Nothing from nothing leaves nothing. You have gotta have something if you wanna be with me. Having something. That is an achievement. The job is not a matter of productivity necessarily. It can be one of perspective. In truth, note, not in fact, more importantly, having something is a matter of perspective.
Take the current events in Iran. It could be a war; it could be an insurgency. The facts are unclear but one man has stated many different things about it. One of these things is that he’s won. Even as planes fly on new bombing missions he can say something that doesn’t make sense. “We have won.” His truth tells us that he has won. From his perspective. Luckily for him he runs one of the countries in the war. Unluckily for him, the country he’s fighting against also believe that they have won the war.
The civilians undergoing heavy bombing to free them from an oppressive regime have mixed feelings, I guess. Nobody’s listening to them.
International troubles aside, we may all be able to benefit from being a bit more like Donald. I’ll explain. This whole article kicked off from the first line of a song I was listening to today as I lay in my hospital bed. I was surprised as you to veer off into international politics. Dean arrived in my room for a visit (If you don’t know who Dean is then you’ll have to work it out). He suggested I write something on one of the bits of paper in front of me. An article, no less. I said yes. Had nothing in mind and from nothing came nothing. Nothing from nothing leaves nothing. Just popping into my head like a sparrow flying past a window. Obviously, the next bit was the important bit. The bit about the value of having. Remember, we’ll always have Paris. As long as the French don’t notice.
You see, being back in hospital once again puts me in a position where I feel a lack of health. What I really need to work on is what I have, because it puts me in a position of ownership. Of abundance. It could be a memory, a hope or simply a good book. The objective is to be able to see what you have that you value and cherish it by making a short inventory.
I read recently, and possibly quoted in the last article, what you risk reveals what you value. I believe stating something that you care about as a possession, risks diminishing it into an attainable thing, something that is within your grasp, in fact is already grasped. Perhaps that makes it lose its shine. Opens a person up to ridicule.
Sometimes when I’m out at night in the countryside, I think “I’m lucky to have the stars above me.” A ridiculous thought but reassuring.
So, now I’m in hospital I’m glad I have this article to write. It makes me feel part of something, gives me a focus and a reason for a friend to make a return visit.
All in all, I hope I’d make Billy Preston author of that first line proud!