DESDERATA - Desired Things

DAY EIGHT:

Friday 8^th January 2021:

One week into 2021 – what do you think ?

Yesterday’s Downing Street Briefing I thought was good, Boris performed well for Boris, the head of the NHS was powerful, the army guy droned on a bit but what he said and what the army is doing needs to be applauded.

America ?  Donald Trump ?  All I can say is thank god I am not an American.

On 14^th July I published a book ESCAPE FROM ARMAGEDDON – The First One Hundred Days. It has not sold s single copy, I have not promoted it, I do not want it to sell a single copy. It is a cyber time capsule of how things were in the early days of the pandemic.

Dave’s Diary is not meant to be unread, a cyber time capsule. As well as my intention to publish monthly editions I am blogging on a daily basis. WOW, just look at my readership figures:

Friday 1^st January 2021 - 5

Saturday 2^nd January 2021 - 4

Sunday 3^rd January 2021 - 4

Monday 4^th January 2021 - 4

Tuesday 5^th January 2021 - 5

Wednesday 6^th January 2021 - 5

Thursday 7^th January 2021 – 3

AH !  The aim of this page is front the 2021 challenge of writing one million words and making people smile. During the first week of 2021 the challenge has done well but the diary not so. I think, perhaps, I will change the style a bit. Problem also is Google Blogger which while being good in years gone by is now Rubbish with a capital R.

Ok Smile of the day:

NOT EVERYTHING IS CANCELLED

Sunshine is not cancelled

Spring is not cancelled

Love is not cancelled

Relationships are not cancelled

Reading is not cancelled

Naps are not cancelled

Devotion is not cancelled

Music is not cancelled

Dancing is not cancelled

Imagination is not cancelled

Kindness is not cancelled

Conversations are not cancelled

Smiling is NOT cancelled so DO it

Have you ever heard of Old Moore’s Almanac ? It is still being published but not as popular as it once was. I guess on-line reading may have caused that.  What is an almanac ? It’s an annual calendar containing important dates and statistical information such as astronomical data and tide tables. I am wondering about publishing a book DESIDERATA AN ALMANAC OF SMILES.

So what was happening in years gone by On this day ?

8^th  January 1959 Charles de Gaulle is pronounced the first President of the French Fifth Republic.  From my kiddie-kid memories I remember de Gaulle. It was always felt that given the support of Britain for France during World War II he was not pro-Britain indeed even anti-Britain. Not a popular figure this side of the ENGLISH channel.

8^th January 1973 The Watergate scandal in America. The trial of seven men accused of illegal entry into the Democratic Party headquarters at Watergate begins. Eventually this would bring down President Nixon. Small change against the activities of Donald Trump !

8^th  January 1989 The Kegworth Air Disaster where Flight 92 crashes into the M1 motorway killing forty-seven of the one hundred and twenty-six people on board. I remember that so well.

8^th January 2004 The RMS Queen Mary Two, then the largest ocean liner ever built, is christened by her namesake’s granddaughter Queen Elizabeth II

8^th January 1990 Terry Thomas actor and comedian died. He was born in 1911

Writing. I really achieved a lot yesterday. I have set aside BY THE PRICKING OF MY THUMBS SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES and plan to pick it up again as soon as I have finished the two projects I am working on for teenagers, for teenagers to use on their mobile phones.

POETRY FOR TEENAGERS OF ALL AGES. That now stands at 19,020 words. I think it will probably top out at 35,000 words. I want to publish that on Monday 11^th January.

JUKE BOX JURY. At 12,651 words I am half way through that book. I hope to publish that one week today on Friday 15^th January.

It will then be a case of going back to BY THE PRICKING OF MY THUMBS. Still only in the very early stages of that book I have written 2,416 words.

What about DESIDERATA ?  I am tempted to start work on that as soon as the poetry anthology is finished but if I do it will push back further the thumbs book. What does DESIDERATA mean ?  It is Latin for Desired Things. It is a poem which is very special to me. I am using it right now to generate Smiled. I have copies printed out:

DESIDERATA Desired Things

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be.

And whatever your labours and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful. Strive to be happy

Can I share some words which are very special to me and invite you to make them special for yourself ? DESIDERATA – DESIRED THINGS.

September 1971, Freshers Day at Oxford. I have little recollection but there are two things which are still in my mind. Freshers Service: the college chaplain preached a sermon on King Lear. Even if sermons are meant to be preached in a boring mode this was beyond boring. I remember a friend putting his head against a pillar in the church and falling asleep. When the benediction came we were all ready to heave a sigh of relief but then for the benediction a group of students from the year above us read a poem: DESIDERATA, which means desired things.

Those words, those beautiful words, filled us all with inspiration. Instead of throwing away the order of service everyone took it away, cut out the poem and put it up on the wall of our study bedrooms.

Now, fifty years later, these words remain every bit as important to me. I would invite you to read them and make them important to yourself. Keep them close to your heart.

There are two passages within Desiderata which are of particular importance to me:

You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

And….

With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful. Strive to be happy

Make them special to yourself and to your life.

And with that I will end today’s page.

Speak again tomorrow

Dave