DESERIDATA OF HAPPINESS

 

Dee Finney's blog

start date July 20, 2011

today's date  September 7, 2014

page 743

TOPIC:  SPOCK AND THE TREES

NOTE FROM DEE:  I.VE BEEN DREAMING ABOUT TREES FOR THREE DAYS, AND I'VE WRITTEN ABOUT TREES IN SO MANY WAYS ALREADY, I JUST DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO PRESENT TREES IN A NEW WAY.

THIS AFTERNOON, IN THE HALF TIME OF THE RAIDERS/JET FOOTBALL GAME, I CLOSED MY EYES TO REST THEM, AND CLEARLU HAD A VISION OF DR. SPOCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SCREEN.

SO I LOOKED UP SPOCK AND TREES AND CAME UP WITH THIS:

Go placidly amid the noise and 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 the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and 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 labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

“
”
Max Ehrmann, "Desiderata".

DR SPOCK RECITED THIS POEM

The text was widely distributed in poster form. Calling it "Spock Thoughts", Leonard Nimoy recited the poem on his 1968 album, Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZJ1fJTezFE

This version also appeared on the 1995 re-release of Leonard Nimoy Presents Mr. Spock's Music From Outer Space. His rendition is not the only one to change the second-to-last sentence from "Be Cheerful" to "Be Careful". In late 1971 and early 1972, Les Crane's spoken-word recording of Desiderata (the lead track on his 1971 Warner Bros. album Desiderata) peaked at #8 on the Billboard chart, #4 on the Canadian RPM Magazine chart, and #6 on the UK Melody Maker's chart. It made #4 on the Australian singles chart in 1971. The producers of Crane's recording assumed that the poem was too old to be in copyright, but the publicity surrounding the record led to clarification of Ehrmann's authorship and his family eventually receiving royalties. The British band In the Nursery adapted the poem to music on its 1992 album Duality.

THE STORY BEHIND THE HAND GESTURE  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyiWkWcR86I

dreaming of a tree change?

Once upon a time, I lived in a place we Aussies call the "Big Smoke". A not-so-little-town that goes by the name of Sydney. Just me, oh, and about four and a half million others. I was yet another worker bee going about the daily grind, spending a good 20-30 hours of my week just to-ing and fro-ing from work. But deep down I longed for a different life. A life that celebrated simple pleasures. I secretly dreamed of a land of green rolling hills, growing a veggie garden, sewing clothes for my children to wear, curling up in front of a crackling fire place with my knitting and taking some scones down to the local market day while I had a cup of tea and chat with some of the locals. I had a pretty good imagination and could spend quite a bit of time living in that fantasy world. Unfortunately, my dream would always be rudely interrupted by my real world- a land of honking car horns, smog and living an arm's length from my neighbours as the planes flew about 20 metres above my head day and night. Living this secret life in my mind was so much easier than ever trying to make it a reality.

But that whisper of dream, kept nagging at me, each day getting louder.

Once I had my first baby, I was determined to make my dream more than a figment of my imagination. But I had my city living husband to convince- a not so easy task. Of course we made the typical pros and cons list. It often ran pretty short though.

Pro: Buy a house amongst the gum trees, have space to do our own thing, live where people are friendly, grow some veggies, get a goat. Bliss.

Con: No job = no money. 

Ahh, that con was always the ultimate deal breaker which would take me back to living in my head.








Then I became pregnant with our second child and maybe it was the morning sickness, who knows, but those visions of hills, fresh air and forests were screaming at me too loud to ignore. Until one day, one fine day, that great big con on our list didn't look so scary anymore.

We finally agreed, "Let'sJustDoIt. We'll give it 6 months and if we come crawling back with our tails between our legs, at least we tried. We'll never know if we never tried."

So we took that great big leap of faith and packed up our car and a bunch of boxes and drove till we found our rolling hills and sweet air.


Amazingly that was over 3 years ago now and we haven't gone crawling anywhere yet. Don't get me wrong, it hasn't been all bliss and frolicking in hills filled with the sound of music. Finding work in the country is always a very real issue. Not to mention the four days in a row we spent without power during last year's floods. But we realised we are prepared to live with less, to make sacrifices so we can have the things that are important to us. I don't own a fancy car, designer clothes or the latest must-have-gadgets.




But you know what? We found a little piece of land with an amazing view, built that veggie garden and live in a community where we wave to our neighbours as we drive down the road and I know we made the right choice. Every day I feel grateful that we were brave enough to start living our dream and who knows, one day we might even get that goat. 

So do you dream of a tree change? A sea change? Of living overseas? What's holding you back?

 

 

 

FROM  http://www.ock-du-spock.com/2014/01/dreaming-of-tree-change.html#.VAzhapvW58E

 

NOTE FROM DEE:  I LOVE THIS WOMAN'S STORY, BECAUSE I'M IN A SIMILAR PLACE IN MY MIND THOUGH MUCH OLDER AND MY DREAM HAS GOTTEN MUCH BIGGER OVER THE YEARS.

I STARTED GETTING THE DREAMS WAY BACK IN 1991 WHEN I WAS VERY ILL, BOTH PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY.

THERE IS ALWAYS THE MONEY ISSUE BESIDES AND THEN NOBODY MENTIONS THAT TO DO SOMETHING REALLY BIG YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE GOVERNMENT AS WELL AND GET PERMISSIONS UPON PERMISSIONS TO DO ANYTHING AT ALL.

I SENT IN MY APPLICATION TO START A NON-PROFIT COMMUNITY GROUP BECAUSE THE IDEA IS BIGGER THAN JUST MYSELF. AND WHILE WORKING ON MY PART OF THE APPLICATION, I WENT BLIND IN BOTH EYES WITH CATARACTS.

WHEN THAT HAPPENS, THERE IS MORE WAITING BECAUSE YOU CAN'T JUST GO TO THE DOCTOR AND SAY, GIVE ME A NEW PAIR OF EYES.  THAT CAN OCCUR BUT THERE IS A WAITING PERIOD FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.

SO, THAT HAPPENED IN 2010 AND I COULDN'T GET THE SURGERY UNTIL 2012, AND BY THEN. I HAD LOST MY DRIVER'S LICENSE AND THE DOCTOR TOLD ME HE ONLY WANTED TO DO ONE EYE.

THE SURGERY WAS A MIRACLE.  EVEN WITH JUST ONE EYE, MY VISION IS PERFECT AND SURPASSES ANYPREVIOUS TIME IN MY LIFE.  I STARTED WEARING GLASSES AT AGE 9, AND NOW AT AGE 75, I DON'T NEED GLASSES AS ALL TO SEE OUTDOORS.

FOR READING BOOKS, YES, BECAUSE EVERY BOOK HAS DIFFERENT SIZE PRINT AND LIGHT TO DARK REFRACTION, BUT ON THE COMPUTER FOR SOME REASON, I CAN SEE ANY SIZE PRINT NO MATTER HOW SMALL.

BUT BACK TO THE TOPIC, TWO YEARS HAD PASSED SINCE I STARTED MAKING OUT THE APPLICATION AND AFTER THE SURGERY, I HAD TO FIGURE OUT WHAT I HAD WRITTEN AND UPDATE IT ALL BECAUSE OF THE PASSAGE OF TIME,

SO I SUBMITTED THE APPLICATION WITH MY $400 AND THEY PROMISSED TO MAKE THEIR DECISION WITHIN 90 DAYS.

AT THE END OF 90 DAYS, I GOT A LETTER FROM IRS STATING THEY WERE SORRY FOR THE DELAY, AS THEY DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH STAFF TO DO ALL THE WORK THEY HAD TO DO.

IN FACT, FROM THE DATE ON THE LETTER TO THE DATE ON THE ENVELOPE, IT TOOK THEM 30 DAYS TO EVEN GET THE LETTER INTO THE ENVELOPE.

SO, HERE WE ARE IN 2014, STILL WAITING FOR THEIR DECISION, AND IT DOESN'T LOOK GOOD FOR US.   OUR ANALYST DOESN'T EVEN UNDERSTAND WHAT A COMMUNITY IS AND THINKS BECAUSE YOU MAKE MONEY, YOU CAN'T BE NONPROFIT. 

I WISH THEY WOULD TELL ALL CHARITIES THAT.  HOWEVER, WE ARE TOLD NOW THAT IT WILL BE ANOTHER WEEK BEFORE WE GET OUR FINAL DECISION - AND THEY TOLD ME THAT FIVE WEEKS AGO THE LAST TIME.  FINGERS ARE GETTING TIRED FOR BEING CROSSED THIS LONG, AND I MAY BE A NEGATIVE NANCY, BUT FROM FOUR PERSONAL PHONE CALLS WITH THAT OFFICE, WE WILL BE LUCKY IF WE GET PERMISSION FOR EVEN ONE PORTION OF THE PROJECT WHICH IS TO GROW ORGANIC FOOD AND DO RESEARCH ON THE PREVENTION OF DIMENTIA AND ALZHEIMERS WITH A GOOD DIET.

THE PHONE CALLS WERE VERY NEGATIVE, AND I HAD TO WRITE UP MORE DOCUMENTS AND SUBMIT MANY MORE PAGES OF RESEARCH BEFORE WE GOT THE ' I'LL LET YOU KNOW SOON' VERBALLY.

YOU'LL BE HEARING ME YELLING 'YAY' OR 'NAY' THE MOMENT I FIND OUT.

MEANTIME, I HAVE MOST OF MY DUCKS IN A ROW AFTER ALL THIS, AND NO MATTER WHAT THEIR DECISION IS, I STILL HAVE TO COME UP WITH THE MONEY TO PURCHASE THE LAND TO GROW THE FOOD AND START BUILDING THE STRUCTURES WE NEED  TO DO THE WORK.

SEE:  http://www.earthmountainview.com  TO READ WHAT WE ARE ALL ABOUT AND JOIN IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THE PROJECT.

BACK TO THE TREE PROJECT

I THOUGHT THIS WAS THE ULTIMATE PAGE ABOUT MEDICINE THAT COMES FROM TREES

http://www.greatdreams.com/blog-2014-2/dee-blog675.html

BUT I GUESS NOT

 

 

 

THIS IS WHERE I POST WHAT I'M DOING AND THINKING

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