Category Archives: Short Stories

What’s the biggest risk you’d like to take — but haven’t been able to?

Not sure what this lady is doing,but I would do it if I could.I love the look of the terrain,but haven’t a clue where it is. I’ve never been in a desert.Perhaps it’s an AI image and it’s impossible.

It’s a risk,of course,she might land awkwardly and hurt her ankle and lose her water bottle and basically it would all end in disaster,because she would die alone of thirst in the desert.

What are you most proud of in your life?

Proud entered into the Celebrity vernacular vocabulary,maybe twenty years ago in the UK

We have Pride of Britain Awards,with glamorous celebrations,free dinners and endless gushing presenters.

That is not to say that those that receive the awards do not deserve them,but even those that receive them look embarrassed by all the fuss.

The look in their eyes,while they stand on stage says

“You would have done the same in my situation”  

In truth ,the event is more about the presenters keeping the party going,than actually understanding what makes people do the amazing things they do.

I’m not religious,so I can’t,although I would like to refer to “Pride” as a sin,and before you jump down my throat saying I’m homophobic or transphobic ,actually the “Pride” campaign does work,because with the “Pride” marches, well they are a bit sinful aren’t they? In a good way.

However getting back to religion.Religions  are planned human thoughts with goals and objectives much like any military campaign. I acknowledge they do have nuggets of truth in all of them,albeit human nuggets.

One such nugget recognises that pride is on  the top of the   list of seven deadly sins,and even  the word Pride comes from the Greek for hubris.

“The Hubris of Britain Awards”;  certainly would attract a number of contenders,why stop there….

“The Hubris of The World Awards”

Definitely lots of candidates for that.

So perhaps being proud or full of pride should be recognised for what it is,a media created emotion.

People do great things and basically they are great,and yes we should say “thank you” for being you and being there and showing the world what is possible.

Namaste

What’s something most people don’t know about you?

I can smile,I can listen,but my senses are totally overloaded.

Do lazy days make you feel rested or unproductive?

What nonsense to say a day is lazy.

Just because you are not doing something,someone else wants you to do doesn’t mean you are having a lazy day.

Days are full of so many things, some things we have to do,some days we spend with others doing something,some we contemplate doing something and some we sleep through because we need to.

At the end of the day ,a day is a day.

Namaste

When you think of the word “successful,” who’s the first person that comes to mind and why?

Stan Laurel ,as the other comic half of the indomitable film and vaudeville stars “Oliver and Hardy” was a “successful person.He kept his enthusiasm for the thankless business of entertaining people and also maintained his long friendship with Oliver Hardy.

Being interviewed and asked about seeing his name up on lights in a theatre he said

“Looks great but kind of wasteful, but you should see the lighthouse in the graveyard at Ulverston in Lancashire where I was born. They put it up when I was a kid, a tombstone with a light on top. It was the “Eighth  Wonder of the World” to me. Ever since then it’s been my ambition to have a tombstone like that.”

Talk about grounded.

I want to visit that graveyard in Ulverston.

The good neighbour, has milk and sugar for free,

And lives at number 93,

They’re on the whole very quiet,

And close their curtains every night,

They speak to say hello,

Then to the shops , off they go,

But you know that if you were every in trouble,

They would be around at the double.

What could you try for the first time?

I ain’t no Celebrity Chef waxing lyrically over the latest ,freshest and on trend ingredients.

I do however need to live and have a kitchen.

So this morning I came down to a quite tidy selection of utensils,including a coffee cafetiere with a well soaked blend of Italian French Coffee leftover from last night.

“Still got the flavours and caffeine in it,that will do!” I thought.

I also had the angle if I use it up then I’ll be able to wash the cafetiere up and put it away until next time,without it turning into a mouldy coffee encrusted utensil needing Milton and a good scrub.

“Enough!What happened to the leftover coffee!”I hear you say” and why is this something you’ve tried for the first time?Answer!”

Well,I’d already put my tea bag in the clean mug and then sleepily I poured the cold coffee on top of it.It wasn’t until the kettle had boiled and I went to pour the hot water into the mug that I noticed the little alien teabag soaking in the coffee.At first I thought.

“Cockroach!”

But no,it was my teabag,that I had placed in the mug before coming across the cafetiere.

“Wasn’t there for very long “I thought.

And in an instant,I fished it out,put it in the food recycling and added the hot water to my leftover coffee Then added some cream.Coffee tasted fine.

Indeed it was a first!

Disclaimer-To you foodies and connoisseurs  out there I offer my sincere apologies for my slovenliness,but needs must and it didn’t taste bad.

What principles define how you live?

In principle,I’m not fond of principles,however the principle thing is to be principled.

Particularly if you live in the principality of Monaco which as most of the residents are ,tax evading exiles from other countries are definitely not principled.

“Let them eat cake !”

I hear them say to those of us who stick to our principles and eat wholemeal sourdough bread.

Namaste.