Author Archives: markdowe1

Arts, Literature

Words of affection

THE IMPACT OF AFFECTION

IN J.M. Barrie’s “Auld Licht Idylls” we encounter the character Cree. He’s a poor man, a hard worker, and his mother’s only support.

When he leaves town for a while, his mother takes her scribbled attempts at a letter to the school teacher for him to tidy up.

The teacher is surprised by how many endearing terms are in it, because he has never heard such words ever exchanged between them.

It turns out Cree has been teaching her to write and made up a sheet of phrases for her to practise with.

There are everyday words and statements like “the peats is near done”, but there are a number of disproportionate phrases like “God watch over me Cree”, “Oh, my beloved son”, “Dear son Cree” and “Loving mother”.

In teaching her to write, he was also – perhaps without realising it – teaching her how he wished he had been loved.

Our actions might be the best way of displaying our feelings, but there’s a place in our soul that longs to hear these things.

Don’t let your words of affection go unsaid.

– J M Barrie was a Scottish writer and journalist

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Arts

Small tasks

NO SMALL TASK

“I LONG to accomplish a great and noble task,” Helen Keller once wrote.

And I long to write an epic narrative that will hold a mirror to society and turn it in a more civilised direction.

“But it is my chief duty,” Ms Keller continued, “to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble.”

So I decided to write a cheerful note to a struggling friend instead.

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Arts

Remember what was intended

POSSIBILITY FOR FAILURE OR CRITICISM

WHAT a nerve-racking task it must have been in compiling the first-ever dictionary of the English language.

Someone was always going to say, “You missed out -“, or “It doesn’t mean that!”

Indeed, that first dictionary was reworked many times.

With that possibility for failure or criticism in mind, Samuel Johnson might easily have decided not to attempt his great work.

Instead, he wrote in the preface the following: “When it shall be found that much is omitted, let it not be forgotten that much likewise is performed.”

Criticism is important, but when we criticise let’s not attach too much importance to the mistakes.

Always remember what was intended and the courage it took to stand up and try.

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