50 thoughts on “Tolerance”

          • I do so love living here. It’s not that there aren’t some nice places abroad, and in the rest of the UK too, but I just feel … right here. The climate is perfect, there are no dangerous animals, the people (mostly) all speak the same language as me, and the food here is lovely. I can just imagine people all around the world saying the same thing about their own places, but this one is just fine for me. Do you think about karma much, Miri?

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          • That’s so good Rob, I think it’s wonderful that you feel so right about where you live. And content with everything in your world. I must admit I feel the same way about mine. I’m happy here. I couldn’t really imagine living anywhere else.
            And yes, I do think about karma. A lot.

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          • Yeah, me too. I wonder why I have such an easy life and why I’m basically so content. The law/theory of karma says that I must have done some good stuff in order to have so much good stuff in my life. I can’t really think of anything particularly good that I’ve done though. In my mind I just muddle through life, not really caring for things or people the way that I know that I’m capable of doing. I’m a little standoffish and not as loving and helpful as perhaps I should be. I let people come and I let them go. Do you think that there’s a viable alternative to karma though – some other explanation as to why I have it so easy?
            Do you have it easy? Basically?

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          • Big question Robert, especially at 6.30 in the morning (it’s Wednesday now). I don’t really know about karma. I’ve always considered myself fairly fortunate and blessed even though I’ve not done huge amounts of good in my life. I’ve always tried to do the right thing though. The last couple of years have changed though and become hard, especially the last one. And I do often question why things happen and change so dramatically. Is it to test us? Cos I feel like I’m being tested right now. And I’m trying to find my purpose. All big issues that make me wonder … hence why my posts are often so reflective. There’s a lot of searching going on for me.
            Wow, sorry about the ramble … xo

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          • No – that was wonderful – thanks for trusting me with that, Miri. Your experiences seem to mirror mine in that we both have felt blessed and yet did not know why. This thing about being tested is interesting. What or who is testing us (and yes – I feel a measure of this too)? I can sometimes tie my feeling down to something that I’ve done (or not done) but like as not it’s something to do with my diet rather than my karma. I feel that sugar knocks me off my game and that there are times that nothing less than a nice cheese sandwich will make me feel well enough to be in the company of people. Reflective posts? Well, I’m absolutely no stranger to those (as you may have noticed)! In fact, I prefer talking to reflective and self aware people above all others. The last year has been interesting (and dire) for me too but again, I’ve been eating a lot of chocolate this year and so that may be the problem there. I think though that what I want to do is gain strength through adversity and if my life is too easy then I won’t be able to do that.
            Sorry to give you big questions so early in the morning. Perhaps you should hold back from reading my comments until you’ve had at least one cup of coffee! 😀
            I guess we just have to keep registering that we are sitting a test and just keep being determined to pass. What do you think?

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          • Never feel sorry for asking me big questions Rob, I prefer honesty above all else. As you said, I’ll just arm myself with a coffee first! 🙂
            What you said about diet, sugar and chocolate, well that’s me too. I love all three, probably too much, but I figure everything in moderation and life’s too short not to indulge in what we love.
            As for strength through adversity, yes, I couldn’t agree more. It’s through these tough times we’re going through that we find out just how much we can handle. It does change us, and it does make us stronger (I like to believe) I know that I’ve changed this past year but I like to think it’s for the better, even though I’ve shed buckets of tears and often questioned where I’m going and what life’s all about. But I guess we all have those big questions. As for that test, yes, I’m determined to pass.
            Anyway, it’s 8.30am here Thursday morning, I’ve just baked a cake for my mum which is in the oven and later I’ll be out and about going to see her. Hope all is well in your world Rob. You must be ready for bed (if you’re not already in it).

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          • Of course then there is the elephant in the room – our age. No matter how I may try to deny it, I’m probably at the peak of my physical (and maybe mental) powers, and we all know what we have to do once the peak has been reached. It’s not a happy thought to ponder. With that come the questions about what I am doing with my best years. Should I be spending them in pointless argument about why I am doing this and that with someone that could never understand why I do things (even if I could fully understand the reasons myself). It leads me then to a dilemma – do I stay with what I know, with the obvious (and yet oh so worn) benefits or do I strike out and achieve something with my life? And then, in which direction would I strike out? Would I get the support I would need? (probably not) Would I be any happier in another place with other people and other interests? (probably not) and would it make any difference to the world if I were happy instead of sitting uncomfortably on the horns of this dilemma? (probably)
            You say that you prefer honesty above all else, and I agree with you, but I could not say most any of these things to the people close to me. They would not understand. They would see this as a lack of love or of loyalty. They would be afraid of me and the eggshells they feel they are walking on would seem to thin and crack. Honesty is great but it has to be paired with superb understanding, forbearance (or at least a double brandy).
            It’s 8.07am and this is Robert, reporting from my world. Welcome, Miriam. 🙂

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          • So many questions and so many dilemmas that we face … and I think that you may be right, if we were brutally honest with those closest to us they would probably either (a) run a mile screaming (b) commit us to a place for the unhinged or (c) seriously doubt us and their relationship with us and, yes, quite possibly be afraid. So we keep it all inside. Except for here on WP where we can bare our soul!
            It’s 5.35pm and this is Miriam checking in from down under. Hugs 🙂

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  4. Hahaha, you even had to put it in ALL CAPS to make sure people got the irony:) Well, I did – yes, you! Tragic-comic. Because if you can’t stand it, you are not being tolerant (am I looking too much into this, or was that your intent??)
    Dajena

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  5. I have run into a lot of intolerance lately. I don’t drive but there is a free van service that will take me to medical appointments and back home again. I have gotten to know a lot of the drivers. The woman who was the driver on my last trip home was one of my favorite people but this time she really bothered me. The was an attack on a bar in Orlando Florida and many people were shot and killed. It was just the one man and apparently he was with that ISIS thing. One passenger asked what we thought of that and I said it was a sad thing. The driver went off on a rant against Muslims in general, saying that they couldn’t be trusted at all and shouldn’t be allow to come here as refugees. She started calling them “diaper heads” which I really didn’t care for at all. I know I should have stated that but somehow I didn’t have the courage to do so. I’m an introvert and we are often quite shy about showing how we feel about things for fear that we will be misunderstood. It’s not a Muslim thing to go around killing people. That’s a criminal thing. I did say that not all Syrian refugees were out to get us and that in fact most of them aren’t. They are victims of ISIS as well. I’m not Muslim but I respect their right to be as they are. Religion is damned stupid thing to fight over!

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