Light thoughts on a Friday

My mother is fascinated by the Japanese culture - hands down: an exceptional one, however quite hard to understand for one not raised in that spirit; I believe there is something in each type of culture that is quite inaccessible to other cultures. Me, on the other hand - I respectfully admire the Japanese culture, but I feel comfortable and completely at home in the Celtic one (Irish / Scottish). I can't quite explain why: it's part because they are so warm and friendly (at least compared to the chilly Saxons), part because their amazing musicality, part because every Irish or Scottish I met knows how to live their life and how to have fun, and part because I love their magical and mystic stories (fairies, magical creatures, witches, wizards... lovely).

A story I read some time ago sounds like this:
The rich American couldn't understand why the Irish angler was lying lazily beside his boat on the beach, smoking a pipe. "Why aren't you out fishing?" asked the American. "Because I have caught enough fish for the day," said the fisherman. "Why don't you catch some more?" "What would I do with them?" "You could sell them and make more money," was the American's reply. "With that you could have a motor fixed to your boat and go into deeper waters and catch more fish. Then you would make enough to buy nets. These would bring you more fish and more money. Soon you would have enough money to own two boats . . . maybe even a fleet of boats. Then you would be a rich man like me." "What would I do then?" asked the fisherman. "Then you could really enjoy life." said the American. "And what do you suppose I might be doing right now?" said the Irishman, smiling and puffing away on his pipe.


Beyond the humour of the story - if you stop from the daily rush for long enough you realize the wisdom is in figuring out exactly when to stop and start enjoying. Even better - how to balance the daily workload with the same daily fun and joy.

I'll send you this wish for a beautiful Friday (and every day!)
May you always have what you need and need what you already have!

Happy Friday! I am going swimming and piano playing with my son - what's your relaxation moment?

Image: winnond / FreeDigitalPhotos.net