Being Alive

All that we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about.

Charles Kingsley
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In today's Joy In The rain Val has a great quote from Helen Keller, "Life is an exciting business. Joy In The Rain: Helen Keller Quotes... > Helen Keller quotes

Some people are so busy living they don't even notice they're alive. We spend a lot of time searching around for things to entertain ourselves, whereas life itself is the most entertaining. It's a constant show with a complicated plot, a bunch of fascinating characters and lots of action.

It becomes even more interesting when other people are involved. If we consider other people in our "pursuit of happiness" life gets even more interesting. I have more books in my library than there are people I know. I often wish it were the other way around. To become interested in what other interesting people are interested in enriches my life. Everyone's life is worth at least one book.

That brings me to another great activity possible and rewarding and that is the sharing of life, particularly the sharing of light. What could be more rewarding than to light someone else's candle from your own?

In my broadcasting days I was a friend and colleague with an amazing announcer named Duncan. He had a sharp intellect, a quick wit and a great sense of humor. He once said to me that with all the cigarettes, coffee and liquor available he still found the best stimulation to be good conversation. I finally came to understand what he meant. The exchange of thoughts, ideas and impressions in a friendly atmosphere is a life enhancing experience. I miss that very much.

When there is down time in theatre many members of the company like to sit around and tell stories. Live theatre being such a perilous activity everyone has stories of what went wrong, what almost went wrong and what kinds of shenanigans the less enlightened were capable of. I also miss those sessions. Facebook and Twitter don't do it for me.

My neighbors are very nice people but they're not conversationalists. In the artists group I belong to the talk is usually all about the business of the next exhibit. To live life anly on an exoteric level is fine but it does get boring.

Taking the time and trouble to help someone may give rewards one doesn't expect. One day a neighbor seeing me struggle down the street came over to me and offered to drive me to the market to do my shopping. She's been doing that once a week now for about two months. In the process I've learned a lot about her life as a teacher and she has learned about my life as an actor.

Life is a great adventure and the more enthusiastically you live it the better it gets.

DB
The Vagabond

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Weekend Puzzle

Sci Fi Story

(an easy one)

A man gets on a bus in Boston at 1:45 and travels for half an hour.
When he gets off the bus it's 1:15

DB