Small Steps
As I have grown older I have found it more difficult to foster new friendships. Many of my former friends have moved and distance has eroded our once strong bonds. A few friends have stepped out of my life entirely – either through death or as a choice. For whatever reason, however, there has been a noticeable decrease in my social circle.
Although I have always been rather introverted and enjoyed most those activities which are, by their very nature, solitary – I don’t wish to be without the pleasures of friendship. So, I decided to step into the 21st century and become acquainted with the world of chat and see what it has to offer.
I am rather intellectual and bookish by nature and thoroughly enjoy conversation with those who enjoy discussing the deeper aspects of philosophy, literature, natural history and metaphysics, etc. Small talk is a challenge for me but I do love a good sense of humor! A sharp wit is more attractive to me than a handsome face…
There is also a silly side to my nature! So I truly hope that other chatters will not look at my profile and immediately think:”Gosh, she sounds like such a boor!” (Or BORING!) But, early on in my life I determined to be true to my own nature and to shine my light outward…none of that hiding under a bushel basket, as the saying goes.
Since I am a true bluestocking ( from the French “Bas Bleu”:) a woman who spends all her money on books instead of silk stockings, wearing blue cotton stockings, instead.) you will understand why I posted a stack of good books as my Avatar in my Profile. If there are other readers among this group of chatters I am certain we will find each other!!! Also love writing:poetry, essays, novellas…and doing challenging word puzzles of any sort. Scrabble is my middle name…or so my children say!
Gardening is a special interest of mine (flowers, vegetables) and this year I will become a beekeeper, as well, since my daughter and son bought me a hive and beekeeping equipment for X’Mas! It is so exciting for me and I look forward to the honeybees being shipped in mid-April. As a child, I was known as a Bee Charmer since bees never stung me and I could help my grandfather collect wild honey without coming to any harm. It is a gift,I believe,like second-sight .
The whole world is interesting to me and I am forever curious about the people and myriad plants and animals that inhabit this beautiful blue planet we call EARTH. Learning is a way of life for me…and always something new to discover if I will only make time to listen, look and question.
I am embarking on a new journey via a different pathway…and hope to meet many new friends along the way.
Share with me: The best book you have ever read. Your favorite kind of music. Name a song or piece of music that moves you to tears. Tell me a joke that makes you laugh out LOUD! What do you like to cook? Do you have green thumbs and have fun digging in the dirt? Can you respect people with whom you disagree?
You get the idea.
Bluestocking66
Recommend0 recommendationsPublished in Senior Chatters
The first half of your blog could have been written by me. And although I love gardens I am not particularly skilled with them. Welcome to SC.
Love, Jackie xxx
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Hi Bluestocking, I have just spent a very pleasant time in your company in the Chat room…ad I certainly look forward to catching up with you again….
I have pale green fingers when it comes to gardening..but I do have some great success’s..
The best book I have read so far is ‘ Cries Unheard ‘ by Gitta Sereny.
I cannot help but get goosebumps when I hear Imagine by John Lennon, but apart from Rap ( which to me is not music) all music can move me emotionally.
I love to cook, since I retired I have been having the best time trying out new dishes, I like being in the kitchen with music on and just creating dishes from around the world.
I have never had trouble not respecting people that have a different view than mine, this is how I learn, how my own perceptions shift and change over time or how I can become even more grounded in my own belief’s? How else are we to learn the thousand shades of grey that exist in this world?
Catraoine,
Thanks for reading my BLOG and sharing something about yourself.
I was happy to see you have a favorite book. and excited because neither the title nor the author are familiar to me! I will enthusiastically go in search of the volume you named.
We have a love of cooking in common, as well…andI hope we can exchange recipes through this Blog.
I would be delighted to name you FRIEND. It was such fun chatting with you !
Thanks and the invitation has been accepted.:)
The book ‘Cried Unheard’ is a book that reveals how our legal system ( even though this book deals with the UK system) does not know how to deal with children who commit ‘adult crimes’.
The story of Mary Bell is a good example of why we should think twice before calling children ‘monsters’, the act may be monstrous but the child? Well that depends on many factors. It also reveals the plight of so many children whose cries go unheard by those that have the power to hear them.
Hello Bluestocking,
Lovely to read your blog! I think you will find many chatters that have similar interests . I know I have a few you have mentioned, especially music. Looking forward to chatting with you .
Cheers, Passy x
loved it bluestocking..enyoyed readin that 🙂 🙂
The first paragraph of your blog is the one that resonates the most with me. Most of the people I met were though my job. I worked long hours, often 6 or 7 days a week. I was more interested in promotions and more money. Now I regret that I did not spend more time cultivating and nurturing friendships. Today I have only a few people that one would call friends and not acquaintances.
I too want to continue to learn until I die. Take everything in the world from me, but you destroy my will to live if you take my books. From time to time I need to make space and donate a few books, deciding which ones to part within is an agonizing process. Most of my books are nonfiction. I consume history books. It astounds me that the same mistakes are made over and over throughout history. Our leaders seem to learn nothing. I believe in democracy, but I also agree with Will Durant that it breeds mediocrity in its chosen leaders. Some times I think we need a Cincinnatus to step forward, but where would we find such a man/woman.
When I was 19 and recently drafted into the military I wanted to better educate myself. I would read every book on the New York Times best seller’s list. The book stores on military bases were very reasonable. It was 1966. Some of the authors I read then were John Updike, Saul Bellow, John Cheevers, Ken Kesy, and Kurt Vonnegut, Truman Capote, Harper Lee. Some were controversial at the time. I still remember how much some people were shocked by Roth’s Portnoy’s Complaint. Recently I read Middlemarch; a friend of mine kept telling me it was the greatest book ever written. I don’t know if that is true, but it certainly impressed me, especially the dialogue.
I hope we can be friends.