Sunday 24 October 2010

A Practical Guide to Some of Life's Top things - number 8 in a series of 10.


Hi, Sunday again and ……..

Hang on, just a sec, hold your horses – do you think , before you start that we could go over a few things?

Sure.

Just in case anyone is lost?

Sure.

So....... here on bitsnbobs, every Sunday, you offer a special post........ which is a sort-of –digest of the previous seven posts, called the Digestive, which at the moment is in the middle of a special series of supplements (that aren’t)and which offer ideas about a possible top ten things to do in a lifetime written as a dialogue between you and me, based on a challenge laid down by Mary on the 4th of September, and which also have a quotation from someone whose name you always pretend to forget, except issue 4 when you quoted you, AND which will feature as one of the questions in an the great end of year quiz at the…….end of the year?

Sure.

Sure?

Sure – except you forgot to point out that there is also a motif where I repeat you, or you repeat me.

Oh yes! And so far we have forgotten: that guy who played a barman in a film, the American writer whose name began with V, the TV guy who had something to do with insects, John the singer and surprise guy, the German guy who might have been an artist and turned out not to be the source of the quote that you quoted, and the actor in the film with the dancing bag?

You got it!

So, I have one question.

Sure.

Who am I?

Who are you?

Who am I?

Well, you’re the guy who keeps asking these questions every Sunday.

I know, but who am I: your alter ego, a figment of your imagination, a dissociative identity disorder?

Does it matter?

Does it matter!!?

Does it matter?

Yes! It matters to me!

Ok, let’s say you’re a matter-baby.

What’s a matter-baby?

Nothing; but thanks for asking!!.......... And welcome to A Practical Guide to Some of Life’s Top Things - an occasional series/supplement/special issue, NUMBER EIGHT of ten!

Number Eight!?

Number Eight!!

Blimey, that means it’s almost done.

Yep, the home straight – I can’t believe it either.

You said at the beginning that you had no idea what you were going to do with the ten, do you now?

More or less.

More or less?

More or less, I know the topic – I just don’t know how it’s going to come out on paper.

Paper?

Well, you can print them, bind them and give them as a present to a loved one.

I could?

You could.

Whatever, so…….?

So?

So...... number eight?

Do you know what happens when a Dolphin from the Pacific Ocean meets a Dolphin from the Atlantic Ocean?

Tell me.

They play.

Ah, I know who you are going to quote!

You do?

I do!

How?

How!!! I’m a dissociative identity disorder – that’s how!

Ok, who is it?

I can’t remember their name.

YOU can’t remember their name?

That’s what I said, but it was that guy who smashed up the fountains in San Francisco.

When?

Er, a hundred years ago?

You don’t know?

Well, about a 100 years ago.

What did he say?

“There is work that is work and there is play that is play; there is play that is work and work that is play. And in only one of these lies happiness.”

7 comments:

Janet Bianchini said...

Number 8 already! Already number 8! I am trying to write this comment in keeping with the generally eclectic and surprisingly nimble stylistic features that have been in evidence recently on issues of the Digestives.

I have to confess that I'm not brill at this, as only you can write in the style to which we have all become accustomed!

Have a nice Sunday:-)

popps said...

Hi there Janet and thanks for dropping in on what is a real stay at home cos it's raining and eat chocolate sunday.
I hope it's better in Italy.

popps said...

Janet - Interestingly you left a comment on The Digestive number 4 (i think) saying Number 4 already!!

Mary said...

Hi Chris:

It was meant to be a suggestion ... as in why not consider .. perhaps .. maybe .. if you think it might be interesting ...

But you took it up and have risen to it as I couldn't have imagined. The top things are all laudable choices and great advice but you have exceeded expectation by combining substance with style, infusing each entry with creativity. And all the while you entertain as we listen, learn, and ponder.

Leading by example, you are -- BnB's is work that is play. Oh happy man!
Mx

popps said...

Thankyou Mary, i'm having fun.
Now, Mr Whatsitsname - i was thinking the play that is play might be the one, but are you opting for the work that is play?

Mary said...

Well ... let's take them one at a time.

Work is work -- harsh but true and will help you survive.

Play is play -- fun but perhaps won't keep you alive -- may make you dependent on others.

Next two are more tricky.

Play that is work

vs.

Work that is play

It's a toss-up.

I'm leaning toward work that is play because the trick is to transform work into play so that you can kill 2 birds with one stone -- enjoy more of your waking hours and without feeling that work is stealing time from play, i.e., the implication being that you would rather be playing.

Bottom line, we must beware of the dreaded all work and no play.

Am I overthinking this? No doubt.

Mx.

Mary said...

PS

Play that is work would be the ideal as it would mean that at some point in your life -- the earlier the better, you were able to turn play into work that will sustain you body, mind and soul.

Personally, have not managed to achieve that -- YET!

M