I had a message from someone on messenger last night that
made me so happy. So grateful. If only she knew how much I appreciate hearing
from her. Hub and I were talking the other day about when we used to get
letters with stamps, hand written. Remember those days? Now it’s cards we
receive but never a letter. Oh, when I could see, the excitement of a hand
written letter, trying to guess the handwriting. Checking out the stamp, to see
where the letter came from and do you remember airmail letters? I think they
were blue and they opened in a strange way, you had to open them along the tear
and the paper opened out into the letter, so if you tore it at the wrong place,
then your letter would be spoiled, well part of it. It was a great way to save
paper don’t you think? I was also reading something interesting about an
elderly lady who went into a shop and was asked for 5p for her plastic bag. The
cheeky assistant told the old lady that because of her, generation, we all had
to work harder to care for the environment. Well, the elderly lady replied
something like this.
“the days when we used to get our shopping/groceries in
paper bags rather than plastic? When we walked to our shops because we didn’t
all have cars? When we used to have to climb up the stairs because in those
days not every shop had lifts or escalators. The days when we used to recycle
our glass milk bottles and save the silver tops for charity, so they could make
machines with and the days when our pop bottles used to be sent back to reuse? The
days when we, didn’t used to have holidays abroad? And when we had food rations
during the war and when we had a fire in one room two in the whole house, if we
were lucky, we didn’t have gas heating in every room!””
Oh, and the list went on, I thought it was such a brilliant
observation. We blame earlier generations for the mess our world is now in, in
fact it’s the generation I’m in and younger that are the ones to blame. Most households
now have two cars. We all go to our huge shopping centres where we expect
lights and heating, elevators and escalators. We well, in general, have a
couple of holidays per year and drive for hours per week even if we have to go
to a local shop, we will drive rather than walk. All of us have so much more
electric than what we used to have. We all have mobile phones. And we all have
gas heating and take a shower every day where as in her days, they used to
share a bath once a week.
Something else I was reading from a writer friend. (Jealousy,
envy and greed, are the worst qualities humans have.)
Opinion?
Well firstly jealousy, who does that hurt apart from the
person who is jealous? The person they have such feelings for is probably oblivious
to how that person is feeling and going about their day/life in perfect bliss. Easier
said than done though not to be jealous, isn’t it, how do we not be like that? I
guess you could start by looking at the other person more closely, do they
really have it all? Okay they may have the love of your life, but may be that
is our maker trying to tell us that we are not meant to be with that person? Only
time will tell us that. Meanwhile, just look out of the box and see what
answers may pop out at you!
Envy, in a way, it’s the same as the above. I may envy someone’s
lifestyle or circumstances. I don’t believe envy is as strong as jealousy, do
you? I also wonder if envy lasts as long as jealousy. Just take a look at what
you have rather than what you don’t have.
And finally, greed. Oh, I know all about that, my poor ex
had the greediest parents. I loved his Mum we got on so well, but his Dad was
the meanest person alive. To the point he had a mean look even. And it’s really
strange, because his children obviously all grown up, were far from greedy. They
were a huge family seven brothers and a sister. Some of them had their faults
but none of them were greedy, I know one of them used to get called mean but he
was nothing in comparison to his father.
What makes a person greedy? It must be genetics, because my
ex’s father was really rich. But acted like a pauper. He wore rags, drove
battered up cars and hung teabags on the washing line to reuse. Hahahaha. Joking,
he left them on the
draining board.
What is greed? Not sharing, steeling? Hiding money? Taking from
those who needed something more than they do? Well in my ex’s fathers’ case, he
did all that and wouldn’t pay into venues we went on a few holidays and oh my,
he just wouldn’t pay out for anything. We all went abroad one year and wouldn’t
you think if we were going on holiday, we would all leave on the same day? On the
same flight? Oh, no, they didn’t because going on their flight, they saved £30.
And, to save that amount meant their flight was forty minutes longer for whatever
reason.
They didn’t even leave on the same day.
Now, wouldn’t you think they would stay in the same hotel as
us? Nope, they stayed in a dirty guest house where they got their breakfast
which was a small one and their evening meal, was hung on the door… in a bag. A
sandwich and a slice of cake.
In our hotel, we had delicious full English breakfast and a three-course
evening meal with entertainment and our hotel had a swimming pool. Ex’s Dad
saved £60 by staying at his guest house. But they used to sneak into our hotel
to watch the entertainment and it didn’t stop there, he, used to go around the
tables and drink all the leftovers from people’s glasses…. And he even used to
sneak into the swimming pool, he had a nerve for sure. Now, that is greed. He had
a fortune in the bank. When we went places my mother in law went with us, but
he used to sit in the car because it cost too much for the entry.
It was really sad; he didn’t have to live his life like
that. But why did he? He died with thousands in the bank, what good did it do
him in the end? I wonder if it’s a disease? Oh, my darling Dads sister, now she
was one too. But apparently, my Dads father was also mean. So, genetics? My Dad
was the kindest person in the world, but his sister? Oh heck. She was so mean,
but only an apprentice to my father in law.
My now lovely Husband can’t stand greedy people. But I just
think they are sad if only they knew what life could be like if they were a
little kinder.
Traits are funny, aren’t they? Genetics are too. Being adopted
I’m not really too sure who I take after. I wish I knew. I hope like my Father’s
side as I really don’t want to be like my mothers’ side, apart from her looks,
she was pretty, haha, and slim, oh, heck, what happened there?
Personality, though, who am I? brothers’ sisters, parents,
all look at each other and know who they take after, I just wish I knew. It’s
like putting a jigsaw together. I hope one day my board will be full of pieces
of pictures that will create a beautiful scene. Of course, I would expect there
to be battered corners no family is perfect, and that is what we must remember,
nothing is perfect, no one has it all and if you share your love and time, you
could never be called mean.
Out of all three emotions, if you had to pick one emotion, Jealousy,
Envy or greed, which feeling would you, pick?
I guess for me, it would have to be envy, as jealousy can
really truly eat you up. Being mean, not sure if I would be able mentally to
deal with that. But being envious, hmm, I think that is the better of all
evils. To be free of all those feelings must be amazing, at some point of my
life, I have been at least two of those I think jealousy when I was much
younger over my first grown up boyfriend who married someone and I wanted to
scratch her eyes out. Bless her, I hardly knew her. And, I was blooming married
myself. But I was only eighteen haha, that’s my excuse anyway. And envious,
hmm, I guess I do flutter in and out of that emotion, but it doesn’t last long
as I do think about what I have and I’m very fortunate. Though I envy those
with sight, and those who seem to be happy going places, abroad on holidays and
just anyway they feel like going, for us to have a holiday abroad, wouldn’t be
easy. Of course, we have had holidays when our Son was younger, but not for the
past three years, the stress of going on holiday just the two of us is too daunting,
also, I couldn’t leave my dogs now, they are like my babies. And I would want
to leave them with only a couple of people but I would want them to be together
and that is a big ask.
And when I’m thinking how lucky sighted people are going
abroad, I then have to remember where we have been, the Caribbean, America a
few times, Norway, France a couple of times and Italy. There are people who
have never been abroad, so then my envy turns to anger and I get cross with
myself. But just to feel sun when the weather is so bad here, like the guys in our
neighbourhood are going on a golfing holiday to Spain, just like that. No worries
or preparation. But then I think, well, nice but they will be 50 per cent in
the pub probably forgetting what they have done that day, haha, and I would
hate that. Also, me playing golf? Well, Bloggets, it has been known. Okay, it
was crazy golf, and?
So, chill, deep breath and love your life if you are not in
loads of pain, if you are not getting hurt and you have a warm house in the
winter and fresh water as well as food, then we are all very lucky.
I can’t see, I hate being blind, but I can walk. Most of
all, I can hear. There are people who can’t see, or hear or even walk. There are
people who can’t get out of bed.
I hope to send you parcels of happiness and a good feeling. Living
is giving and caring is sharing.
And finally, before I go.
A kind act can be more powerful than a sword. Be kind and
gentle even under provocation.
Love isn’t always tied in bows. Anyone can buy gifts, not
everyone will be there when we are ill or just want a hand to hold.
With love.
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