Sleeping Safely And Soundly

Well….October. Yeah. October. Can you believe it! I have no words! Thank goodness I have a SHARE -YOUR-WORLD post all lined up for you! Our wonderful Melanie, the creator of sparksfromacombustiblemind, has provided our questions in her post below:

https://sparksfromacombustiblemind.com/2020/09/28/share-your-world-9-27-2020/

Questions

Where do you feel most at home?     

I have to admit, I am pretty good at making myself at home everywhere I go. I think that’s partly because I see the earth as our home and the human race as my family.

I quickly get on with people because I look for common ground and presume that they share many similar experiences as I do. I always hope for the good in people and try to treat them, dignify them, speak to them with the same consideration and kindness as I appreciate receiving from others. The only time I would feel unsettled is by the behaviour of the people around me. There are certain manners and obnoxious attitudes that would make me flee.

I feel at home with Jack because he and I seem to have similar natures and we share a purpose, a passion for the work we are involved in, and we both have personalities that love to party. We understand each other.

I instantly feel at home with my family. It does not matter how long since we last saw each other…we understand each other. We have the same outlook. We see the universe in the same way. We have the same values, the same attitudes, the same joys. We are all lively and talkative, active and practical, fun loving and friendly.

I also feel at home whenever I dive into a swimming pool. Having spend thousands of hours training for the county swimming club for ten years, I feel almost designed for the water.

Would you rather ride a bike, ride a horse, or drive a car?     

Wow – how can I not choose a horse!!! I mean…they are beautiful and my days out pony trekking have been some of the happiest of my life.

I don’t imagine life in the future with cars. Do you? Bikes might be there. I don’t know. But horses will. Horses and so many other beautiful creatures will be around. Not sure about human inventions. When we start working towards the purpose we were assigned, I imagine we might not need some of the tools we have used while seeking futile goals.

Does my heart not flutter everytime we pass a field with horses? Have I not always dreamed of being able to gallop across fields like in the show I remember from childhood, “Black Beauty“.

I used to live in an area where there were a lots of race horses in particular, which were rather splendid creatures. I despise race-horsing as an industry, but I loved seeing those gorgeous horses.

What song would you sing on “Karaoke Night”?

Well….I would start off with my usual warm-up song…

…and then choose other songs, hopefully including some duets with other singers (I have Kristian at the top of my list) that would help me build up to my grand finale, which will stun everyone! Truly! Until you have seen my version of “River Deep Mountain High“, you just cannot appreciate what karaoke is all about.

Jack wants to give you his top karaoke crooner picks, but I have told them we will save them for another day!

University or life experience, which do you feel best prepares you for life?  

I am a big believer in education, just not necessarily in university education. But neither do I think that unsupervised life experience is going to have good results. Real education should focus how to care for responsibilities and how to love, how to love life. Taking care of physical and emotional health – love goodness. Taking care of other people physically and emotionally – love kindness. Taking care of our home, our planet and other creatures – love work.

My view of education is that rather than so much of it being in a classroom or lecture theatre, or involving essays and thesis and docturates….education should be out there in the real world. Education should mean learning about the human family and our home. Education that teaches that one nation is above another, or that people can dominate and abuse others for the sake of profits is monstrous.

I also think it’s laughable that there are university students who have hardly any life skills or practical skills. I think all education should involve spending at least a year in a land without the modern conveniences the West think are essential. For at least a year every person should know what it is to wash yourself and your clothes in a bucket of water….and make the most of daylight to perform tasks, because in the dark it will be harder.

Every person should be educated in a range of practical trades including cooking, cleaning, gardening, repairing and/or making your own clothes, furniture and a home. I cannot understand how this system has churned out so many people without those skills.

Education should not be about spending time with people of your own age range, who are going to give you some of the worst advice you will ever be exposed to. Real education will mean interacting with people of all ages, especially older ones who have tremendous perspective and wisdom.

Just going out into the world and “living” won’t necessarily provide beneficial experience. It may be harmful to go out unprepared for the trappings of the commercial system and it’s manipulative marketing messages. A person venturing forth without any clear moral code or set of values is bound to get themselves into a pickle before they know it. I think that within a person’s practical and academic training there should be mentors, wise counsellors who can provide guidance and help someone to reason.

I think I have a lot to say on the subject of education, and I know I have written about it before. I am all for education. But I think it needs to be more balanced, holistic, rounded out, practical and useful than the university courses some students are signed up for.

Gratitude

What are you grateful for?

Sleep.

I had whopper headaches over a couple of weeks. The pain was relentless, except for when I was asleep. I slept so much longer than normally. But it feels good. Sleep is good, really good!