We should give beautiful a second glance (Marillion)

There is plenty of doom and depression in the world at present (my attention being directed at Libya, Bahrain, Christchurch, Yemen, and Sendai for five frinstances).

And:

Everybody knows that we live in a world where they give bad names to beautiful things
Everybody knows that we live in a world where we don't give beautiful things a second glance
Heaven only knows that we live in a world where what we call beautiful is just something on sale
People laughing behind their hands while the fragile and the sensitive are given no
chance

I thought, therefore, that it was timely to be naive and think about giving beautiful a second glance.

So this post is my shallow, naive, fragile and sensitive attempt to tell you about some joy happening to me right here, right now.

A picture bringing me joy is this one of Jacky on Jabeel Hafeet looking down over the town of Mezyad (next to Al Ain) - I love her expression of quiet satisfaction.



A book bringing me joy - Arabian Sands by Wilfred Thesiger. Thesiger was an old school English adventurer, most at home among the bedu communities of the desert. Adam will recognise the name because we visited an exhibition of his photos in the Al Ain museum.


Arabian Sands is his first book - written when he was 50, about his journey in 1945 through the empty quarter of Saudia Arabia/ Oman/ and the area now known as the UAE. Here's a sample:

Hour after hour, day after day, we moved forward and nothing changed; the desert met the empty sky always the same distance ahead of us. Time and space were one. Round us was a silence in which only the winds played, and a cleanness which was infinitely remote from the world of men.

A singer bringing me great joy (apart from Marillion's Steve Hogarth that is) is Lady Gaga. Mmmm - yes Keegan - I know! But she is great and the Tiida has been bouncing to work to her beats of late. I never thought I'd be quoting George Michael but - listen without prejudice!

A movie bringing me joy - Up In The Air with George Clooney. Yes, George's expertise is in firing people but it's funny, unpredictable, kinda thought provoking and George is a delight to be with for 2 hours, having the biggest shit-eating grin of all time.

A news report about the Dalai Lama retiring from politics at age 76 to concentrate on the spiritual side of his life fills me with joy as well. He has decided it is time to let others bring the focus onto the Tibetan situation and concentrate on being a spiritual leader to his people. I love this in so many ways. A genius moment of clarity from a wise man.

Clothes - a new tie and a new t-shirt (warned you about the shallow) are also helping to lighten the mood. The shirt is black with a picture of a Thelonious Monk album cover (Monk In Italy).

Food - breakfast is a joyful time with the combination of Original Alpen Swiss-style muesli/ Jordan's Country Crisp (with strawberries)/ Dorset Cereals' Really Nutty Breakfast Cereal and topped off with peaches.

How's that? - I'm feeling slightly better now!

Love and peace - Wozza