Monday, September 20, 2010

Reframe, Refrain

Aloha Web Traveler

Come rest on da beach:


"Man does not live by words alone

despite the fact that he sometimes has to eat them."

Adlai Stevenson





"A certain recluse, I know not who,

once said that no bonds attached him to this life,

and the only thing he would regret leaving was the sky."

Kenko Yoshida





"The longer we dwell on our misfortunes,


the greater is their power to harm us."



- Voltaire







Situations arise
and resolve
but stress is forever:
attaching to your gut,
pulling down your heavenly head.


Regretted & fretted actions
continue to ripple out
even after we regret
and forget
them.

We post-moderns are action people
if there's a problem
we DO something about it.

"Proactive = good,
passive = bad"


But I am realizing, as perhaps you suspect,
that 99% of the world's problems
come from doing -

and that refraining

is oft the best policy.


Like the hospital patient
whose friend came to visit,
the visitor a tornado of fidget:
plump the pillow!
call the nurse!
But instead of helping, it
only made the patient feel worse.


At last the ill patient
lost his patience

as he said to his busy friend:

"Thanks for coming to visit,
but don't just DO something
STAND THERE!"

And so should we all
stand where we are.

Glad you came by today
to stand with me!


Warmly, cloudia

19 comments:

BALLET NEWS said...

fantastic. what a great read !

Myrna R. said...

Cloudia,
As always your posts are so thought provoking and beautiful.

Your photos entertain me and for a second, I am there.

Your writing is wise and poetic.

Thank you.

Anonymous said...

wise & poeticblog!

soon

Anonymous said...

Wow -- We should post this in every hospital corridor! Families and visitors get so busy doing useless stuff instead of just "being" present. Aloha, DrumMajor

Karen Jones Gowen said...

Ah I wish I could relax on the beach right now! I told my husband today I wasnt' getting anything done due to daydreaming. And he said, "Well, the daydreaming can be really healthy for people. So they don't stress out so much." Hooray for doing nothing!

Rosaria Williams said...

"I'm just standing!"

Anonymous said...

What a challenge nowadays standing has become. Wishing you all a peaceful Tuesday.


daily athens

Feisty Crone said...

Wonderful post!

Teresa said...

I love this post. That Adlai Stevenson quote is the best. I like the idea of resting instead of always doing.

Betty Manousos said...

That was a terrific read, Cloudia. :)
Thought-provoking read.

ALOHA!

B xx

Noe Noe Girl...A Queen of all Trades. said...

You are such a wise woman!
<><

Charles Gramlich said...

Been feeling kind of stressed lately. I could use more sleep perhaps.

Daryl said...

Ah Voltaire .. I am heeding your words .. be gone bad crap

Cloudia said...

Big thanks!

SandyCarlson said...

Being still is doing something. So said my Buddhist teacher. Being quiet is doing something. He said that, too. His words soothed my work ethic, and I learned to shut up. It's good. Beautiful post.

Snaggle Tooth said...

I too will most regret leaving the sky!
Great quotes

Junosmom said...

My life is a whirlwind of doing right now.

Keri said...

Aloha from fellow UH alum. Your photos make me a little home sick. I always have to remind myself why I left. Take care, Come and see me.

www.samwich365.com

Take care, Keri

Anonymous said...

great post thanks