I looked for a word to describe my Wednesday, March 6,2024. Blessed would be one but needed one to describe the energy which fueled it. Invigorating came suddenly to mind.
Invigorate: give strength or energy to. Occasionally find it interesting to explore the origins of a word: mid 17th century: from medieval Latin invigorat.
Found the following synonyms descriptive of thy remembered feeling: revitalize, energize, revive, liven up, perk up, wake up, animate, stimulate, motivate,, exhilarate, uplift, encourage, put new life/heart in pep up.
I was animated, stimulated, motivated exhilarated and had a new/life/hear put in by my visit to Ithra – the sights,, the sounds, the people, the promise. Everything came together perfectly. However, when I returned to my hotel at the end of the animated adventure it was invigorate’s antonym – tired that described my resulting condition. It had been too much for me.
Too much is a slang expression, used after an adjective, noun, or verb to form a question that comments on someone’s intense feelings or extreme actions. It can be used to say that someone is very surprised, happy, unhappy, etc. about something.
I returned with several library books, but also the gift of a book, a rather ‘used’ wrinkled paperback which began: “The Holy Prophet has stated the foremost purpose of his being sent down to this world and the method of his call to the people in these words: “I have been sent only for the purpose of perfecting good morals. (Al.Muta)”
It was a fitting closure to the day seeing that I see that that was the purpose of the Propher’s (PBUH) being sent to the world The small rather tattered paperback book (to be pictured): Muslim’s Character by M. Alghazali . I am sure you will be hearing a great deal about this book in the weeks ahead.
It was a day that began with hardship (s) which took several forms. Little did I know at the time of the benefits which would follow. One hardship began in the form of a bad dream, a nightmare. I fell asleep after Fajr prayer, experiencing anxiety and dread in the sleeping state followed by much self recrimination because I missed the sunrise. I was lacking a planner the day, lacking purpose and enthusiasm
Things began to improve over breakfast. Met up with my new found friend, It was, unfortunately, her last day at the hotel. She had been working for Golf Saudi teaching Aramco women employees the ins and outs of golf.
Her nickname shall be Hee Haw or HH for short. (Hannah Exceptional Extraordinary Hannam Awesome Woman). I will clear it with her, but how could she object? HH left me treasures, leftover Tide soap, earrings, lotion, dates (the edible ones). She desperate needed an Administrative Assistant as she finalized her departure. I assumed the role. She packed, I called hotel reception to collect her luggage, gave her free advice (while explaining that you get what you pay for). Hahaha I cannot golf but we have two things in common, blue eyes and a wicked sense of humor. I will miss her, my free advice urged her to return so that we could develop a golf instruction comedy show.
She: First you address the ball.
Me: That’s easy. Hello ball! How are you today?
She: That is not what I meant.
Me: Please do NOT tell me I have to do it in Arabic.
I remember an absolutely hilarious Robin Williams comedy routine about golf. One fell off one’s chair laughing and this the closing lime.
He: And you do it nine times!
Fall off your chair means to be extremely surprised. This is my free advice to you. Type falling off your chair laughing into Google. You will be able to see videos of people falling off their chairs laughing. It will get you out of your bad mood (if you are in one) or add further cheer if you are not in a bad mood. Go ahead. Be brave. Try it, You just might like it.
But back to the stellar day that started out bad and ended up tired.
Hannah became my total friend – you have heard that expression A friend in need is a friend indeed. That was me – the friend in need.
“A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed” is a phrase that describes the most important characteristic of a true friend. Most noteworthy, the phrase means that a true friend is the one who helps someone at a time of need. Such a friend is certainly a precious asset in an individual’s life.
More from Wikipedia.
The idea that false friends will abandon a person in times of adversity while true friends will reveal themselves and provide help is ancient: the Greek playwright Euripides (c. 480 – c. 406 BC) wrote in Hecuba (424 BC)… “it is in trouble’s hour that the good most clearly show their friendship; and the Roman poet Ennius (c. 239 – c. 169 BC) observed…“a sure friend is known in unsure times”
The reason why I had no plans for the day, why I was in unsure times, in a troubled hour; it was because the hotel transportation service used to travel from hotel had been denied access to Aramco property, upon which Ithra is located. I LOVE Ithra, I need to go there, I cannot walk. Uber is useless and usurious.
HH: I have a driver that reliably took me to Aramco property ever day. I will call him. Arrange the first trip for you and then you can text him anytime you want to go there. He is really reliable.
Me: Thank You! You are a true friend.
The driver has a permanent Aramco sticker on his windshield. So no problem. He arrived Arrived on hime, picked me up taking me back to my hotel AND gave me the book quoted at the beginning of the blog. This was definitely a win/win. I will continue to use this service – I have peace of mind. Alhamdulillah.
To any of you who do not know about Aramco, keep reading and you will. Stop reading and you will not. This from Wikipedia:
“Aramco is a state-owned petroleum and natural gas company that is the national oil company of Saudi Arabia.[6][7] As of 2022, it is the second-largest company in the world by revenue[8] and is headquartered in Dhahran. It has repeatedly achieved the largest annual profits in global corporate history. Saudi Aramco has both the world’s second-largest proven crude oil reserves, at more than 270 billion barrels (43 billion cubic metres),[9] and largest daily oil production of all oil-producing companies.”
I do not recommend, or even suggest reading the entire Wikipedia article on Saudi Aramco. Do know from a most reliable source, a retired Aramco executive. Saudi Arabia does NOT have the world’s second largest crude oil reserves. If truth is important to you, my free advice is to keep reading this free blog. (Hahaha)
More about the truth as we head into Ramadan from my treasured Muslim Character book, It is well researched including citations to both the Quran and other. Hadiths.
The original plan when I began this blog was to talk about the amazing day I had at Ithra. Full of adroit adults, charming children, lovely librarians. fulsome food, great Greeks and a free Flat White. Who could ask for anything more???
Instead there shall be some photographs and a reel or two of the day. You see, it is Ramadan time, Preparations need to be made. My ODE TO ITHRA will have to wait until after Ramadan. Ramadan is not a time to worship Ithra but it is the “ninth month of the Islamic calendar,[8] observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting (sawm), prayer, reflection, and community.[9] A commemoration of Muhammad’s first revelation,[10] the annual observance of Ramadan is regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam[11] and lasts twenty-nine to thirty days, from one sighting of the crescent moon to the next.”
Those words are from Wikipedia, they seem accurate and did include not just fasting but prayer, reflection and community. This Ramadan shall be special for me as for the first time I shall have a sense of community.
You shall see a video recorded in the Ithra Library by one of their librarians. It was featured by me and she as My story. It received some of the most complimentary of all responses. Some did not respond. Too bad, so sad is all I have to say to them.
Simply put: To bad, so sad is an expression of mock sympathy. It is used in an ironic way to show that one is not sorry or does not feel bad about something. If any of you are reading this and wondering what you might do Google has a suggestion: “It’s hard to know how to respond in this situation. There’s nothing you can really say or do to take away their pain, so just communicate how sorry you are. You can also say: “Please accept my sincerest condolences/sympathies.”
The most spellbinding series of events just occurred. I was WhatsApping my Malaysian sister looking through GIFs to enliven my message. All because of that I discovered it was International Women’s Day. I sent a GIF, she sent me back an even better one. Both shall be attached to the blog so the word will get out. Next WhatsApped one to HH and another to my Mecca Hat Sister. We doing our part – as my Malaysian sister wrote on the one she sent to me: To us and all women out there!
