Skip to main content

Living Well is the Best Revenge

The Tribune column, Nassau, Bahamas. June 25th 2019.

“Living well is the best revenge” is a quote from George Herbert a 16th century poet. I don’t know what his motive or meaning was but my interpretation which I apply to my own life is that to do so means making the best of whatever life throws at us - and making it count.

One interpretation could mean living high off the hog with a lavish lifestyle requiring money to spend on expensive habits or acquiring things - cars, houses, clothes, luxurious holidays or entertainment. But those are superficial ‘things’. If you want them and can afford them (key words) and they give you pleasure then go for it. But the word “superficial” is important because although enjoyable, they are not a foundation on which to build a happy and rewarding life. At best, they are an enhancement which may (or in many cases) may not bring you sustained contentment.   

My perspective says living well means building a solid base of inner stability making our words deeds and actions congruent so that we are at peace with ourselves and can fashion a balanced life. It means embracing all that life has to offer - for ourselves, our friends and families and reaching out with an open and understanding heart to care for those who may need our attention and compassion; occasionally it means thumbing your nose at the naysayers or people who have set out to hurt you - living well - a harmless way to extract ‘revenge’ by overcoming adversity and enjoying the journey wherever it takes us.

In my case it has meant and continues to mean extracting the good and the positive from every situation. Even in the hardest of times, there is usually a glimmer or a hint of something positive  to focus on and no matter how small being able to take away a little nugget of gold. As it would if it were the real thing, it might take some serious digging but worth it in the end.

Having just moved house in the last few days of incredible heat, carting boxes, bits and pieces, and cleaning until I was ready to drop even with the final insult, suffering along with everyone else, yet another power failure. But when all was done, I had two cold showers and felt refreshed. In my book that’s ‘living well’. I have a roof over my head, food in the fridge and a car to drive, not all of us have that, fancy or otherwise. But most of all the biggest part of my being able to ‘live well’ has been the enormous and priceless gifts of help from friends, old and newer, ranging from messages, ‘phone calls, temporary accommodation to permanent space and gifts of food and wine to celebrate. Their ongoing interest and concern for my well-being has never faltered and I am so very grateful for their kindness, caring and  emotional and material support. Because of their actions I am looking out of the window watching the dawn lighten the sky and later will be able to watch as the sun sets on another day; because of them I am sitting here writing this column with the ocean directly in front of my windows - every time I look up the sea is there to refresh my spirit. In my book, I have everything I need and am living very well. 





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Art and the Act of Writing & Reading

I love the act of writing whether putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. All of it  - whether I am creating poetry, essays, copy or ghost writing. And I love writing letters  as well as receiving them. I wish this had not gone out of  style or been replaced by the quick soundbite or messaging. I love the process. Writing for me is tactile. Poetry for instance must first be written with pen and notebook. There is something particular about physically connecting to the paper and it must be the right paper. I have many notebooks for this purpose and they are chosen very carefully for size and feel and sometimes for a message they might have imprinted on them. Similarly, the pens must also be special whether by colour, shape or a unique design. How they feel in my hand and how fluidly they write is very important to the process for me.  When I am writing it feels the same as if I were painting with a brush on a canvas. The page is my canvas and the pain...
1 comment
Read more
Not for the Faint of Heart Love is not for the faint of heart. To allow love,  answering its only need takes courage and a willingness to surrender blindly to the journey full of rocks and stony places. To stumble but not falter certain that love is a constant  which will carry us to safety, a straight line to the beloved  our ultimate destination.
Post a Comment
Read more

Older Women: Changing The Conversation

Tribune (Nassau, Bahamas) column for August 6 th 2019 The Change of Life - is a phrase usually applied to women going through menopause and, more often than not, is regarded as a negative happening both during that phase and when it is completed. True, for some women it can be a difficult time with distressing, painful physical and emotional symptoms and much credence has been given historically to the theory ,along with many other myths, that it will automatically make the woman a lesser person, diminished by the fact that childbearing is no longer an option. We need to change that conversation first in our own heads so that we can then influence society’s skewed perception that this is another downhill stop on the route to old age. In today’s world of connectivity there is no logical reason for this thinking. We are living longer, have more access to information, medical help, exercise, diet options, recreation and entrepreneurial opportunities and communicating with each other...
Post a Comment
Read more