was put onto a large cloth. It is on display in the cathedral in Mexico City under glass for all to see. Scientists have tested it and can find no other cloth like it, nor can they explain the colors or figure on the cloth. Maybe you can do a blog on religious legends of apparitions. That would be interesting.
Me: I am SO grateful for this. Incredibly grateful. I think it is an absolutely brilliant idea to talk about apparitions on the blog. They do take a different form in the various religions of the world. I know of the Catholic faith from you (I was a Protestant when young) and now I know of visions in the Islamic Faith. I am SO grateful to you. I am getting sick and tired of writing about Alberta politics – I am sure my readers are as well. Hahaha. Is it okay with you that I quote you by name or do you want a nickname?
What a gift this is and it is not even my birthday yet. Hahaha Alexis (aka Sheikha Fatimah) .
This shall explain how and why this exchange arose from adversity. I had terminated my voluntary retirement membership in MCARE. My final newsletter from the association included a fascinating article written by La Marquesa. I wrote her expressing delight in the topic and her writing. We began a private correspondence filled with news of other Fatimas. We are having great fun, as you can see.
Three photos will follow. 1) Spring in the Hair sign, 2) My hair following the blow-out or blow-dry, 3) the photo of Our Lady of Fatima sent in the flyer from the Carmelite Sisters. I am positive you will be able to figure out which is which. Hahaha
