BS: what makes you think

Subject: BS: what makes you think
From: Megan L
Date: 21 Jul 15 - 07:34 AM

10 or 12 years ago I was doing some research in our local archives about the red cross during WW1. I came across a poem in the local news paper that grabbed my interest and wrote it down. Unfortunately a year later I left the organisation and forgot to take a copy of the poem with me. It was lost and remained just a vague memory till yesterday when I had some time to kill and wandered into the new archive for a look, an hour later after a most enjoyable perusal of the microfilm copies of the newspaper I came away with my prize.

Suppose

If all that we say
In a single day,
With never a word left out,
Were printed each night
In clear black and white,
'T'would prove queer reading, no doubt.

And then just suppose
Ere one's eyes one could close,
You must read the day's record through,
Then wouldn't one sigh,
And wouldn't one try
A great deal less talking to do?

And I more than half think
That many a kink
Would be smoothed in life's tangled thread,
If one half that we say
In a single day
Were left forever unsaid.

                                                                                Grace W. Castle


It made me stop and think my question is What has made you stop and think recently.

Subject: RE: BS: what makes you think
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 21 Jul 15 - 07:52 AM

Charlestown

Subject: RE: BS: what makes you think
From: jacqui.c
Date: 21 Jul 15 - 07:56 AM

Nice one Megan.

What made me stop and think yesterday was talking to a lady at the Women's shelter where I teach crochet and knitting.

This lady was very well educated and, if you met her on the street, would look very respectable and certainly not someone one would want to avoid. About 18 months ago she was 'let go' from her employment of 12 years, with two month's salary. She is over fifty and, as seems to be the case right now, therefore unemployable. She struggled on for a year until her unemployment benefit and then her savings ran out and then was evicted because she couldn't pay the rent. Now she's in the shelter and trying to rebuild her life.

Kendall and I have talked about this before - just how lucky we have been in life, both with work and pensions. So many people are just one paycheck away from disaster and a major illness, without decent insurance, could cause the loss of everything.

Too many people don't seem to understand just how fortunate they have been not to have had to face this sort of disaster in life. Too many people also look down on the homeless as being universally feckless, lazy or addicts. From my experience this is not the case.

Subject: RE: BS: what makes you think
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Jul 15 - 07:56 AM

The state of America, in general...

Subject: RE: BS: what makes you think
From: gnu
Date: 21 Jul 15 - 08:09 AM

Thanks, M. Beautiful poem.

Subject: RE: BS: what makes you think
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 21 Jul 15 - 08:17 AM

It's a bit too long ago now, but these lines by Elizabeth Alexander, read out at President Obama's first inauguration, struck a chord:

What if the mightiest word is love?

Love beyond marital, filial, national,
love that casts a widening pool of light,
love with no need to pre-empt grievance.

Subject: RE: BS: what makes you think
From: The Sandman
Date: 21 Jul 15 - 08:49 AM

Christmas: 1924 Thomas Hardy

'Peace upon earth!' was said. We sing it,
And pay a million priests to bring it.
After two thousand years of mass
We've got as far as poison-gas.

Subject: RE: BS: what makes you think
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 21 Jul 15 - 08:58 AM

JRR Tolkien

Many that live deserve death. And some die that deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then be not too eager to deal out death in the name of justice, fearing for your own safety. Even the wise cannot see all ends.

Subject: RE: BS: what makes you think
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Jul 15 - 09:46 AM

Many of us have been in the Holiday Bar & Grill Cafe, some for a short time, others longer. This song brings me back to my shirt time there:


"Drinkin' sure beats thinkin" 

Subject: RE: BS: what makes you think
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Jul 15 - 09:48 AM

I meant short time there, but "shirt time" sounds good also, as I only took one shirt with me. lol

Subject: RE: BS: what makes you think
From: Mrrzy
Date: 21 Jul 15 - 11:59 AM

A review of a movie where the reviewer called the performances "uniformly outstanding" and I had to sit and think if they were uniform, no one stood out, and if some were outstanding then they weren't uniform...
...Norman! Coordinate!

Subject: RE: BS: what makes you think
From: GUEST,HiLo
Date: 21 Jul 15 - 02:18 PM

Sometimes we have our morning coffee in the garden. For the first while we do not speak. We sit, watch and listen. The small birds in the high trees. The larger birds foraging in the hedegrows. Small animals scuttling round the lawns, voles and wee mice. The sun above the trees "annihilating all that's made into a green thought in a green shade." A slight breath of wind on the back of my hand.
I marvel and wonder at how it all came to be and I stop to think how lucky I am to be here.

Subject: RE: BS: what makes you think
From: GUEST,pete from seven stars link
Date: 21 Jul 15 - 05:48 PM

on the radio kent folk show a song was played but I cant remember the artist or song title. however the jolly song made me smile. it conveyed the story of meeting someone who you just cant place, and making conversation over a pint, desperately trying to get a clue to jog the memory. it becomes clear that the other man is in the same predicament, until eventually his name comes up , but you don't know any trevors !. yes, they didn't know each other before, but became close friends after .
a good thought, hilo .

Subject: RE: BS: what makes you think
From: GUEST,DrWord
Date: 21 Jul 15 - 07:23 PM

Hey Megan Thanks for sharing. Maybe you could compose a melody for Grace's text ~ might make a song (?)


keep on pickin'
dennis

Subject: RE: BS: what makes you think
From: Bill D
Date: 22 Jul 15 - 10:41 AM

"Strive for simplicity, but learn to mistrust it."
       -Alfred North Whitehead

Subject: RE: BS: what makes you think
From: Ebbie
Date: 22 Jul 15 - 12:11 PM

Guest/Hilo at 2:18, made me stop and think. Lovely visual.

Subject: RE: BS: what makes you think
From: GUEST,HiLo
Date: 22 Jul 15 - 12:22 PM

I love that quote Bill, sure makes me stop and think, especially the learn to mistrust it bit. That really makes me think.
Thank you Ebbie, coffee in the garden is the highlight of our day.