Polyglot Gael, language, classical music, history and literature lover
Tag Archives: dailyprompt
Showing Balance or Moderation in Your Daily Life: when to unplug.
By Richard K. Munro
Knowing when it is time to “unplug” -get off electronic devices is really a question of temperance and moderation. For one thing one has to make an effort (I certainly do) to be physically active. When I go for walks or swim I never carry music or the phone.
I unplug or leave my phone charging in the bedroom. I never use my phone or have it on when we are having dinner (breakfast is different) or have guests. When I go out to dinner with my wife I never have my phone out.
I have a smart phone and I use it a lot every day, however. I use it to listen to podcasts, to read the WSJ, to listen to audible books and to study languages via Duolingo. But I do all my correspondence and reading on my NOOK or on my PC not on my phone. I like a full size keyboard.
AndI turn my phone off in the evenings and at night. When I study on the porch I don’t answer the home phone or text messages. Some people may watch videos on their phone but I don’t. I sometimes listen to music on my phone but more often listen to books or podcasts. I think it is important that we be masters of our pleasures and not a slave of addictions. Moderation is a virtue.
To use things that give us pleasure is fine. But not to the point we are disgusted with them or screaming with a headache! I love to read and study languages and I can spend three or four hours on Duolingo studying or reviewing languages. I keep notebooks of my newest languages.
But I have three basic rules for Duolingo:
1) I don’t begin unless I have read the morning paper WSJ and listened to my favorite podcasts
2) I always go for a short walk and do some cleanup in the pool and garden before I start
3) once I finish my basic studies, I do not go back to my phone to begin again but only read and review my notebooks after that or read something else. I will not stay up all night. I feel that late night sessions are not effective anyway. If I am tired I stop.
I also love to listen to baseball games (usually on the radio via MLB at bat in English or Spanish) but I limit myself to ONE FULL GAME a day. I could easily listen to 9 hours a day, but I limit myself to checking the standings, line scores and box scores of most teams. I only listen to my favorite team and top teams (because I want to get to know them better before the championship series).
So, I enjoy languages and baseball MORE because I limit the time, I spend with each. And baseball also is a language review for me because I listen to some games in Spanish. I try to read or listen to Spanish at least one or two hours a day. I have ONE PLACE I write (at my desk) and two places to read and study: in my armchair or on my easy chair on the porch. I have no television in my library, only a radio and CD player plus the computer which has SPOTIFY.
We have only one TV, so this limits my TV time. I often watch YOUTUBE for World News of podcasts in the morning or late evening when my wife is not watching anything. We often watch baseball games together and World Cup soccer and sometimes Olympic sports but are not obsessed with watching every minute of every sport. If I don’t have time to watch a game, I am happy to read the scores in the paper or on the phone.
I don’t spend a lot of time on the phone limiting my talks to close friends and family. For example, if my wife is aways visiting family I call or text her at least once or twice a day. I prefer to communicate via FB or IM or text. I like to share articles and Audible books via text or X. I am not a big fan of ZOOM meetings, but I enjoy the occasional FACETIME with my grandchildren. I also decide to spend time with my wife just to keep her company. My wife and I almost always watch the news and Jeopardy together but I like to watch war movies and war news and she does not so we do those separately. The last time we went to the movies she chose the Barbie movie, which was fine with me. I enjoyed it. It was amusing at times and had a certain element of nostalgia. I go out of my way to share the TV with my wife and sometimes watch what she is watching. If I really am not interested, I sit with her and read quietly from my NOOK. I enjoy reading on my NOOK but i take pleasure in reading physical magazines and books as well especially those with maps and color illustrations (such as National Geographic, Ancient Warfare or San Diego Zoo Magazine). I am not on social media all day long (I don’t have FB on my phone) but I do check it at least once a day for at least thirty minutes or so via my PC. I think it is necessary to unplug some days and some hours. When I visit my grandchildren, I never use my phone in their presence but just do things they like to do , do art , play , read together, sing, go for walks or watch cartoons.
So, there is nothing wrong with electronics if one is not addicted and on them and answering messages all day long. When I was a teacher, I NEVER used my phone or answered email except during lunch, during my prep period or before and after school. I think phones and electronic devices should be severely limited, even prohibited in many school settings but that is a topic for another time!
Daily writing prompt
How do you know when it’s time to unplug? What do you do to make it happen?
THE QUALITY I VALUE MOST IN A FRIEND: FIDELITY
By Richard K Munro
I see an old photograph of a Scottish Highland soldier of the Great War and I cannot but thing of my grandfather and his many lost comrades. They were brave and loyal and good and he survived and they did not. Auld Pop as we called him suffered a great loneliness. In the distance of time I see that now. He filled that loneliness with incessant smoking and drinking. As a veteran and as an immigrant he suffered constant distress or discomfort from his smashed social connections. He was reasonably happy with his family and grandchildren but he suffered great sorrow when he remembered his loyal and true wife (who predeceased him) and his comrades in arms. I think today we would say he suffered from posttraumatic stress syndrome.
I often think of Yesterday’s Seven Thousand Years as I know the past is no more but we still have now and the future, however uncertain is still to come. Yet there is always memory. To think is to remember our lives and experiences and our friendships. And the sweetest friendships are the warm friendships of people you could rely on through thick and thin. When I was a small boy I had a deep and loving friendship with my grandfather who taught me the alphabet and how to read. From him I learned Scottish dialect and heard many stories of war and adventure and baseball heroes (he loved Zach Wheat, Pete Reiser, Duke Snider, Jackie Robinson and the Brooklyn Dodgers). He taught me how to keep score and told me stories of Babe Ruth the 1927 Yankees (Murder’s Row) whom he had seen in person. Baseball was one of his constant companions. He went to many games. He listened to games on the radio. He kept score. He read the statistics and box scores in the newspapers.
My Scottish grandfather had only a few life long friends. In early life in Scotland he had many close friends. Sadly most were killed 1914-1919. When he remembered old comrades he would speak of their virtues and the highest virtue was to be a ‘leal n’ true mon” (a mensch; a loyal and true man).
So there is no question fidelity and loyalty were things he valued. People who make you laugh and who are kind are people that get into your heart and you never forget them. So fidelity is very praiseworthy if one is faithful within reason to someone or something that is good and honorable. My grandfather and father can no longer help me in any way but I feel a responsibility to remember them out of gratitude for the time and love they invested in me.
One hopes for fidelity in friendship and if one finds friendship and fidelity as well as love in marriage then one is blessed. I can honestly say my wife is my very best friend. We have been friends for over 50 years and married for almost 42 years.
One of sad things of life is that people even people you love come and people go. They die. They move away. Some remember you but to others you are it seems an afterthought. Their email bounces back. Their phone number is disconnected. When that happens all you can do it be thankful for the good times and offer up a prayer. You cannot know what they are or have experienced. Sadly, of course, most of the time the silence is due to inconvenience and indifference.
You have to work hard at keeping a friendship especially if one lives far away. People today are not moored to one place and neither are you so they drift in and out of your life. Nicholas Sparks wrote: {They are} “almost like characters in a favorite book. When you finally close the cover, the characters have told their story and you start up again with another book, complete with new characters and adventures. Then you find yourself focusing on the new ones, not the ones from the past.” That is certainly what we have to do though when one is old and retired it is more difficult to make new friends. One is lucky if one has the love of one’s children and grandchildren.
The secret of true friendship I think is gratitude and fidelity. We feel indebted to our friends because really we owe them nothing and what we share are memories of common travails, common laughter, companionship, odd stories and experiences.
I say to my friends THANKS FOR BEING THERE WHEN I NEEDED YOU. THANKS FOR EXISTING. THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES. Thanks for being that LEAL N’ TRUE MON (or LASSIE!).
My Collections and Curiosities
By Richard K Munro
Of course, my most intimate collections are the collections I have in books in several languages. I have over 500 books in Spanish, about 10 in Portuguese, about 50 in Scottish Gaelic, about 20 in Latin (which I read) and about 20 in Ancient Greek (which I am learning to read.) I have a few books in Italian, French and German (languages which my father knew but in which I am weaker), I have over 3000 books in English including some signed by the authors Such as William Styron, E.D. Hirsch jr, Diane Ravitch, Andrew Roberts. I had a book signed by Kenneth Roberts but I solid it years ago to pay a few bills. I had picked it up in a garage sale in Kirkland, Washington -they were just giving away some books- and I sold it years later for about $400. I was sorry to see it go but glad I had read it. I hope my books find a nice home when I am gone. Some are worthy of being preserved. I also have some museum replicas of classical art which I picked up over the years. The most special, I would say is a full sized museum replica of Athena Mourning (Greek: Σκεπτομένη Αθηνά).
It is said, that Athena is reading a list of fallen Athenian soldiers and sailors. I have always had an interest in public monuments and this is one of the great ones. It is made of white Parian marble and dates from the 5th century BC It is only 0.48 meters high . Today it is displayed at the Acropolis in Athens, with inventory no. 695. I picked it out in Athens and carried it in a box on my lap on the plane flight from Athens. My mother asked me if she could display it on the hall of her home “as long as she lived.” Of course, as a dutiful son I obeyed. In 2004 after almost forty years in her house -which is not longer in the family- my sister packed it up and mailed it to us in California. She looks over my right shoulder as write.
I also have a large collection of CD’s mostly classical music. I used to have hundreds of LP’s but have given most away as I now longer can pay them and they took up too much space but I still kept about 30 or so for Auld Lang Syne and for the liner notes. I also have a large collection of DVD (mostly of classic films). These have value only for me but I enjoy having them. Today, however, I mostly watch movies streamed on TV or listen to Spotify.
I have also a collection of fossils and minerals I collected in early youth. One of the most interesting to me is a piece of native copper. It struck me that this is why copper like gold is one of the most ancient metals known to man as it occurs unlike iron or silver in nature.
I have in a box with autographs of baseball players I collected with my son circa 1966-1992 including many Hall of Famer players such as Bob Feller, Hank Aaron, Nolan Ryan, Yogi Berra. Some are on cards, some are on baseballs. The best part of that collection is the memories of how we collected them including meeting and talking to the players in person. The nicest players I ever met were FELIPE ALOU (then with the Braves -I saw him play in the 1962 World Series) and BOB FELLER. My son and I talked to Bob Feller for over an hour when he came to Bakersfield. We talked about his career but also WW2. He would sign anything for free and he signed a book I brought plus a photo for my son. I also have a few Hartland Baseball Statues. I had many more but sold quite a few to pay some bills. I had a Ted Williams from 1961 Yankee Stadium that my father bought for $1.95 and I sold it for $450. I made over $1000 when I sold my Hartlands but I could not bear to part with them all -and some were very common and only worth $50-100 each. So they remain.
Since early boyhood I was fascinated by toy soldiers and military miniatures. Some I painted myself during long hot summers on the porch while listening to baseball games on the radio. But the most colorful and impressive are my Elastolin Roman soldiers. These are German made circa 1963-1972. They were not easy to come by and getting extra weapons then pre Internet was very difficult They are very sturdy and colorful if somewhat romanticized and fanciful . To accompany then I have some “barbarians” (Huns, Goths, Normans). I have complete set of Elastolin Romans including a ballista and a four horse chariot. These I have displayed in a glass case as if they were in fierce battle (four levels) About thirty years ago my mother lovingly pack them in boxes and sent them to me from New Jersey. Naturally, she was instrumental in acquring them over the years. In 2000 she and I went to Germany and we visited a Roman history exhibit. They displayed some dioramas with Elastolins!
In the gift show they did not have Elastolins but they has Bully Romans which are quite nice.
My mother bought me a handful and one, the centurion is now in command of a sailboat I have in my pool. I call it the RHINE PATROL. When I see it go back and forth I think of my late mother who said, “LOOK RICKY, ROMANS!” She died January 4, 2001 but I have many memories of her and collections that she encouraged and helped make. After all the years the memories of her love and laughter are more precious than the objects themselves. I was a good son but I know I could have been a better son. But I do know one of the great delights in her life and that of my father was for them to know our three children -all of whom have memories of them.
“What is it, namely, that connects the temporal and eternity, what else but love, which for that very reason is before everything and remains after everything is gone.” (Works of Love, Søren Kierkegaard)
In all its varied forms -C.S. Lewis wrote of the Four Loves- love is the raison d’etre of man’s life.
Love is, perhaps, the most powerful force we encounter in ourselves and in others. Collections are interesting especially as they often recall passions, travels and love. They may not have much material value but the have a strong educational and sentimental value. I read Caesar’s Commentaries in 1965 and Xenophon’s Anabasis in 1966 chiefly because of my interest in classical history sparked by my Elastolins.
Broken Fingers and minor injuries
By Richard K. Munro
I have had only one broken bone in my life (a left index finger). I was playing third base in Babe Ruth baseball and was about 15 or 16. A player had hit a double and was trying to stretch it to a triple. The outfielder made a quick and accurate throw right to me and I caught it. The runner was out by five feet. However, he did not slide but ran right into me at full speed. I still tagged him out and held on to the ball, but he hit me right on the glove. Despite being inside the leather glove my index finger was broken which meant the end of my baseball season for that year. I didn’t realize then that my hardball baseball days were soon over and after age 17 I rarely if ever played hardball.
Later while working in construction or serving in the military I had some cuts and bruises and injuries but the most serious health difficulties were from infections and disease. Generally speaking, though I have spent most of my life in reasonably good health. I don’t smoke and rarely drink any alcohol. I am very happy with tea, coffee and water! I enjoy swimming and walking and gardening but avoid sports like biking or skiing where I think now I would be in danger of serious injury.
My Favorite Drinks for Health and Pleasure
By Richard K. Munro
Of course, my favorite drink and the drink I drink EVERYDAY would have to be Adam’s Ale or good old H20 (water) often with some ice but not always. I think it very healthful to drink water with meals.
After drinking water I drink some coffee with milk every morning. In the winter I make a pot of Earl Grey with some lemon juice and Splenda and fill up a thermos and then sip all afternoon. Sometimes I add honey. In the summer I add ice and make a pitcher of iced tea. So if I were to add it up the drinks I habitually drink and like are in this order: WATER, TEA, COFFEE, MILK. I like fruit juices and drink them occasionally but they have too much sugar and too many calories so I substitute a vitamin C power in water each morning. I will drink a Coca Cola if on the road but rarely drink that anymore. Generally I avoid sugarly softdrinks.
I am not and never have been a a teetotaler however. But I am aware very aware of the dangers and temptation of “demon rum”. There is an old Spanish saying : If you ever know a man who tries to dr own his sorrows, kindly inform him his sorrows know how to swim. Drinking is one one to forget but it takes a toll on the mind and body. If one only drinks in moderation and occasionally one enjoys them more.
I just drink alcoholic beverages in moderation occasionally. In the summer I enjoy a cold glass of Spanish sherry now and then.
Of course, I enjoy a glass of cold beer now and then as well.
I am not too particular about my beer but enjoy draught beer.
I enjoy whisky also from time to time. If there is nothing else available I will have a bourbon whiskey or a rye whiskey but I never keep any of that stuff in my house. But my preferred hard drink is a nice Scotch blend or for special occasions a nice single-malt.
I like Irish whisky also and will have it from time to time. I really don’t like other hard drinks (tequila, vodka, rum, gin) and probably will go 10 or 15 years without drinking those drinks. In 2016 someone bought me a Bloody Mary and to be hospitable I took it. I liked it but haven’t had one since. It is 2024 and I haven’t had a Scotch since New Year’s Eve! If I am out I will have a Manhattan cocktail (made with whiskey sweet vermouth and bitters). If I can I would prefer a Rob Roy but in my experience a Manhattan is usually a more avialble cocktail. I never make fancy cocktails at home though sometimes I will make a hot toddy or a lemonade punch spiked with whisky.
I enjoy wine and usually we drink Spanish, Italian, Portuguese , Chilean, Californian or German wine.
In my youth I used to like pitchers of Sangria but rarely have it now. We all must drink both for our health and enjoyment. But drink clean water (I have a filter at home) and boil it if you must. This is why the British soldier of old drank tea. It was a safe and satisfying drink. That’s the way I feel about it today. I enjoy a coffee but find it can make my stomach upset. Tea always seems tasteful and salubrious to me so next to water it is my favorite drink.
My favorite Candy
by Richard K. Munro
“Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker.” said Ogden Nash.
As a kid I loved Baby Ruth bars and Snickers. Now I find them too sweet. But I still love chocolate.
\My favorite is probably Swiss chocolate but I enjoy good old Hersey’s with Almonds. The reality is I rarely eat candy today. The closest I get to it is hot chocolate in the winter or a glass of chocolate ovaltine. But if I am on the road and need a snack I probably will get a Snickers bar to tide me over!
FIDO: Our Beloved Link to Paradise
By Richard K Munro
“Dogs are our link to paradise. They don’t know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring–it was peace.”
(Milan Kundera)
I recently read a horrendous article about dogs being dumped over the outskirts of town and left to die. There was a redeeming characteristic to the article: two volunteers pledged to bring the dogs water and food. Like me, they were saddened at the cruelty and selfishness of so many humans and wanted to help the dogs.
Dogs are fascinating. They vary immensely in size and color more than any other mammal, so they are unique.
Dogs are, of course, Man’s Best Friend. They are probably our oldest animal companion the very first domesticated animal. In fact, without the dog our civilization may not have come into existence at all!
My father had a dog. My grandfather had a dogs almost everyone had a dog at one time or another. They were part of the family and part of the family history.
Lincoln loved dogs. He had a dog named Fido. Stanley Coren tells us:
“This dog was almost always with Lincoln and the people of Springfield would report that it was a common sight to see Lincoln walking down the street with Fido walking behind, carrying a parcel by the string tied around it. A regular stop for Lincoln was at Billy’s Barbershop for a haircut. Fido would settle down to wait outside patiently, although he could easily be lured into a game involving jumping and twirling when young children came by and paid any particular attention to him.”
Dogs have their flaws, however, They need attention and can be expensive to maintain. I think dogs tend to be dirty and greedy (for food).
And dogs have been known to fight over food.
Dogs who have been abandoned generally speaking are the most aggressive about defending their food. Having a bad master or none at all is bad for dogs. Through neglect and through the fear of hunger dogs can become aggressive. They say a hungry dogs forgets his training, forgets his master and believes in nothing to his bones and his meat when starving. So bad behavior is not really the dogs fault.
Sadly, very aggressive dogs have to be put down sometimes. So dirtiness and possible danger and aggression (particularly in large dogs) are a problem.
But are they any worse than human beings are in this flaw? Many poorly raised and marginalized people have poor hygiene and are thieves and aggressive bullies.
But given half a chance the average dog has one purpose in life: to be a loving companion to his master or mistress and loyally give his or her heart.
There is no friend like a dog. He will always welcome you home with affection and a jolly wag of his tail and a happy glint in his eye! He will warn you of danger, of strangers or intruders. If he doesn’t he is telling you something as well.
I remember the famous Sherlock Holmes story, The Silver Blaze.
“Is there any point to which you would wish to draw my attention?’
‘To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time.’
‘The dog did nothing in the night-time.’
‘That was the curious incident,’ remarked Sherlock Holmes.”
The fact the dog communicated was whoever came to see the horse in the stable was NOT a stranger but a well-known and trusted individual.
If there is a leak in the laundry room he will tell you.
If there is smoke he will sound the alarm.
Poor fellow! he is confused and frightened by the 4th of July as well as thunder and lightning.
But when you comfort him he brings you delight and more than ever is glad YOU ARE HIS MASTER and YOU ARE HIS FRIEND.
You are glad he is by your side.
And of course we talk to our dogs and wish they could talk to you! Sometimes it seems as if they try!
I genuinely love dogs and do not want to see them suffer or be harmed in any way. I love animals in general and am fascinated by them. I love the birds who visit our garden and who make their nests and lay their eggs in our eaves.
But my favorite animal is the dog because they are our link to paradise.
The saddest thing about a dog is we know he will be with us only for a short while. We get a dog and we know we will probably have to say goodbye to it long before we die because their lives are short.
But perhaps this is one of the greatest gifts a dog bestows to us.
The dog teaches us not to worry too much about tomorrow. We are all mortal.
The dog teaches us to be happy and grateful for small things that each day of life provides.
A warm blanket. A satisfying meal. A full water bowl. A scented garden. A cool summer breeze. A sweet breath of clean air.
A quiet evening.
And the love and companionshp of a true friend.
“And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.”
(John Masefield)
Ah, moon of my delight, [who know'st]1 no wane,
The moon of Heav'n is rising once again:
How oft hereafter rising shall she look
Through this same garden after me - in vain!
And when Thyself with shining Foot shall pass
Among the Guests Star-scatter'd on the Grass,
And in thy joyous Errand reach the Spot
Where I made one - turn down an empty Glass!
orship:
by Edward Fitzgerald (1809 - 1883), appears in The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám, First Edition, no. 75, first published 1859 FROM THE PERSIAN
FIVE THINGS I HABITUALLY DO FOR FUN AND ENTERAINMENT
Richard K Munro
- READ WSJ COMMENTARY LOCAL PAPER
- LISTEN TO PODCASTS OR AUDIBLE BOOKS DURING BASEBALL SEASON LISTEN TO BASEBALL GAMES ON THE RADIO OR MLB AT BAT YOUTUBE NEWS (London TImes/Sky News/etc).
- WORK IN GARDEN clean the pool. ENJOYING NATURE OR GO FOR WALKS IN THE PARK SWIM WHEN WEATHER IS GOOD
- STUDY LANGUAGES ON DUOLINGO AND ALSO WITH SUPPLEMENTARY DICTIONARIES AND READINGS WHILE LISTENING TO CLASSICAL MUSIC AND SIPPING ON THERMOS OF TEA
- READ X (TWITTER) AND POST ON BLOG OR FB read books.
(I USED TO LOVE TO GO TO THE MOVIES BUT HAVE ONLY GONE OCCASIONALLY RARELY SINCE 2017. LAST MOVIES I SAW IN THE MOVIES WERE BARBIE 2023 (ok) 1917 and Darkest Hours.).
I like old movies and will see one now and again. Most TV series are too much for me. I enjoyed REACHER. But it was a limited series and not too long.
List five things you do for fun.
Thoughts on living a long life
By Richard K Munro
“One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and, if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words.”
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship
That’s certainly is my motto FOR THE GOOD LIFE.
And this shall be for music when no one else is near
The fine song for singing, the rare song to hear!
That only I remember, that only you admire
Of the broad road that stretches and the roadside fire!
(R L STEVENSON)
***
O I had ance a true love, now I hae nane ava;
And I had three braw brithers, but I hae tint them a’.
My father and my mither sleep i’ the mools this day –
I sit my lane amang the rigs, aboon sweet Rothesay Bay.
It’s a bonnie bay at morning, and bonnier at noon,
But bonniest when the sun draps and red comes up the moon.
When the mist creeps o’er the Cumbraes and Arran peaks are gray,
And the great black hills, like sleeping kings, sit grand roun’ Rothesay Bay.
Then a bit sigh stirs my bosom, and wee tear blin’s my e’e,
And I think of that far countrie wha I wad like to be.
But I rise content i’ the morning to wark while I may –
I’ the yellow har’st field of Ardbeg, aboon sweet Rothesay Bay.
This old Scottish song, which I have known for most of my life, reminds us there is beauty in this world but also sadness, loneliness, loss, and separation. But we should rise content each morning to work and study while we may and if we have lost loves and homelands we should be grateful that we have known friendship and love.
I have a chance for a long life.
Already I am grateful for the years I have lived (mostly in good health). I am 68 years old and older than many people I worked with, studied with or loved. I have known people who died in their teens, in their twenties, in their thirties in their forties, in their fifties, and in their early sixties. I once saw a Sea Knight Helicopter fly away and cursed the fact I was not on it. It hit bad weather and crashed about 15 minutes later 23 Marines were killed including some people I knew. Our company commander canceled our trip and we had to march more than 20 miles back to camp in bad weather. Sometimes as Auld Pop used to say your number is up.
One lesson I have learned in life is that the body is a fragile vessel and that we are all mortal. Every day of good health is a gift. I think being married has kept me reasonably happy and healthy. Choosing a good spouse is one of the most important decisions one can make for one’s happiness and health. I have been married for almost forty-two years to my best friend of the last fifty years. John Joseph Powell in The SECRET OF STAYING IN LOVE wrote: “It is an absolute human certainty that no one can know his own beauty or perceive a sense of his own worth until it has been reflected back to him in the mirror of another loving, caring human being.”
Yes, no one can know true happiness unless they know the love of a husband and wife or of a child. I know when I first saw my grandchildren it was love at first sight! I do believe in enthusiasms and love at first sight.
Yes, no one can know true happiness unless they know the love of a husband and wife or of a child. I know when I first saw my grandchildren it was love at first sight! I was happy the day I was married -but not as happy as my parents I think and I was happy when our children were born -a very special gift for which I am eternally grateful- but there is no joy like the surprise or extra-inning gift of grandchildren. Children mean sacrifice and a lot of hard work but they pay dividends a hundred times over. Hugh Heffner with his multitudinous and mostly sterile dud in the mud sex was really a chump, not a champion. He thought he knew what life was but wasted most of his life in hedonistic trivialities. He thought he knew what love was but he knew only a fraction of the Four Loves.
To be happy one has to be in reasonable health. One has to have something to do with your time. So it is important to have hobbies and intellectual interests and a few good friends. One should be loved and have someone to love, have a roof over your head, some soup at the boil, some tasty food to eat, One needs plenty of water to drink and wash, One thing l learned is that one can go days even weeks of light eating but one cannot go very long without water. So water is my favorite beverage!
To be happy one has to have some dreams and something to hope for. Many of my personal dreams are unrealized but I had fun trying to achieve those dreams. I hiked many mountains I climbed many ruins in Sicily, Crete, Madeira, in Portugal, Spain, Scotland, Greece and Italy. I kissed a few pretty girls and they kissed me back. I have gone deep sea fishing in the Atlantic and Pacific. I played a lot of baseball and became in the words of a local athlete “decent”. I served honorably in the Marine Corps. I have published a few articles and one-act plays but never have written (a published book). I have written (privately) three volumes of essays and personal recollections that my daughter published. They are primarily for my grandchildren. I have taught many classes in history, literature, and languages and helped many students. I have coached sports teams and seen great athletes at play. All of our children and grandchildren are bilingual and were or are being raised as native speakers of Spanish and English.
I love monumental public memorials and sculptures though Shakespeare sang in the Sonnets of the immortality of literature:
“Not marble nor the gilded monuments
Of princes, shall outlive this powerful rhyme,
But you shall shine more bright in these contents
Than unswept stone, besmeared with sluttish time.”
When I visit the cemetery or war memorials, I walk past hundreds or even thousands of names that represent life stories now silenced forever.
Oh, they are the Silent Ones. May the many monuments that abound around the globe to those who have fought to protect our freedom and national independence remind us of duty, the cardinal virtue of courage, the inestimable value of valor, the honor evoked by such sacrifice!
Look at and contemplate {those}
” names …inscribed on the parchment of fame;
Heroes whose seeds were a noble example
That others might follow and honour thy name.”
I know that recorded history holds the adventures of a few who managed to be inscribed in the parchment of fame.
I have never thought I needed to live a life worthy of being recorded.
I never really sought fame or wealth but contentment and the quiet and security of a nice house and library. ] I enjoy quiet cafes, quiet rivers, quiet museums, and quiet walks in the park or in a forest. I have always wanted to live an honorable life of service to my school, my country, my family, and my God. “non mihi non tibi sed nobis as the Romans said, “not for me alone nor for thee all but for the common good of all.”
I knew all about the world of books. For most of my life, they were my biggest adventure. Books could take you into a better world. A world where there were fine songs for singing, moving laments, sports heroes, romance, adventures, tragedies, military adventures, explorations, mysteries, prayers, legends, and yes, even magic. Of course, the articles, stories, songs, and books ended eventually. Then you had to go back to being yourself.
So in the final analysis bookish adventures are not enough. A man craves the freedom to see places and do things. And when you are old you can look back and remember. This is one of the reasons I enlisted in the Marine Corps , worked in construction as a laborer (I helped build Bill Gate’s home in Bothwell, Washington), and why I lived and traveled in Latin America, Spain, and Europe as much as I could. I knew my time, my health, my freedom, and my financial independence were limited. My father always said, “You have to take chances in life. The door of opportunity opens and then closes. If you don’t move ahead when you have the chance you can lose out forever. You have to decide if it is worth taking the chance.”
I realize I am the biggest threat to my emotional, financial, and physical health.
So what do I do?
Number one I have a wife, children, life insurance, some savings, and some property. I am not a doomsday prepper by any means but I believe in having emergency food, water, and medicine just in case of some natural catastrophe. I have a solar crank radio, a solar charger, flashlights, batteries, candles. a first aid kit, an emergency stove, extra medicine, and spare glasses. That is not excessive. If one wants to have a long life one must be prepared to take care of oneself in case of an accident or an emergency.
One thing I hope is that I do not outlive my wife, my children, or my grandchildren. I hope I live long enough so that my grandchildren have memories of me and get to know and love me. That is an important goal in my life. I look forward with joy to every spring. I love the birds who come to visit and feed in our garden. I love the plants and flowers that bloom.
I do a lot of serious reading (classics, non-fiction, biography) but I enjoy lighter fare such as adventure tales, mysteries and westerns. I enjoy reading jokes and joke books.
I love reading about baseball and listening to games (chiefly) via MLB at Bat. I listen to games in Spanish and English. I first listened to baseball games in Spanish in the 1970s and it helped develop my Spanish.
Otherwise, I don’t spend a lot of time on spectator sports. I glance at the newspaper but that’s about it. Most of the time I am happy to read about the final score.
I try to set time aside for PHYSICAL EXERCISE and JOY ( I try to walk daily in the park and clean the pool and garden). When the weather is good I swim once or twice a day. I love reading and listening to classical music so I have CD’s and a nice BOSE player, plus SPOTIFY plus ITUNES for my phone.
I love to read the papers -The Wall Street Journal and our local paper every morning or Commentary magazine. I listen to LONDON TIMES radio reports as well as the Daily Telegraph and some Israeli news as well.
I spend some time on PERSONAL GROWTH. I love studying languages and spend about 2-3 hours a day studying new languages and reading ones I know. I have taken up a new hobby! Drawing. I always have drawn a little bit in my language studies but I have decided I can improve the quality of my notebooks! I enjoy singing or humming songs. I enjoy reciting poetry by heart just for fun. I also set aside time for relaxation. If I am tired or have a headache I rest and have some tea with lemon, Splenda or honey. I make a thermos of it to sip all afternoon.
I love doing FACETIME with our grandchildren it is so wonderful to talk to them and see them so full of joy and happiness. It feels good to hear them say “YAYO, WHEN ARE YOU COMING TO VISIT?”
I enjoy phone conversations with a few friends but am not really a phone person. I have to plan to call someone. Basically, I think calling can be an intrusion. And I know some people don’t like long or serious conversations. So my conversations with books are more satisfying than most phone chit-chatting. But I call people who call me. People who don’t call me or write to me I pray for but don’t worry about. It’s sad when old friends drift away but the truth that’s life.
So I prefer to write on my blog,The Spirit of Cecilia or THE GILBERT HIGHET SOCIETY on FB or email people. I text some family and friends and share book titles via Audible.
I try to be moderate in what I eat and drink (I primarily drink water coffee and tea). I have a physical once or twice a year and take my medicines.
I know that if one is to enjoy a LONG LIFE one has to do what one can to stay as healthy as possible. Then the chances for a happy long life are better.
As a young man and in middle age I traveled a lot so I am happy that I had that experience. But now I really have lost my wanderlust. I only want to travel to visit our grandchildren. Most days I am at home, on the porch, in the garden, in my library, in the TV room , or listening to podcasts or books on tape in bed. My wife and I enjoy JEOPARDY and British mysteries and shows on Masterpiece Theater. I don’t drive very much anymore perhaps once a month or less! I spend some time on Twitter (X) and Facebook and check my email at least every other day. I enjoy corresponding with people in Italy, Scotland, Israel , and throughout the English-speaking world.
I have always had the Munro motto in mind which is Dread God (and obey his commandments because that is the whole duty of man). BIODH EAGAL DHE OIRRE in Gaelic or Reverence you unto God. It is a very ancient motto and reminds us that Munro is a Christian name -it means the descendant of the Men of the Halo River the Roe (the Saint’s River) a place name in Ireland. That is probably the first Bible quote I ever knew and I heard it at least from 1959. I think It helps to have God and a little religion in your life. But that’s just my opinion. People should have freedom of conscience and choose their own paths. The only thing I go do is set a good example and invite people to consider the Good Life as I see it and seek it.
An ancient motto I have known since at least 1960 is NE OBLIVISCARIS do not forget. This was the Regimental motto of my grandfather’s old Regiment 1914-1919, the Thin Red Line of Heroes (The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) At Balaklava in the Crimean War, the Argylls were called the Gaelic Rock. If they had failed the entire British and Allied army may have been destroyed but they calmly spread out in a thin line of two, fixed bayonets and fired aimed volley after volley from their Enfield Rifles. Their commander Sir Colin Campbell said, “Lads, we have to stop them or fall in the effort.” The Argylls near him said to him laconically, “Aye, we’ll stand until you give the order.” The war correspondents who were present were astonished at their discipline and cool courage. The Thin Red Line of Heroes became a symbol of the courage and professionalism of the British Army but especially the Scottish Highland Regiments. Many of my ancestors served in Highland Regiments.
And of course, I am a loyal man so SEMPER FIDELIS (always faithful) is a motto also. This is the motto of the US Marine Corps.
Another motto is CUIMHNICH AIR NA DAOINE BHON TAINIG TUSA (REMEMBER THE PEOPLE YOU CAME FROM).
I believe marriage is a sacrament and I have always been loyal to my wife and family putting their security and happiness above everything else.
I face firmly towards the future but never forget the past. I know in a long journey some things have to be left behind.
I only wish for my granddaughters and future grandchildren that they will have strong faith, good values, a good education, and the warmth and security of a good family.
For that is the duty of a good man, a good father, and a good husband. If you live a good life you will want to live a long life and I think you have a better chance for achieving a long life.
Daily writing prompt
What are your thoughts on the concept of living a very long life?
Spirit of Cecilia 
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