Books and Blogs and Bagpipes. . .

 "How To Live" by Sarah Bakewell 

"A Life of Montaigne in one question and twenty attempts at an answer"

This past week I picked up another book I found on my shelves after the past two weeks of cleaning.
Over the years of quote collecting I have added a number of Montaigne quips to my file but did not realize the story behind the name.  Only a couple hours have gone into reading this book so far but it is fascinating.  M. Montaigne was a Frenchman who lived in the late 1500's.

Please stay with me. . . this is not boring history.  This is very 'today'.

He is not telling us how we should live but how to live and there is a difference.  When you tell others how we should do something it does not necessarily mean you do it that way; we just should or could. Montaigne wrote simply about how he lived.

Ms. Bakewell points out the similarities of Montaigne's writing and the modern blog.

Many bloggers deal with the day to day business of life.  And we read and enjoy and say to ourselves, why, that is just how I see it too...that writer is a genius.

There are 20 subjects in the form of questions covered in this book all answered by Montaigne. Even today when you read his "Essays" you will find yourself saying, hmmm...that is the way it happens to me too, or, that's the way I see life too.

The one question asked twenty times is of course, how to live?  And answer number one is, don't worry about death.  Looking ahead at the second, how to live, I find the answer, pay attention.

So as you read your favourite blogs over the weekend remember M. Montaigne, knowing that this style of writing began over 400 years ago.

And now I suppose you are wondering what bagpipes have to do with the other two subjects in the Post Title.  Well, I just happened upon this tonight.

The Kintyre is a new subject of interest around here because it is a peninsula in Scotland where we hope to do some hiking next year.  When I saw this video and heard this beautiful music I just knew you all wanted to hear it too.  Consider it my gift to you.



And now I wish you peaceful rest for the weekend ahead.  God bless and be well.