Death becomes you

Prince (the Sheik of Pop) died about 10 days ago. I had heard his name before but since I am not into that kind of music, I never paid too much attention to that androgynous fellow.

But I was quite surprised by the hoopla and the extensive media coverage following his decease.

IMG_2296This just confirmed what I always suspected.
People are more enamored of the dead than the living… probably because a corpse is much less troublesome than a breathing soul, and because a body, conveniently takes unpleasant truths with him to his grave.

Death is a great embalmer. Many curmudgeons become instantly lovable the minute they cross the Great Divide, and their stature and financial worth often increases tenfold.

Prince’s music sales soared after his demise. Van Gogh who never earned a penny while living made some people very prosperous after his passing.
Death and wealth as you can see are close cousins.

And then there are the glorious eulogies. The man was a wonderful husband, lover, father, friend, philanthropist, etc. and it makes you wonder… how come we  barely heard about these wonderful qualities while the man was still alive?
Were we that blind and deaf?

Dying is a fine art. To be successful you have to make a quick, graceful exit. Do not linger. Do not come back for an extra bow. People who are unable or unwilling to go quickly can rapidly turn into a big nuisance.
Do your part and we will do the rest. That’s what the world (and your relatives) expect from you.

Governor Jerry Brown just signed the “End of Life Act” into law making assisted-death legal in California.
I applaud this decision that enable people to make a dignified and quick exit when life becomes unbearable.
People have the inherent right to control their bodies and their destinies without undue interference from meddling religious or political outfits.

The idea is to die young as late as possible. Ashley Montagu

Alain

PS: I am taking a short sabbatical. I will be back in June. I hope that my absence will make your heart grow fonder.

The dynamic duo

When there is a will there is a way.

 

If you have not seen our pétanque field for a while, you are in for a (nice) surprise. It looks different, manicured, rejuvenated.
Like the face of a movie star after a Botox treatment.

IMG_1465We owe it all to a dynamic duo who, in spite of being relatively new to the club, is doing a heck of a job.
The names of these excellent people are Henry and Calvert. I don’t need to say more. Everybody knows them and appreciate them.

French writer Jules Romains wrote between 1932 and 1946 a legendary series of books called « Les hommes de bonne volonté » (men of good will).
Henry (aka La Bête Noire) and Calvert are such people. They are friendly, helpful, cooperative and to top it all excellent players.
At La Pétanque Marinière, we are extremely fortunate to have such individuals.

Our field, created approximately 1975 AD, had seen better days.
The fine gravel that once covered the ground had been washed away by years of winter rains, and wild grass was steadily annexing the playing areas.

There had been talks for years of resurfacing the field but nothing ever materialized.IMG_6216
Nothing until Henry and Calvert took it upon themselves to do the job.
Quietly, without any fanfare, they have been steadily hauling and pouring fine gravel on the field for the last few weeks.
It now looks as smooth as a baby’s behind.

And I understand (correct me if I am wrong) that they refuse to be compensated for it. That’s not right. The least we can do is to reimburse them for the material and publicly recognize a job well done.

Chapeau bas! Chapeau bas!
Doff your caps! Hurrah! Hurrah
For these noble people.

Version 2In my fleeting moment of praise, I also want to mention the Davantes gang (Charlie, Liv -how could I forget her- Brigitte and Herb) who also did a tremendous job of beautifying our field.

A club with such “people of good will” is a fortunate club indeed.

Alain

Lies

“Whoever is without sin among you, let him be the first to cast a stone at her.”

 

The other day around the dinner table politics crept into the conversation.
Somebody said, “I won’t vote for Hillary; she lies”.

everybody_lies_by_monkeybiziuShe lies? Give me a break.
Of course she lies. Not all the time, but occasionally, like anybody else. I lie, you lie, everybody lies.
Show me a man who doesn’t lie and I will show you a corpse.

And can you imagine for a minute a world without lies?

 

“For people who say they hate being lied to, just start telling them nothing but the pure truth–about everything. That will teach them”
Seth Adam Brown

I don’t condone lies, but I understand their usefulness. Lies are the lubricants that keep the world spinning. Without them we would all kill each other.
And like mushrooms, they come in a great variety. Some are digestible and some are highly poisonous.
Lies can be offensive, defensive, soothing, merciful, compassionate, funny …

“Because everybody lies. It’s part of living in society. Don’t get me wrong-I think it’s necessary. The last thing anyone wants is to live in a society where total honesty prevails. Can you imagine the conversations? You’re short and fat, one person might say, and the other might answer, I know. But you smell bad. It just wouldn’t work.”
Nicholas Sparks

If lies didn’t exist, we would have to invent them.

But there is a big difference between an occasional fibber and a chronic liar.
We can forgive an infrequent fibber but we should not excuse nor believe a compulsive liar.
So yes, Hillary has probably lied a few times. BFD! Don’t we all? Aren’t Cruz or Trump spouting cock-and-bull stories on a daily basis?

When choosing between a seasoned professional and a carnival huckster, I will definitely side with the professional… even if she occasionally errs on the side of inaccuracy.

But winning an election is the easy part. Taming a dysfunctional Congress will really be what separates a woman from the boys.

Alain