“It really doesn’t matter…”

 

Sometimes, I get discouraged.  Sometimes I wonder if I’m even good at anything. Now, I’m not suicidal or near insane (not that I know of, at least) I’m just very melancholic, so it’s easy to get discouraged.

I recently watched The Pirates of Penzance.  It’s really a bizarre movie, but it’s also very funny, in a weird sort of way.  The lyrics to one of the songs in that movie kind of reminds me of how I feel sometimes.  It’s literally called “It really doesn’t matter.”

Sometimes I feel like everything I try to do “isn’t generally heard and if it does it doesn’t matter, matter, matter.”

 

Maybel and Fredric. He’s so cute!

 

Here are the lyrics to the song.  They’re actually very humorous:-)

FREDERIC:
My eyes are fully open to my awful situation,
I shall go at once to Mabel and I’ll make her an oration,
I will tell her I am bound by duty and my moral senses,
And I don’t know what to do about the pending consequences,
Now I do not want to perish by the sword or by the dagger,
But a pirate must indulge a little pardonable swagger,
And a word or two of complement my vanity would flatter,
But I’ve got to go tonight, so it really doesn’t matter.

ALL:
So it really doesn’t matter. (repeat five times)

ALL:
So it really doesn’t matter matter matter matter matter.

RUTH:
If this were not a little mad and generally silly,
I should give you my advice upon the subject willy-nilly,
I should show you in a moment how to grapple with the question,
And you’ll really be astonished at the force of my suggestion,
On the subject I shall write you a most valuable letter,
Full of excellent suggestions when I feel a little better,
But at present I’m afraid I am as mad as any hatter,
So I’ll sing this song from Ruddigore it really doesn’t matter.

ALL:

What we sing it doesn’t matter! (repeat five times)

ALL:
What we sing just doesn’t matter matter matter matter matter.

 PIRATE KING:
If I had been so lucky as to have a steady mother,
Who could talk to me as we are talking now to one another,
Who could give me good advice when she discovered I was erring,
Which is just the very favour which on you I am conferring,
My existance would have made a rather interesting idyll,
And I might have lived and died a very decent indiwiddle,
This particularly rapid unintelligible patter,
Isn’t generally heard and if it is it doesn’t matter.

FREDERIC AND RUTH:
If it is it doesn’t matter. (repeat three times)

ALL:
This particularly rapid unintelligible patter,
Isn’t generally heard and if it is it doesn’t matter.
This particularly rapid unintelligible patter,

Isn’t generally heard and if it is it doesn’t matter matter matter matter

 matter matter matter matter matter!

 

 

Or, click here to watch here to listen to this song with the lyrics.

 

Discussion or Argument?

Words and their nuances have always fascinated me, and I love to study and ponder their meaning.

I found a book that takes two words that are similar and discusses the differences between them.   It’s called The One Minute Philosopher.  If you’re interested in it, click here to find it on Amazon.

I found this word comparison very interesting.  It’s the difference between a discussion and an argument.

“In discussion, we deliberate for the sake of coming to the truth; in argument we abandon the mutual pursuit of truth because our purpose is to triumph.”     –Montague Brown (author of The One Minute Philosopher)

I’ll start with discussion.

Picture courtesy of http://www.123rf.com

 

Discussion

-sharing ideas for the sake of truth

A discussion is a confrontation for the purpose of finding the truth, and coming to some sort of agreement.  The two people present their ideas and their reasons for believing them.  A discussion is an intellectual and reasonable disagreement.

Next time you are in a discussion with someone, ask yourself these questions:

Am I being reasonable? 

Do I care what the other person is saying? 

Am I looking for the truth?

If so, then you are discussing, not arguing.

Picture courtesy of goldenagepaintings.blogspot.com

 

 Argument   

-fighting over ideas for personal victory

An argument is a confrontation also, but both people are unwilling to learn from each other.   The person cares more about winning the argument than finding truth.  One person often blames the other.  An argument is an emotional disagreement.

Ask yourself these questions when you are arguing with someone:

Am I being reasonable?

Do I want to be “win” the argument or find truth?

Am I blaming the other person?  

These words are so misunderstood!  Sometimes a person is simply trying to discuss something and the other person thinks they are trying to argue with them.

I hope this helps you see the difference between a discussion and an argument.  

The Destruction of Sennacherib

This is a fascinating poem.  I don’t know what poetry techniques the author used, but he’s obviously very skilled.   I really like how he uses picture words to describe the contrast between the beginning of the battle and the end of it.

Image courtesy of  www.trailertheater.com

 

The Destruction of Sennacherib

BY GEORGE GORDEN, LORD BYRON 

   The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold,

And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold;

And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea,

When the blue wave rolls nightly on deep Galilee.

 

   Like the leaves of the forest when Summer is green,

That host with their banners at sunset were seen:

Like the leaves of the forest when Autumn hath blown,

That host on the morrow lay withered and strown.

 

   For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast,

And breathed in the face of the foe as he passed;

And the eyes of the sleepers waxed deadly and chill,

And their hearts but once heaved, and for ever grew still!

 

   And there lay the steed with his nostril all wide,

But through it there rolled not the breath of his pride;

And the foam of his gasping lay white on the turf,

And cold as the spray of the rock-beating surf.

 

   And there lay the rider distorted and pale,

With the dew on his brow, and the rust on his mail:

And the tents were all silent, the banners alone,

The lances unlifted, the trumpet unblown.

 

   And the widows of Ashur are loud in their wail,

And the idols are broke in the temple of Baal;

And the might of the Gentile, unsmote by the sword,

Hath melted like snow in the glance of the Lord!

 

Intrigued?  Click here to learn more about this battle.

 

 

 

 

Making progress…

 

I have four rows sewn together on my blanket!   I’m really happy with how its looking, and wanted to share some pictures:-)  

The pattern that I’m using can be found here. 

Only eight more rows to go!

Close up!

I love how the colors blend so nicely with each other.

I learned something…

Until recently, panic attacks were a daily part of my life.

They would last for about 40 minutes and were very debilitating.  Often it would get so bad, that I would hyperventilate.  I was so discouraged, and thought that my anxiety would never get better.

Then, in the wee hours, one morning, I found this video.  It changed my life. 

This man’s videos have really helped me with my anxiety attacks.  He taught me that I have more control over my anxiety than I had thought and that it doesn’t have to dominate my life.  My last full-blown attack was nine days ago.  Sometimes, I start to become anxious, but I’ve learned how to prevent a complete attack from happening.

Anxiety is a complicated issue, and it’s different for every person, so I don’t want to make it seem like this video will cure all your anxiety forever, but for me this was a huge help.  It really helped me see some of the things I had been missing.

I hope this gives some encouragement to those struggling with anxiety:-)

 

Trees…

I’m studying poetry in school this year, and I really like it!   I wanted to share one of the poems from my poetry book, because it inspired me.

It’s truly amazing how words can describe something so perfectly, like this tree.

Courtesy of plantspages.com

Joyce Kilmer

I think I shall never see

A poem as lovely as a tree.

 

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest 

Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;

 

A tree who looks at God all day, 

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

 

A tree that may in Summer wear,

 A nest of robins in her hair;

 

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

 

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.