Posted on 08 Apr, 2010 -
Felicity Kendal and the Joys of Junk Mail!
* How an interview with Felicity Kendal made me want to seize the moment and cherish my loved ones more
* Why DO we moan about modern life - despite its advantages?
* Why Ikea, weeds and junk mail are all GREAT!
I never would have imagined I’d ever start this email with a tribute to Felicity Kendal. But as this email is about all things good and positive it certainly seems fitting.
The fact is that in an interview with her in The Guardian, I was rather touched and inspired by a couple of things she said.
First of all, in response to the usual Q&A question of ‘When were you happiest?’ she answers with the not-so-usual answer of “Happy is my natural state.” Add to this her admission that her worst trait is that she doesn’t take money seriously so can’t keep hold of it and her answers to these two questions…
Q: What is your most treasured possession?
A: I don’t treasure things much - just people. And pets.
Q: What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
A: Life is fragile and short. Don’t waste it by being mean or greedy.
... and I think you’ll see why reading the article set me off with a different footing this morning. (Extra big cuddles for my two girls too!)
Don’t be a misery! It’s better to look on the bright side…
Another positive that I already had lined up for you this week is some highlights from a book by Geoff Tibballs called Is it Me or Is Everything Great?
The thing that attracted me to this book when I spotted it for sale for £1.99 in a discount book store was the author’s idea that while everyone these days seems to be moaning about modern life, there’s rarely much to justify the lather we work ourselves into.
And he’s right about what a big bunch of moaners we all are. “Motorists”, he says, “reckon that cyclists are a menace on the road - in the same way they believe that other motorists, white lines and speed restrictions are also a menace on the road.” But who is really the menace: the big fuel-guzzling car or the cyclist doing his bit for the environment and keeping himself healthy so he needn’t drain NHS resources?
I know that personally I’m also guilty of moaning:
* That there isn’t a political party worth voting for - yet having very little idea of what a political party I would want to vote for would be like.
* About the amount of tax we have to pay - yet rarely feeling appreciative of the brilliant schooling, health care, clean water, prompt ambulance service and cheerful postman I have enjoyed over the years.
In fact, in many cases when we find ourselves moaning, it’s normally because we’ve been spoilt by having things so good.
Potholes in the road? Are we not lucky to have cars? The high price of fuel? Are we not lucky to be so warm? Waiting ages at the GPs? Are we not lucky to be alive? None of our favourite Thai prawn crackers on the shelves at Sainsbury?… I think you’ve got my angle!
Although of course the answers to the first two might pose even deeper questions still…
Always look on the bright side of life
But anyway… This email was meant to be a positive one so let’s take a turn towards the light. In fact, the book I mentioned turned out to be more of a humorous book than the genuine eulogy to modern life I thought it might be (a harder one to write!) so this may even make you smile:
Mosquitoes: “It’s only the females that suck blood, so really mosquitoes aren’t much different to humans.”
IKEA: “With IKEA stores operating a one-way system, which is more rigorously enforced that those in most city centres, there is no danger of getting lost and having to spend the night amid stacks of shelves. Compare this with some Debenhams’ stores, which are like Hampton Court Maze. Teenage boys have been known to go into Debenhams for a pair of trainers and come out with a full beard.”
Simon Cowell: “Simon Cowell has done more to give hope to the underprivileged of the world than anyone since Mother Teresa. Simon allows our dreams - no matter how far-fetched - to become reality. Because if Gareth Gates, Michelle McManus and Steve Brookstein can become famous for longer than a nanosecond, there is hope for anyone.”
On American cheerful politeness and mindless platitudes like ‘Have a nice day’: “At least American restaurant and shop staff do make an effort to be polite, which is something their British counterparts could never be accused of… As for ‘Have a nice day’, stressed Londoners take the view that if they’re not going to have a nice day, why should anyone else be allowed to? So a little courtesy, even if it is served with a side plate of insincerity, can do no harm, and if just one person actually has a nice day as a result, it will have been worthwhile… unless, of course, that person was on his way to rob a bank.”
Junk mail: “If you’re not looking for a bank loan, home insurance, tree feller, or cheese-and-ham pizza with extra pepperoni, the regular bundle through your letterbox can be mildly irritating. But junk mail isn’t so bad. At worst, you just stick it straight in the bin for recycling. If you’re Billy no-mates, weekly correspondence from a double-glazing company can almost be a welcome social event, giving you delusions of popularity… Besides, delivering junk mail gives postmen something to do on a Monday morning… And you never know, one month you may actually win that Reader’s Digest prize draw.”
Personally I also believe that junk mail is a bit like the Who Wants to be a Millionaire line: The question’s only easy if you know the answer. Although in this case it’s more that the mail is only junk if you’re not interested in the offer. If you have been after a tree feller or a subscription to an interesting magazine then you’ll be glad they told you about themselves.
In fact, not too dissimilar to…
Weeds: “The rule of thumb in distinguishing a weed from a flower is straightforward. If you put something in the ground and it dies, it’s a flower; if it comes up year after year, it’s a weed. However, in horticultural terms, the division between the two is much more blurred. Many of our favourite garden flowers are just cultivated versions of weeds… They are hardy, reliable, capable of resisting all known chemicals, and a number of weeds have medicinal properties. When was the last time you heard of anyone being cured by a rhododendron? And if it weren’t for pulling out weeds on a regular basis, gardeners would get precious little exercise.”
Fun but also true. Next time you catch yourself moaning or being disappointed by something, see if you can’t see the bright side too.
