Thursday 10 April 2008

The pull of the open road

Hi,

great day for cycling, the sun is out and there is just the hint of a nip* in the air. It's a day to hit the open road and cycle and cycle and have a nice picnic lunch on a seat on a village green... but I am only just back at work with a shedload of work to do but at least some of it is pleasurable. Yes! you can enjoy work and enjoy it without being a masochist...

* I resisted the temptation to make a joke about Kamakasi Japanese airplanes! Working on the poems about my Dad's Second World War experiences and recalling many conversations with Fenia my Greek colleague I realise that how marked I am by the Second World War. This is because my Dad was so marked by it. In his case it got worse as he got older - more grief for dead comrades, the telling, re-telling and re-re-telling of his war stories some of which I wrote about/turned into poems.

When I flew into Moscow 2 years ago via Frankfurt I had visions of waves of German War planes and then when I got to Moscow there were many memorials to what they call the Great Patriotic War but also memorials about Napoleon's invasion of Russia. All that stuff is still very real to them. So the anti Japanese and anti German humour is partially an expression of anger that has been passed onto my generation. My dad started telling me his war stories when I was only 13 in late night sessions over a beer. I guess this was part of my training for warriorhood, to be the next generation of fighters. Well I went the other way. I am not sure what I would have done in 1939 or when we next face (civil) war in Britain BUT meanwhile I am all for promoting peace...

Meanwhile I feel great to be alive, more than that I am thankful for my existence, each day for me is a blessing despite or perhaps because of everything. I am so thankful for my health and don't want to waste any minute and drop of time, any drop of life. Who knows when it will end? I can't promise myself I will be here tomorrow nor can any of us so meanwhile enjoy what we can.

Best to all,

Bill

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