I think I have finally sorted out the problem I had with people not being able to leave comments. There is now a pop up window that allows you to leave a comment without having to jump through impossible hoops first!
So now if nobody leaves comments I will know that either I am being impossibly boring or I have a bunch of mute followers!!
Despite the blog itself gagging people, I have had several interesting conversations with people regarding my philosophising (if there is such a word?) I had expected some argument - but no, I think people are increasingly waking up to the fact that the way we have organised our society does not bring happiness to the vast majority of people. The news yesterday reported that 6 million people in this country suffer from high blood pressure - 6 million!! I don't know of many boaters that suffer from that particular problem. I guess the combination of travelling very slowly and being surrounded by both beauty and people enjoying themselves helps keep our black bile to a minimum!
Oh and welcome to our second reader from South Africa - Tony.
Don't Panic

My home!
Wednesday, 23 February 2011
Wednesday, 16 February 2011
I have discovered I can't comment on my own blog! It keeps asking me which profile I want to choose, but then gives me no choices and so I can't post a comment - Grrr! If anybody knows about these things, please tell me what to do. I've even altered the settings so even anonymous people can comment - but no joy for me!
What I wanted to comment on was Chris' comment and so this is what I wanted to say:
thought I was being ignored!!
For ages I have not received any comments on my various blog entries and I started to think nobody was reading it and so was wondering whether I should continue to write. Then yesterday I had a chat with a fellow boater from my mooring and he told me that he had tried to post a comment but that the site wouldn't let him.
So I have investigated my settings and I think I may have solved the problem. So if there is anybody out there panting to leave a comment - have a go!
Talking about comments, I had a read of my last posting and it struck me that a) it is a bit sermon like and b) it sounds as if I've got it all sorted and you poor slobs haven't a clue! Well, I can't help the sermon tone - it's a style I learnt when I actually was preaching sermons! As far as the second point, I certainly don't have it sorted. But I am experimenting with living another way and also living with a lot of cynicism about the great 'truths' this society holds. But, as I used to regularly tell my congregations - I could be wrong!!!
Thursday, 10 February 2011
success?
I have been pondering on what it means to have a successful life. What markers do we look for when we judge a life? It seems to me that on all the markers our society recognise, my life is currently spectacularly unsuccessful!
- I am single and haven't had a partner since the mid 90's - a cardinal failure in our world.
- I am fairly impressively downwardly mobile in my career and I am, on most scales, judged as poor as far as income is concerned. I do not have a house and have few possessions.
- I don't care a jot for my appearance, as long as I am clean. I have saggy bits and the odd wrinkle and I haven't worn make up since I moved aboard the boat. I have even let the dye grow out of my hair and can now see a fair amount of grey!
- As a water gypsy I have no status and am regarded as just above the level of a land gypsy by a lot of people.
- Having been 'a leader of men' in both my previous careers, I now have no influence or power over anybody except my dog - and not that much over her!
- Spiritually, I have walked away from a privileged position in the Church and am now homeless as far as a faith position is concerned.
- I have no ambition to 'better myself' as far as any of the above is concerned!
So I should be deeply unhappy if not suicidal! But what if we as a society used different indicators of success. Would we be a happier people?
- Instead of narrow romantic / sexual relationships, what if we judged ourselves on the quality of our wider relationships - with family, friends, our neighbours. For example I know the first names of all my neighbours and there are at least 20 boats on my mooring. How many neighbours are you on first name terms with? And what about strangers; I make a point of smiling at or greeting everyone I pass (unless I'm in town where it is pretty difficult!) If I'm waiting in a queue, I try and chat to the person next to me. I refuse to buy into the myth that strangers are dangerous and not to be looked at, let alone spoken to. What would our society look like if civility returned? If we smiled and nodded, doffed our hats and said, 'No, after you' occasionally?
- What if, instead of judging people on the number of things they own, we rated ourselves on how interesting we are, how much wisdom we have accrued, how kind we are, how closely we are living to our ideals? On this scale I have to admit I have a way to travel, but at least I've started on the road.
- And in our career, what if we were appraised on how much we helped our fellow workers, rather than trying to beat them up the greasy pole. What if the quality of what we did was judged, not on how much money or power we have accrued for the company but on how much the world was a better place because of what we have done? What if we judged our work, not on how much we earn or how far we have risen but on how closely our work matches our skills, our personality, our dreams?
- Instead of the cult of beauty / slimness / celebrity, what if we judged ourselves on how happy and content we are in our own skins. What if we looked at different types of faces, bodies, abilities or colours as part of the amazing variety of life and to be celebrated rather than trying to force everybody to conform into some sort of media induced ideal?
- As far as faith in concerned, what if instead of defending our beliefs against all comers, insisting on whatever we believe is the only way, we developed the quality of curiosity about other beliefs. What if we could look at something very different from what we believe and ask 'what can we learn from this?'
- What if, instead of focusing on how successful we are, instead we looked at how happy and fulfilled we are? Then, on this scale, I would be successful indeed! What about you?
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