#1046 Musings Beyond the Bunker (Wednesday January 1)

Good morning,

As we contemplate the new year, I thought I’d go with a short Musing this morning on our fleeting time on this Earth. Sometimes we need to remember that we are just a small part of creation. We are here for a moment and should make the most of it. These are two of my favorite writings on this subject:

MACBETH

Here is Macbeth, speaking in Shakespeare’s eponymous tragedy:

“Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,

Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,

To the last syllable of recorded time;

And all our yesterdays have lighted fools

The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!

Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,

That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,

And then is heard no more. It is a tale

Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,

Signifying nothing.”

OZYMANDIAS

One of my top five poems, by Percy Bysshe Shelley:

I met a traveller from an antique land,

Who said—“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone

Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,

Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,

And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,

Tell that its sculptor well those passions read

Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,

The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;

And on the pedestal, these words appear:

My name is  Ozymandias, King of Kings;

Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!

Nothing beside remains. Round the decay

Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare

The lone and level sands stretch far away.”

GRATITUDE

Despite our tiny place in the world and in time (possibly because of it) we should make the most of our days. I never grow tired of statements of gratitude and commitments to make the world a better place (and not just complain about the state of the world). Here are the words of a recent new father:

“Apart from the overwhelming joy at seeing this healthy, beautiful baby girl and her healthy, beautiful mother, I had two major thoughts. The first is how grateful I am for what we have. Mental and physical health, a warm bed with a roof over our heads, and food to keep us full. We are all so lucky. The second is a renewed desire to make the world a better place for my daughter to live in. I challenge you all to try and make the world a better place for everyone else in it.”

What better way to begin the new year!

Glenn

Glenn