Archives de catégorie : small stories

#4219 small stories

photo: Tahunanui, the day before the cyclone Vayuna is about to strike New Zealand, from The Boat House, the best seaview in town.

An old colleague of mine told me some time ago that she didn’t like retirement because she lacked structure in her daily life to the point where, to avoid the feeling of chaos she experienced, she started working again. I don’t know if I am naturally “structured” or not. Life, my studies, my work, my personal circumstances, have forced me to be structured, and since I no longer have to be in a place at a certain time, my life is still “structured”, although differently. The opposition sun/no sun/sun with wind/sun without wind/hot with no sun/cold with no sun has become important. The sun with wind to dry clothes outside, the sun without wind for swimming (especially in winter), no sun for exercise in general (in summer), cold sun for vigorous exercise. All these decisions are made according to the temperature, and the rest organizes itself accordingly. There are also decisions made based on their photo potential. A few days ago (today’s photo), it seemed very important to make time to go to the Boat House to have a glass of wine at sunset to capture the sky the passage of Cyclone Viyuna.

#4027 small stories (this one is true)

photo:  the generosity of nature, Nelson

Pearls of wisdom are sometimes sent to us at the most unexpected times and places. For instance, while TWM* is awaiting surgery at the hospital, and we are feeling somehow sad and anxious, in the rather somber common room, as we watch the evening news (equally grim), a man arrives and  sits near us. He rapidly  initiates a conversation with TWM, which goes as follows:

TWM: What brings you here?

The man: I was on holidayin the North. The other morning, I woke up feeling utterly overwhelmed. I was brought here. I have incurable lung cancer; I have six months left to live.

LG: That is a brutal  news for you.

The man: I am 86 years old; I have had a good life, I am ready to pass the torch.

And a long, wisdom-filled silence followed.

*TWM : The Welsh man

#3074 goodbye Pohara

The stay was already pleasant, and I did not expect more swimming almost every day, long walks, photos  or the Dada Manifesto cafe, but on our penultimate evening, we were told we would get a sky full of aurora Australis. Actually I didn’t know this, but the place where we were staying   in Pohara enjoyed a very nice view of the sea and in the evening (that evening in particular) my camera caught a beautiful sky full of  pink (that I had to edit because of the grainy texture), with a beautiful, bright moon and the Southern Cross. I was even able later on to see the moon in a very dark sky projecting its bright light on the sea, which I had never seen before.