"Simpletons talk of the past,
wise men of the present and
fools of the future."
-Napoleon Bonaparte
Maybe this quote is appropriate for anyone (like me) chronicling their lives, especially when they mess around in the past. But then, on the other hand, Napoleon could possibly have benefited by learning from his mistakes in the past. How many world leaders have been sent into exile twice?
So I continue...
There are no photos of the inside of The House but it seems to me I could, with the help of my sisters, draw a floor plan. It is necessary, if I am going to wander around in the past, to be as accurate as possible.
It seems, lately, that Father has been on my mind a lot so the memories of this spot of my beginnings are especially poignant.
Yesterday Shelby, my son, asked when Grandpa K switched from being a Ford man to a GM man...not really sure. He just loved cars, he loved horses and dogs, he loved his girls (as in daughters!), and Father loved Mother.
We took a lot for granted as children. I still find it amazing when two people come together from dissimilar backgrounds and bind their lives together in such a way that makes any kind of a family unit. What a miracle, true miracle, when it works.
We took a lot for granted as children. I still find it amazing when two people come together from dissimilar backgrounds and bind their lives together in such a way that makes any kind of a family unit. What a miracle, true miracle, when it works.
(on the streets of Calgary, 1940-41?)
"I always knew looking back on my tears
would bring me laughter, but I never knew
looking back on my laughter
looking back on my laughter
would make me cry."
-Cat Stevens
Tell me, what is there that you can look back on that makes you laugh or cry? Are you at peace with that?
Above all, be well.
That is a great photo of G&G. Love it.
ReplyDeleteAnd that quote, not sure I agree. I get being in the present and all, and am not one to necessarily dwell in either the past or the future, but it's pretty limiting in language. I would say simpletons wouldn't look at the past, they'd just keep repeating it. You need to look enough at the past to know it's back there, and enough at the future to know where you're going.
But, you know me and those Frenchmen...
Like I said...Napoleon could have learned a thing or two by looking at his own history and not repeated some of his own mistakes, let alone, learned from the mistakes of others.
ReplyDeleteAnd about 'those Frenchmen'...hmmm...you and I must go to Paris some day.