My brother Lionel was always kind and generous towards me. He had a very good singing voice and at our wedding reception he spontaneously led the guests in singing "Wish me luck as you wave me goodbye..." They were all on the front veranda of my wife's parents' home where our reception was held.
Perhaps 60% of the guests at our wedding were Italian immigrants to south Africa and I wonder what they thought, but they all joined in - Italians love to sing.
Lionel was born ten years before me and I looked up to him and regarded him as a hero when I was growing up.
I would like to write something about him but it is difficult as his is not my story and many skeletons lie there. Lionel died in his mid forties; I remember thinking on the night of his death that he could at last be at peace. His body was cremated and his ashes scattered. I miss him a lot. The Mediterranean RoomBeing young and very much in love this was a favourite place for us. A night out, dinner and dancing - just perfect for a couple with few responsibilities other than each other. The time was in the sixties in and there was always a live band - usually a quartet or quintet.
The Charleston was enjoying a brief revival. We were quite good at the dance and when it came to the end, we found ourselves alone on the dance floor being applauded, someone hugged my wife and kissed her on the forehead.
We usually rounded our dinner off with a platter of crackers and cheese, coffee and a liqueur. Paola had a lot of devil in her in those days and she slipped half a pound of fancy cheese into her handbag.
We were really sad when the old hotel was demolished.
The following excerpt from sacredspace.ie (2013-09-22)
Today the term (Babylon) can stand for a widespread culture that is seductive, glamorous, but unreal and unsatisfying. It is superficial and one-dimensional. It is black-and-white rather than abundant in colour. Instead of fostering healthy imagination, it limits and pre-packages it. Thus, advertisements tell us what to eat and drink, what to do and what to wear. Babylon impoverishes us. It cuts us off from many enriching dimensions of human life. It imprisons the spark that is within us, the soul that is invisible, intelligent, free and immortal.
"They were looking for sustaining spiritual nourishment but they felt that they were being fed on junk food."
The internet is filled with enriching experiences a place filled with wonders, opportunities to challenge my opinions, a place to lift me to laughter or to inspire me to try something new; but unfortunately it very subtly dumbs me down unless I make an effort break free.
I am lazy and I find it convenient to consult Wikipedia and by so doing satisfy myself that I have the truth, rather than searching for other sources and so broaden my perspective. Amazon.com presents me with a selection of books tailored by my past past orders; they show all the books by a particular author or of a same genre. Netflix does the same sort of thing and google presents me with advertisements based on past browsing and search history. It seems there is almost a plot for us to live a static existence based on the past. The internet has me boxed-in by my past behaviour. I need to make an effort to change, else I'm doomed to remain just where I am with no joy that growth brings.
The minute a man ceases to grow, no matter what his years, that minute he begins to be old.
-- William James
I was born in 1939 so I need to be very careful as to how I use my mind.