We’re programmed to do things: Get up early. Read a book. Don’t slouch in front of the telly. Be productive. Get going. Time is money. Life’s too short. Bollocks to that. I read a delightful interview with Chris Yates the other day – which can be found here. Not only did I love the picture … Continue reading Angling for Simplicity
Ode to Life and Africa
It was with great sadness that I learned that one of my friends passed away last week. Even though I wrote about impermanence recently, it is still hard, so very hard, to know such a colourful life is no more. I remember spending a month sitting on the shores of Lake Malawi next to my … Continue reading Ode to Life and Africa
The Simple House
A few people have asked me what I'm doing posting simple thoughts from Kenya, rather than from within a yurt near Glastonbury, or in Marin. Which, given my skin's disposition to redden at the slightest hint of sun, or hypocrisy, is a fair question. I realise I've neglected to mention what I'm up to. Shame on … Continue reading The Simple House
Inside Simplicity
"Our lives are frittered away by detail; simplify, simplify." — Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862) First published in 1854, Henry David Thoreau’s work Walden is considered an American classic. It is an autobiographical diary, of sorts, that details Thoreau’s time living in a cabin in the woods near Walden Pond, in Massachusetts. Thoreau lives in the … Continue reading Inside Simplicity
How To Do Lazy Days Properly (Part 2)
When thinking about the VLD, I decided to do some research into taking time off in general. Yes, there is a delightful irony in spending time working on finding out about taking time off... but I enjoyed it, so there. It seems I'm not alone when it comes to promoting VLD (Very Lazy Days). Some … Continue reading How To Do Lazy Days Properly (Part 2)
The VLD – How To Do Lazy Days Properly
This post is a tribute to Randall Sadleir, the grandfather of one of my greatest friends. ‘Randy’ was a master of acronym – a trait that was passed onto his son, who endearingly called Randy BOB, short for ‘Blind Old Bastard’. Or, when he had his cataracts removed, Ex-BOB. Randy lived in a basement flat, … Continue reading The VLD – How To Do Lazy Days Properly
Girls Gone Mild – The Power of The Ordinary
The great lesson ... is that the sacred is in the ordinary, that is to be found in one's daily life, in one's neighbors, friends, and family, in one's back yard ... -- Abraham Maslow I’ve read T.S Eliot’s The Lovesong of J Alfred Prufrock a few hundred times. Each time I read it I … Continue reading Girls Gone Mild – The Power of The Ordinary
Simplicity – Honest Good Intention or Sheer Naivety?
I try to imbue this blog with good intention. My hope is that the result doesn’t come across as too naïve, blithe or insincere. I am trying to explore simplicity honestly. I’m not testing the concept with the ferocity of some who seeks an immediate truth. I haven’t necessarily pushed the extremes, I've merely tickled … Continue reading Simplicity – Honest Good Intention or Sheer Naivety?
Trouble In Paradise – Retaining Perspective And Enjoyment
There’s a universal phenomena, particularly noticeable out here on the coast of Kenya. It occurs when we get so used to wonderful things that we no longer enjoy them. In this part of the world it is neatly summed up by the expression; ‘trouble in paradise’. The expression is used when someone has spent enough time on … Continue reading Trouble In Paradise – Retaining Perspective And Enjoyment
Impermanence
If you are reading this, you will die... Resistance is futile. No, these are not the mad ramblings of a James Bond villain, Nostradamus, Idi Amin or the reaper himself – but instead merely the musings of a realist. After all life, some say, is a sexually transmitted, terminal disease. Aside from the odd cryogenic … Continue reading Impermanence
Simpletom 