Yearning's Yaw 7/17/09

Envy is an insult to oneself.

Yevtushenko
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Join me on the road.
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Envy is one of the seven deadlies. Maybe it should be one of the 10 Commandments. Thou shalt not envy anyone. I guess it could fall under the category of not coveting. But that commandment refers to things and people: oxes, asses, maid servants and such. But isn't to covet a person's beauty, strength, intelligence just as bad?

To say "I envy her good looks" is the same as saying "I'm not beautiful." To say "I'm not as strong as he is" means "I'm a weakling." And to say "He's more intelligent than I am" means "I'm pretty stupid compared to him."

I think that word "compare" is the real villain. Shakespeare said "Comparisons are odorous." The commandment should read "Thou shalt not compare thyself with others." Why not? Because you rob thyself if you do. And you rob others because you start looking for their limitations.

I could envy actors whose good health enables them to keep on working into their senior years. I could envy writers I know whose books are published, being read and enjoyed. I could envy painters whose works are on display in museum and homes.

I am an individual in the vast universe of creatures. I have my own beauty, strength and intelligence. I may compete, but I won't compare.

Q. How many actors does it take to change a light bulb?
A. 50. One to change the bulb, and 49 to say "I could have done that better."

DB

By the way.

At first I thought ENDEAVOUR, the name of the space shuttle visiting the International Space Station, was a typo. Shouldn't it be spelled ENDEAVOR? Then I learn that it was named after HM Bark Endeavour, the ship of Captain James Cook. the 18th Century British explorer. So it has the British spelling.

"Bark" is another name for ship, as in "they embarked." And Shakespeare refers to love as "the star to every wandering bark, whose worth's unknown although his height be taken," referring to how sailors would navigate by the North Star.

And now for the:

SUMMER QUIZ

This is not a contest.



A young man out west just took home 88 million dollars from the lottery.



Whether you play the lottery or not, if you suddenly had 88 million dollars, or the equivalent of whatever your currency is, what are the first three things you would do with it?



You have all summer to answer if you wish.

12 responses so far.



DB

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I wish you a jolly day.

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I grieve.







My credit card bank, the only credit card that's left me, is jerking me around, sky rocketing my interest rates even though I am a prompt and frequent payer. The stress is awful.



My readership is so low I'm thinking again of weaning myself from the journal and just sticking with a few regulars through emails.



It has become even more painful lately to walk anywhere.