Sunday, August 29, 2010

The hula baloney

Eddy came with fresh Polish sausages, a bottle of French Elzas wine and a lot of warmth and friendship.
Cousin Jerzek fired up the limousine like barbecue and we all sat around the table on the terrace overlooking the illuminated garden and talked.

Eddy wanted to know for how long the stay in Poland had been.
He mentioned that it was possible to be happy in Poland only when the language was not understood.
Because Eddy says: it is total bullshit in this country.
The issues that play in Poland, the trouble that is made, the corruption that is going on, the materialism that grabs everybody, the conflicts that rise, the politicians who fight.
Eddy says he has had enough.
He can’t live in his country anymore.

Eddy’s plan is to sell his business and house in Poland and to leave with that money to retire on one of the Polynesian islands.
“I am tired, Michel, I am SO tired” Eddie says dramatically.
He desperately longs for sipping a cocktail under a palm tree with his feet in the white sand enjoying the sun and watching the hula of the Polynesian girls.

This is Eddy’s dream but what he doesn’t realize it is a potential nightmare.

The first thing is that nowhere on earth paradise can be found.
It is an illusion to think that if one is not happy in one country, happiness will come by moving to another country.
It is also an illusion to believe that a Polynesian island comes close to paradise.
Once there many things will be discovered as most unpleasant.
Like the flies and other insects that constantly bother.
And to be a stranger among Polynesians.
To become very lonely.
To be outside of a society and not participating in it anymore.
To become an outcast.
Boredom will creep up and eventually dominate.
The sun shining abundantly every day makes a European long for the changes of the seasons.
Alcoholism may become rampant.
And in the end, life is as unhappy as it was before at the point of origin.

It is probably true a lot of bullshit is going on in Poland.
But this goes for many countries.
There is no country where no bullshit is going on.
And in every country a lot is going on what cannot be considered as bullshit.
Beautiful things, good things, nice things, interesting things.

Therefore Eddy should realize that his malcontent with his country has everything to do with himself.
And that his dream of going to a Polynesian island is nothing but a smokescreen in order not to see that the problem is within himself.

What to do when a good friend is met who is that unhappy and ignorant?

It will not help at all to explain there are constantly flies on every Polynesian island.
And that the girls only dance the hula for money.

It also will not help to try to explain that when bullshit is noticed everywhere, that it is a reflection of oneself.

And it certainly will not help to suggest to the friend that some personal problem resolving would be the way out of the mess.

One can only listen.
And definitely not identify.
To remain balanced.
And to accept that each river has to flow.
Eventually, we all end up in the sea anyway.





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2 comments:

Fred Wishnie said...

Excellent blog today. How true!

Dawn Pier said...

I believe that you're talking about the same thing expressed by the Buddhist quote "Where ever you go, there you are." I also believe however that having beautiful scenery to look at can make swallowing the BS of everyday life a lot easier.