Release.
Accept.
Live.
And—
Don’t stare long into the mirror,
into the past,
into the dark.
or …
into your fear.
What is missed is missed.
Embrace the change.
And focus on the present.
The road ahead might have more surprises,
than what’s been left behind.
Long story short;
Steer your life as safely as you steer the wheel of your car.
With hope and peace,
Nahla
“Anyone who requites faith and friendship as I did, will have to pay for it.”
The Professor’s House by Willa Cather.
I’ve already shared my review of this novel, and this quote has inspired me to write this post.
The reason behind this quote was the loss of a friend —not through death, but through disagreement and disappointment. One was an idealist, the other an opportunist. Though they made good company together, at the first conflict, their paths parted. It was the idealist who said these words, lamenting the loss of true friendship to uncompromising ideals.
Faith and friendship are such precious gifts— too precious to be returned, too fragile to be repaired.
One is blessed to have them strong, and to keep them safe and nourished.
How strong? How safe, how nourished?
The balance depends on how much you are committed.
Along this journey,
perfection and idealism are neither required nor recommended.
Materialism, modernism, and other -isms have no place here.
These precious gifts need a simple home with strong pillars.
Understanding and sincerity can be the main pillars.
But, if the pillars break, the building will collapse.
Then, regret follows,
and what a heavy, merciless creditor regret can be!
In brief, this is my interpretation of the quote, which I see as the bulb of the book. And perhaps you might think of it as… just a pat on the shoulder on the first of December.
With hope and peace,
Nahla
But of course there are!
Have you ever heard this sentence before?
Well, I have. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be writing this post right now.
Now, let’s think of common opposite words such as… tall and short. But, actually, the word tall has more opposites than just short.
There are, for example, little, small, petit, and others. Not to mention how you can make an opposite of tall through figures of speech by using, for example, dwarf.
Besides, tall is not only about height, for it can be used to describe a difficulty, for example, a tall task. In this case its opposite would be easy or simple. By the way, I hope my posts are not too tall.
Don’t think that this is a grammar lesson, because it’s not.
It’s just about the idea of flexibility and perhaps… possibilities.
If a word has many synonyms, why should you be stuck with one opposite when you have other choices that can express meaning in different contexts.
And this is simply another way to avoid embarrassment, monotony, or misunderstanding.
Hopefully, you’ve got my point.
If not… think of how the word opposite itself has more than two opposites and, ironically, synonym is its most popular opposite.
With hope and peace,
Nahla
Who are your current most favorite people?
When you think of favourite people, you are allowed to think of others in general, not only your special beloved ones. Right?
So…
You may think of The Wise, who once gave you a precious advice that still echoes in your mind.
You may think of The Kind, who comes over and knocks on your door just to ask about you, nothing else.
You may think of The Honest, who… is just honest.
You may think of The Hopeful, who always makes you believe in dreams.
You may think of The Brave, who once opened your eyes to life with all its risks.
You may think of The Cheerful, who would make you laugh even at a funeral.
You may think of The Humble, who teaches you the art of respect.
You may think of The Innocent, whose smile would melt your heart.
And…
You may think of The Believer, who reminds you that Creation has a Creator, not just a Big Bang.
With hope and peace,
Nahla
What part of your routine do you always try to skip if you can?
A month or two ago, my son’s friend brought his cat home for a short visit while he was travelling abroad. Actually it was my suggestion. I was both excited and relieved as a few days won’t form a strong bond between you and your favourite pet—cats.
Cats seem to have an anticlockwise routine, right?
They sleep most of the day, and stay awake all the night.
Perhaps yours is different, but the ones I’ve had the honour to befriend have always followed that routine.
So, when the cat arrived safe and sound, she ran and disappeared behind the sofa.
Expected.
The place was new and so we were.
A few hours later, night fell, and she was still hiding.
I tried to give her food, but she didn’t eat.
I cradled her in my arms, but she leapt away and disappeared behind the same place.
I closed the door and left her in peace.
But there was no peace.
The big fun began—
noise echoed downstairs.
running,
sliding
and jumping.
‘That’s the cat,’ I told my daughter, couldn’t help laughing at her panicked face .
In the morning, we were the ones making the hustle and bustle, and the cat watched us with heavy lids, and half closed eyes.
But by afternoon, she was full of energy.
After stretching her four limbs, and letting out this wide, funny yawn, she jumped and stood onto the windowsill.
Like a hawk, she watched the birds, the flies, and perhaps other creatures we can’t see.
Her tail swayed, and eyes shone as if she was plotting how to catch them for dinner.
A bit later, she tiptoed around the house, exploring every room and corner.
Then she slipped back to her hiding place, curling into her catnap, until it was our turn to go to bed and leave her free to have all the fun she wanted.
Sometimes I wonder if cats can ever skip their catnap?
But I think that would hardly happen.
Honestly if there’s one thing I wish I could add to my routine, it would be the catnap, but then it would be the hardest thing to skip.
With hope and peace,
Nahla
What is good about having a pet?
It happens that, out of all the books you read, some leave you with funny memories. You may totally forget the author and the book, yet some of its narrative, perhaps its themes, stuck into your head.
Have you experienced this before?
I have, and that’s what inspired me to write this post.
So, in one of the novels by a popular author( whose name I cannot remember right now, and if I try, I will lose the thread of this post)
But you don’t want me to lose the thread, do you?
Now, back to the main point: a parrot was one of the characters in the story. He wasn’t a main character, but an essential one.
Do you wonder why?
Because he brightened the last days of an old lady’s life.
By the way, in Egypt, when one repeats other’s words without thinking— or worse without understanding, they’re called a parrot.
In the story the parrot was… imprudent, throwing swearing words at others, not for fun or for a fight, but because his owner was professional in that craft.
Then one day, the person who was taking care of the parrot while his friend was away on business, decided to give her flat a good cleaning. She grabbed the vacuum, turned it on, and got to work. The place looked so clean and tidy, but something was missing.
She felt something was missing, clearly, definitely missing. And that was it: the flat was so quiet. She could hear a pin drop. But how? Where was the source of everyday noise, the maestro of the swearing symphony?
A few moments later, she saw him, swallowed by the vacuum and trapped inside like a fluffy toy.
She rushed to pull him out and held him in her hands.
His eyes were open and he was breathing, but that was all.
It seemed the shock, whether an electric or emotional, had switched off his brain.
For days, his condition remained unchanged. No noise, no food. Still, he was alive.
A few days later, he was taken to the old lady. She laughed at his mishap, but she also felt sorry for him.
She didn’t give up on him. Every day, she gave him food and water.
Bit by bit, his life was restored, but his voice was never the same. And, the good thing was he lost his old vocabulary. Yet he made the old lady laugh, and she felt quiet responsibility towards that poor creature.
I remember there was a quote that explained how a pet can help people live longer and happier.
Now take care,
Watch the vacuum,
And teach your pet good manners!
With hope and peace,
Nahla
What is your favorite place to go in your city?
Why not?
All you have to do is to think about it.
Actually, I like this idea.
I like to think about how, in my blog, I begin to practise creativity, how I find my voice, and how ideas and thoughts start to flow.
It becomes my favourite place in my city of writing.
By the way, I have another favourite place in my imaginative city—books.
You can’t write without reading, can you?
Books are not only for reading with your eyes but also for imagining with your mind.
You imagine characters, and you also imagine their places, their cities, and their era.
Or you may prefer science, philosophy, or even politics, and there too, you’ll find yourself as if you were in your favourite place.
So, wherever you live, in a small or big city, if you pick up a book and really enjoy it, your reading will turn into a visit, short or long, to a special, imaginative spot in your imaginative city.
Just imagine: step out for a moment from the real world, from the actual city.
Now step into your imaginative city,
to write
or to read.
With hope and peace,
Nahla
Isn’t she so cute?
I have no idea what drew her to climb almost to the top of the mountain.
There wasn’t another sheep around.
Yes, I looked around.
None.
Perhaps, the grass up there is more delicious, greener, or fresher.
Either way, she looks safe and happy.
But you know what?
She reminds me of that old philosophical question:
Do humans live to eat, or eat to live?
‘Of course we eat to live,’ we answer with a pompous air of superiority.
But… excuse me, may I ask: how many meals did you have today?
And don’t forget to count the drinks.
Oh, and the desserts.
And yes, yes, all the fruits and vegetables for maintaining that healthy lifestyle.
But, honestly… haven’t it just crossed your mind to have this cute sheep for dinner?
Now tell me, do you… really eat to live or live to eat?
And that’s not all.
With all due humbleness and respect, I would like to introduce a new twist on the old question:
Do we live to eat or to share photos of what we eat?
Watch one recipe, and suddenly loads of similar and different dishes will pop up from all around the world.
Instead of leaving your mouth watering, they trap you in digital gluttony, stuffed with endless edited images, repeating clips, and untasted flavours.
Why, this cute sheep would grow more horns if she watched all those endless posts of food recipes.
With no baaaa or maaaa, she would give the same look she gave me for the photo, and continue enjoying her one authentic recipe—the mountain grass.
As if to say, ‘I do survive with no wifi, no signal.’
With hope and peace,
Nahla
Who is the most famous or infamous person you have ever met?
So… can we think of the most famous as the most infamous and vice versa?
In other words, why can a celebrity be the most famous, while the teacher, for example, is the last, or perhaps nonexistent, in the list of the most famous?
Can we swap positions, so the celebrity goes down the list and the teacher goes up to be the most famous?
I hope your head isn’t spinning right now, or is it?
Mine actually is.
But don’t you get it?
Some people can be famous but without big celebrations, shiny gowns, best-selling books, or seven zeros in their bank account? They can be the most famous because of something simple yet special about them—something that shines without glitter, something that resounds without raucous noise, and something that attracts with respect.
Wouldn’t it be a good change to think of the famous and the infamous in this way?
You may discover that you are more famous in your own surroundings than those in the media or politics.
With hope and peace,
Nahla
I couldn’t help laughing when this idea crossed my mind today. It brought back so many funny memories in my homeland.
But isn’t it one of the golden techniques for winning both customer’s satisfaction and their pocket?
It always feels more comfortable when the retailer lets the customer browse around, pick this, leave that, and go out and come back… or not.
But things don’t always go that way, do they?
Sometimes, retailers make you feel so ill at ease that you would think twice before stepping into that place again, or never at all.
So, instead of following the ”never rush the customer” rule, they rush you to choose, try, pay, and leave all in no time.
Honestly, this doesn’t happen often in the UK as it used to in Cairo. Things might have changed, though.
Years ago, most clothings and shoe stores in Cairo wouldn’t let a customer pass by without a warm greeting, a smile, and a hearty invitation to come inside and see more collections. Whether you were planning to buy something or not, the salesman or woman would give it a chance, trying to turn you into a good catch. They’d swear by God that they had the best qualities, the most reasonable prices, and that you would not leave without getting exactly what you had been dreaming of. The point is… you hadn’t been dreaming of anything except getting out of their reach.
This happens sometimes here in the UK. With a warm smile, they approach you and ask, “have you found what you were looking for?” Then, with another smile, they will suggest you to let them know if you need any help. That’s sometimes… because in most cases, you simply wander and browse around with no one following on your heels.
But you know what? Sometimes, you really do need this nice, active seller to help you at some point, especially when you can’t find the right size or length.
Wouldn’t you ask for help?
Well, I did.
But every now and then, I came across this person whose answer is as desperate as their looking.
”We only have what’s been displayed.” A cold answer, without checking, for I might be mistaken, and without even trying to check the stockroom. But, no way, they gave you a flat answer that would send you out with no promise of ever coming back.
If only that old days Egyptian seller had seen them, he would have grabbed you before you made it out the store. He would swear to God that he would turn the store upside down to find what you wanted or at least something similar. He would weave tales about their colleague’s family or health problems just to win your pardon and sympathy.
It’s funny to come across one seller who rushes you to buy and even spend more money, while another rushes you out with a silent “good riddance,” your money untouched.
And, it’s even funnier when you remember those mements with a smile.
With hope and peace,
Nahla
Pure and Simple 