John Steinbeck – Cannery Row (page 135)
The things we admire in men, kindness, generosity, openness, honesty, and understanding and feeling are the concomitants of failure in our system. And those traits we detest, sharpness, greed, acquisitiveness, meanness, egotism and self-interest are the traits of success. And while men admire the quality of the first they love the produce of the second.
John Steinbeck – Cannery Row (page 135)
M. Scott Peck – The Road Less Traveled (page 131)
This idea just keeps coming up. First in Too Kill A Mocking Bird here.
Then the other day on a John Wayne poster:
Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway.
John Wayne
Then in The Road Less Traveled today:
Courage is not the absence of fear; it is the making of action in spite of fear, the moving out against the resistance engendered by fear into the unknown and into the future.
M. Scott Peck — The Road Less Traveled (page 131)
On Decisions With Directions – Live On Youtube
Just finished up a live recording of On Decisions With Directions on my upcoming album Volume 2: Minor’s Relation To Major. Enjoy!
John Steinbeck – Cannery Row (page 132)
For there are two possible reactions to social ostracism–either a man emerges determined to be better, purer, and kindlier or he goes bad, challenges the world and does even worse things. This last is by far the commonest reaction to stigma.
John Steinbeck – Cannery Row (page 132)
John Steinbeck – Cannery Row (page 18)
What can it profit a man to gain the whole world and to come to his property with a gastric ulcer, a blown prostate, and bifocals?
John Steinbeck – Cannery Row (page 18)
Music Suggestion: The Jon Brion Show Featuring Elliott Smith
Stumbled upon this little gem earlier today. Elliott Smith is an amazing artist. I find his music a bit on the dark/depressing side of life, which makes it difficult for me to listen to his music regularly. However, it’s still some of the best music I’ve heard. This is a video of him playing a few songs on The Jon Brion Show, which sadly never aired on TV, as Jon Brion is an amazing musician in his own right. Enjoy!
Daniel Defoe – Robinson Crusoe (page 244-245)
So little do we see before us in the world, and so much reason have we to depend cheerfully upon the great Maker of the world, that he does not leave his creatures so absolutely destitute, but that in the worst circumstances they have always something to be thankful for, and sometimes are nearer their deliverance than they imagine; nay, are even brought to their deliverance by the means by which they seem to be brought to their destruction.
Daniel Defoe — Robinson Crusoe (page 244-245)
Music Suggestion: I Think It’s Going To Rain Today – Randy Newman
Randy Newman’s music and I have always had a love hate relationship. This piece falls on the love side of that relationship. Can’t actually get it out of my head at the moment. Here’s a great version of it:
As I’m a pretty die hard Peter Gabriel fan it’s only fair to include his awesome version of this song also. This track is on Peter Gabriel’s Scratch My Back album. Here it is:
Daniel Defoe – Robinson Crusoe (page 156)
Thus fear of danger is the thousand times more terrifying than danger itself, when apparent to the eyes; and we find the burden of anxiety greater by much than the evil which we are anxious about.
Daniel Defoe — Robinson Crusoe (page 156)
A River Runs Through – Live On Youtube (Electric)
I recorded a version of A River Runs Through (from Volume 1: On Trials And Overcoming) on electric guitar. Generally I play it on acoustic and a bit more “blue grassy” than this version. Hope you enjoy!
Lemony Snicket – Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events
Sanctuary… is a word which here means a small, safe place in a troubling world. Like an oasis in a vast desert or an island in a stormy sea.
Lemony Snicket
Daniel Defoe – Robinson Crusoe (page 176)
And it may not be amiss for all people who shall meet with my story to make this just observation from it—namely, how frequently in the course of our lives the evil which in itself we seek most to shun, and which, when we are fallen into it, is the most dreadful to us, is oftentimes the very mean or door of our deliverance, by which alone we can be raised again from the affliction we are fallen into.
Daniel Defoe – Robinson Crusoe (page 176)
Job 2:10 and C.S. Lewis – from a letter to Arthur Greeves, December 20, 1943
A couple of quotes struck me this morning. The first is from the book of Job. It is his response just after all his wealth, servants and family are stripped from him. The second is from a letter Lewis wrote and really doesn’t need much context. With out further ado:
Shall we accept the good from God, and not trouble?
Job 2:10
The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one’s “own,” or “real” life. The truth is of course that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one’s real life—the life God is sending one day by day: what one calls one’s “real life” is a phantom of one’s own imagination.
C.S. Lewis – from a letter to Arthur Greeves, December 20, 1943
Music Suggestion: Ave Maria – Franz Biebl
This piece is so good. I can’t get it out of my head. Take a listen:
Music Suggestion: Everybody Hurts – R.E.M.
I’m not a die hard R.E.M. fan, but their album Automatic for the People is great. Listening through it the other day refreshed my memory of this great music. Not only is Everybody Hurts one of many great tracks it also is a great message.
When your day is night… hold on
When you feel like you’re alone… no no no you’re not alone
When you think you’ve had to much of this life… hang on
Everybody hurts sometimes… so hold on