The Story of Benjamin & Emily

When Benjamin was born he was a perfect child. Every finger, every toe, his eyes and nose, his ears and chin – a beautiful poster child baby – good enough for a Gerber Baby Food jar! Everyone loved Benjamin and they loved holding him and cuddling with him. He had a most wonderful temperament as well; and for a first child it was rather unusual to find him not only competent and independent and resourceful, he also had a warm and engaging sense of humour.

Yes, everyone loved Benjamin. He was a good student and went on to university and then was called to do his duty for his country, which he was proud and eager to do. When he returned home, he moved to live near his parents and care for them as they grew older.

Benjamin’s Accident

One evening as Benjamin worked late at his office, a terrible raging fire broke out and as he struggled to save the life of the night duty guard, Benjamin was badly burned on the upper half of his body.

In fact the burns were so extensive they could do little to repair the horrendous damage to the skin of his face, neck and chest. His hair was burned off in large patches and his nose was nearly gone. They did their best to patch up what they could for him, but the significance of the damage drove him to live increasingly alone from contact with others.

All he ever wished for was that he could be like he was before rather than so ugly that people would stare at him everywhere he went. Only his parents saw him and it broke their hearts to see him so lonely.

The place where he lived was a wonderful, but small, farm where he could continue to manage his garden and ride his two favourite horses. Everything he needed for his life was delivered to his front gate so no one would ever see him.

Benjamin Meets Emily

One day his parents brought a very beautiful woman with them when they were visiting Benjamin. He was mortified and at first was very angry at them that they would do this, but he soon came to understand that she was blind from a serious accident and therefore he could feel safe from her gaze.

He relaxed and they all shared a meal together. Benjamin watched Emily as she gracefully managed her food, almost as if she could see every morsel. He was simply mesmerised by her beauty and her gentleness. That day they had a wonderful visit and Benjamin realised how much he missed the company of good friends and in particular someone special in his life.

For six months they courted and Benjamin’s parents were so grateful for Emily because every day their son began to return more to his normal, confident self as Emily grew closer to him.

Emily’s Accident

Emily it seemed had not only been injured and lost her sight but also her parents and her only relative, her older sister were all killed in the same accident, so Emily knew what deep loneliness and sadness was. Emily had been a gifted oil painter and photographer, so all she loved in the world was taken from her the day of the accident. All she wanted was to have her sight back.

One day Benjamin came to his parents and told them that he was going to marry Emily if they would give him their blessing. They agreed and the wedding was fairy tale beautiful.

They were the most amazing couple -- always together --walking arm in arm. But Benjamin still stayed on their property and only spent time with his parents because he did not want Emily to ever know how grotesque he was and he feared someone might tell her if every they were out in the rest of the world.

Occasionally, she would take her small, delicate hand and gently touch his face and his neck and down his chest, wondering what the strange marks were that were so different from her skin. But she never asked anyone and when she asked Benjamin, he would only say he hoped she would never see him.

Emily’s Second Accident

One day, Emily was walking through the kitchen and there was a little patch of water on the floor. She slipped and fell and landed on her head. When Benjamin came in the house he found her unconscious and rushed her to the hospital.

She was alright from her fall and didn’t even have to stay overnight in the hospital. However, the specialist who attended her in the hospital asked about the cause of her blindness and over the course of the next few months did many tests to discover that her blindness might be reversed and he shared this with Emily and Benjamin separately.

What True Love Actually Is

When the doctor asked Benjamin what he thought he should do for Emily, Benjamin told the doctor he wanted more than anything else for Emily to have her sight back. When he told Emily, she thought about it and said she did not want the operation – no matter what the possibilities were, because she would never want to risk what she and Benjamin had together.

I do not know who said, “Love is blind,” but they were right. And that is what true love is you know, being with someone who loves you for who you are inside rather than what you are on the outside! Isn’t that neat?

Listen to This....

VHIL: Learning from the Virtual You

Lies of the Heart

If you don't know this movie, then the beauty of some lies will never mean a thing to you. But the sweetness of this film of the truth of the heart winning out over all -- is one of my favourites.

Devious Truth & White Lies

“What is truth”,
he asked the Man standing in front of him;
a gentle person condemned to death
by the politics of the day.
Nothing he could do would save the Man
and he never got his answer.

So...
What is TRUTH?
How do we know it when we see it?
What does it feel like?
Is it rational or irrational?
Is it situational or sensational?
Can we measure it or weigh it?

Does EVERYBODY but Mork, of Mork and Mindy, lie?

"Do you like my new gown, honey",
She asks, all hopeful and fragile?
It is appalling to me;
To her a work of art and effort.
What do I say?
"It is interesting." Is that a lie?
"It is colourful."
Hopefully it is at least that.
Or that will definitely be a lie.
Is it of good form or workmanship?
"You always take such care about how you are dressed."

Inflection.
Sarcasm.
Cynicism.
Tone.
Colour/Viaz in a voice.

I love your gown.
I LOVE your gown.
I love YOUR gown.
I love your GOWN.

Can I know in truth?
Can I stand in truth?
Or Swear in truth?
Will I live in truth?
Or die in lies?

Do you know?
Can you tell?
Really?
How?

Maybe I want you to know.
Maybe I don’t.

Motive plays in truth.
LOVE my gown (because then you love me)

Can we take the truth?
Or are lies more comforting?
Even when we know they are lies.

Omission?
Commission?

Sometimes telling the whole truth,
Is not all the truth, but enough.
Sometimes telling the whole truth,
Is meant to damage and/or confuse.
Sometimes telling some of the truth,
Confuses or diverts or delays truth.
Sometimes it is just lying.

Recognition?
Heartbreak or hope?

Does the daisy lie or tell truth?
He loves me,
he loves me not,
he loves me…
Please do not tell me.
Soon enough I will know.
Not soon enough I will be ready.
He COULD love me, you know.
Couldn’t he?

Dreams?
Illusions?

And what of my dreams?
Dashed by truth?
You are too short.
Or too ugly.
Or you have a bum leg.
You are not smart enough.
Or then again, you are too smart.
Too qualified.
Too unqualified.

Gossip?
Grapevine?

The method of propagation.
The strength of deceit.
The weakness of truth.
Around corners and under bushes.
The whispers flow like the
Inevitable strength of omnipotent waters.
Non can stay its hands.
As they strangle truth
Almost to death.

Yet…
Like Tinkerbelle
We long to rescue.
To save.
To bring life.
And hope and good.
And we do believe and trust,
That truth CAN overcome deceit.

But we must always wait for truth,
To overcome deceit, it seems.

Moving On....

Remember Ally McBeale? She was my favourite TV character. One of the things she discovered from her therapist was that she needed a song. A life song, her personal theme song. I think this is true for me too, so I try to have a good one in my mind each day. Sometimes I wake up with one roaring around, sometimes it is “a same old song” for days and sometimes it is a new song each day for weeks.

I am unsure what MY life song is but it might be the one my litle brother just sent me this week as I went out to participate in a real world debate on “People versus Automation”.

The song? “I Like the Way You Move!” This song is so amazing I can’t sit down when I am lisetning to it. I played it in the warm up time before the debate and the other speakers decided to just leave seeing my energy.

The Version

The version of the song I have selected is purposeful because it takes this very hot song (yes little brother) and combines it with some fancy footwork that is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face. And isn’t that just what we all need?

And for those of us who have come into the virtual world looking for fun, fun, fun – we can all too often see the fun fading into the minutia of the real world, when the virtual world is to be so far removed you no longer think of death and taxes or bathroom/toilet tissue!

Some would have us drive to work in a car, fasten our seat belt, in bumper-to-bumper traffic, find a parking space, park, get out, lock the car and walk into our nine to five jobs and then reverse the routine to reach home, open the door and call out, “Honey, I’m home!”

Have the little woman hand you a martini, your slippers and the paper – have your three course meat and potatoes dinner ready for you and … well you GET the picture.

Fun & Joy

GAAAAAAA – the virtual world was not to be like that. I can see why some would turn to something like WoW (World of Warcraft for the uninitiated) rather than a social network like the virtual world I inhabit.

I don’t want to worry about punching a time clock with a “sim-owner” who doesn’t even remember to thank me, yet benefits from my dozens and dozens of ideas to make things better. I don’t want to “drive” to work in traffic either – I want to fly above the clouds on my winged Pegasus – what a delight to have the wind in my hair as I watch the sun rise over and over, as I play it again just for my personal delight!

I want to live in realms that are more about people than things; lands that are concerned with nurturing, not disciplining. A world where people are supported and encouraged and affirmed; rather than broken down, collared and dominated.

Together We Can Work It Out !

We can build a world like that! We can move in our own special way to bring great things to others. We can support those who are tired of the silly politics, and wars and rumours of wars! We can build a world of tranquility where every experience adds -- not detracts -- from our lives and those around us! What a joy that will be and we are so near to doing this right now.

Our world will be one of retreat and peace and healing. And we can move and move and move….and enjoy our own special dance to our own special music.

Together….let's work it out!!

How Could This Be So Difficult?

How does someone rule a Queen? They don't! It is all about love really.
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I Have Not Felt Such Longing
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I have not felt such longing before.
Your very absence makes me angry
That anything in the world can keep us apart.

I am weary of respecting job or time or responsibilities.
My God! I have seen jobs dissolved, time disappear
And responsibilities carried to the grave.
There is always someone else to work or care for,
But no one else to love.

Do you not understand? There is only love!
Must I be madly in love only in my fantasies?
Does ever reality return home for her children,
To collect the mail or answer a wrong number?
It’s always a wrong number when you are in love.

Love cannot look back for such will never come again.
All else has another chance:
A child, a job, a parent, a friend.
Only love must respect the moment.
And when it is ignored or qualified or compromised,
Then it is never the same again.
It is only the passing of time,
However comfortably and well.

Arthur C Clarke - Disturbance in the Force

Today one of my favourite authors passed away.

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Arthur C. Clarke, British-born science fiction author, has died in hospital in Sri Lanka at the age of 90. Clarke had been in and out of hospital since his 90th birthday in December and had breathing difficulties, his aide Rohan de Silva said.

"Sir Arthur passed away a short while ago at the Apollo Hospital," Mr de Silva said.
During a career that spanned some seven decades, Clarke wrote more than 80 books and hundreds of short stories and articles.

But he is perhaps best-known as the author of 2001: A Space Odyssey, which director Stanley Kubrick made into a film in 1968.

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Isn't it strange that today, writing was the topic of my last two blog articles.

The first book I ever wrote, at the tender and oh-so-confident age of 14, was SF. Then I realised I was too young to understand life much anyway and didn't have enough of a clue about hard science to fill a thimble. I still have that "book" somewhere though. (it was awful!)

After seeing 2001 - A Space Odyssey, several times and having read the book, I endeavoured to read many of Mr. Clarke's books and articles. He was prolific and a future thinker, always thinking ahead of most in the world.

He was 90. I hope when I am that age, I will have written just one novel that he would have picked up and considered reading.

For me, today there is a disturbance in the force of writing.