Introduction
Broadcast on BBC Radio Ulster's Thought for the Day slot before the morning news, several, though not all, in groups of three, on successive days. Chronologically by dates of broadcast.
​
A REMARKABLE WOMAN
I was looking through the newspaper the other day when, on the obituary pages, my eye fell on the photograph of a woman dressed in a sari. I am originally from India so I was immediately interested. However, when I read the name it was a Western name. Was the woman Indian or was she British? Intrigued I read the article. The woman’s name was Dora Scarlett. This is her story.
Dora moved to India quite late in life, when she was in her fifties and she lived in a remote place in south India for the next 40 years. There she founded a centre that provided free medical treatment and care.
It started very simply. She loved gardening and began to grow crops on formerly barren soil. She visited the villages around and provided simple medicines for the people. She also learnt of their way of life not thinking it right to impose western views on them. In time she established her own place. It had mud and tile buildings, used traditional farming methods and had a rural clinic that provided free medical care. She called it Seva Nilayam which means Home of Service. The centre embraced all faiths and it welcomed the poorest and the lowest. Patients came from all around. If they came from far away or if they needed rest and care, they stayed. They became part of the centre and helped in its running. The clinic provided caring and effective treatment using simple rural medicines as far as possible. For a while the centre got funding from western agencies. When that stopped Dora sat down and wrote to everyone she knew. Her letter began ‘I am writing to you from a remote corner of India…’ The response was overwhelming and soon she was writing a bi-monthly newsletter describing the work of the clinic and the life around her. Over the years the centre helped care for hundreds and thousands of the poorest people in the area. Dora Scarlett died earlier this year. She was herself a Catholic but many local, Hindu, customs were followed at her funeral which was attended by hundreds of people.
The question, which had arisen in my mind when I saw the article, was this an Indian woman or was she British, had a simple answer. She was just a remarkable woman.
22 May 2001
​
​
LOVE AND WAR
I love reading. There are few things I like better than to curl up on the sofa and bury my head in a book. And yes, I have to confess that when a book is very absorbing, I sometimes neglect my duties. You will have guessed by all this that I read for pleasure. A book I enjoyed very much is Love and War in the Apennines, by the travel writer, Eric Newby. In this book he has written movingly of his adventures during the Second World War. He was captured off the Italian coast and held as a prisoner of war by the Italians. When Italy declared an armistice, he was released but the country remained occupied by the German army. Newby spent many months hiding from the German troops in the Italian countryside. Throughout this time he was helped by ordinary Italian people, mainly farmers and peasants. He was very grateful for the help they gave him but he was also a little puzzled. These peasants ran great risks and often put their own lives in danger to help him. They did this for him despite the fact that to them he was a total stranger. One day, a spokesman for the villagers explained why they were doing so much to help him. He told the author that many of the families in the area had young men who were also being hunted by the Germans. Other families had sons fighting in Russia and about whom they had no news. They felt the young Newby was in a similar position to their sons. So they saw it as their duty to help him. They hoped their sons, were in their turn, being helped by others, wherever they were.
Those simple uneducated Italian peasants set an example that all of us could follow. In these modern times, many of us live far away from our families and friends. They may be in another city, another country, or even half way across the world. It is only natural that we miss them. But we can be friends with and help those amongst whom we live and hope that others are doing the same for our loved ones. It is a valuable lesson taught by ordinary folk who helped a young man, though he was a stranger, by thinking of him as one of their sons.
23 May 2001
​
​
AFTERLIFE
I like going to see movies. Movies are of course associated with entertainment. It is fun to sit in the dark and to be transported to another world for a short time. However, a good film, like a good book, offers something more than a few hours amusement. It lingers in the mind and it sets one thinking.
There was a Japanese film called Afterlife I saw not long ago, which I found very interesting. The subject of the film, as the title suggests, was life after death. There was a set of offices, a bit like government offices in which a group of people worked. The tolling of a bell announced the arrival of a person who had just died. All the new arrivals stayed only temporarily in the grey, anonymous, office buildings which were a place of limbo. Everyone who had died was asked to choose a defining moment in their lives when they had been truly happy. This moment was then recreated by the workers in the offices and the person then left to relive this happy time through eternity. The office workers were persons who had died earlier but had not yet selected their happiest moment. The interesting thing about the film was that it showed a lot of people had difficulty in choosing a time in their lives when they had been so happy they would want to live it again and again. Also, when they did finally choose, it was not some grand triumph but a small moment. A young girl chose the feeling of being loved as she lay with her head in her mother’s lap.
Most people if asked what they wanted to make them happy would probably have a ready answer – a new house, a dream holiday, finding true love, or some such thing. But asked to say when they were truly happy, so happy they would willingly relive the moment again and again, chances are there will no simple reply. Achieving happiness, far from being easy, is a difficult and complicated matter.
You are probably wondering by now about the time in my life that I would choose to live through eternity. Well, I’ll tell you. I am still thinking about it.
24 May 2001
​
​
YAYATI
I grew up in a traditional Indian family in which Hinduism was a way of life. As a child I looked forward to the festivals we celebrated, specially Diwali. Also part of my growing up were stories, from the two epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, and from the Hindu myths. I heard these stories the traditional way they have been handed down over the centuries, from older members of the family, particularly my grandmother. Now many of them are available in books, in English. The great Indian writer, R K Narayan, who died earlier this year, wrote a collection titled Gods, Demons & Others. These stories are classic tales of good and evil and implicit in all of them is some moral significance.
One of the stories concerns Yayati, a rich and powerful king, whose name is associated with the quest for perpetual youth. Yayati incurred the wrath of a powerful sage who cursed him with instant senility. When the king pleaded for mercy, the sage relented. He told the king that if he could find a young man who would agree to take on his senility, he would be reprieved. Yayati’s older sons all refused, but his youngest son agreed. The king was overjoyed and he promised to give back his son his youth after a thousand years. Yayati ruled as a just and good king and he lived a life filled with enjoyment. A thousand years soon passed and the time came to give back his son his youth. Yayati did so gladly. He had tasted every pleasure, but each time he had found the satisfaction was short-lived and merely left him craving for more. He had grown weary of the endless pursuit of pleasure. He renounced the world, lived simply and performed great austerities. He impressed the gods and was taken up to heaven. There he was greeted by the god Indra.
‘Who is your equal in spiritual prowess?’ Indra asked him.
‘There is no one among men, or saints or gods, who is my equal,’ Yayati replied.
As he uttered these words, Yayati fell back to earth, pulled down by the weight of his ego. After more years of penance and austerity he went back to heaven. This time, having renounced everything, including his ego, he had become worthy not only to reach heaven but also to stay there.
1 August 01
​
​
Entirely
The Irish poet, Louis Macneice, though he lived in England, was born here, somewhere in north Belfast. He expressed this poetically ‘I was born in Belfast, between the mountain and the gantries’. I think of that line as I drive along the motorway with Cavehill on one side and the giant cranes of the shipyard, Samson and Goliath, on the other. It is something good poets, and Macneice certainly was one, do so well. They put into a few well-chosen words a simple fact, like where a person was born. They can also express some complex ideas or thoughts, again in a concise way.
One of my favourite poems by Macneice is called Entirely. It begins with these words: ‘If we could get the hang of it entirely/it would take too long;’ It is quite a philosophical line, but then it is a very thoughtful poem. It expresses simply, in less than a page, some profound ideas. For he goes on to say: ‘If the world were black and white entirely… we might be surer where we wished to go.’
It is amazing how many people behave as if the world was indeed black and white. They are sure that what they are doing is right and equally certain that those opposed to them are wrong. There are examples of such behaviour all around us, both major ones and minor ones. Al Qaeda labelled the US as its enemy and launched the attacks of September 11 last year. The Americans struck back in Afghanistan and now seem to be looking to extend the aggression to other countries like Iraq, which the American president, with frightening certainty, has labelled evil. On a smaller scale, right here in Belfast, we have had a bitter confrontation over a road along which little girls walk to their local school. In these and innumerable confrontations no one has any doubts about the justice of their cause. They are certain in their opposition to others that they are doing the right thing. Politicians, priests, parents, teachers all line up on one side or the other. But it is a poet who pointed out that the world is not simply divided into black and white. Life is much more complicated than that. And the poem ends with words which express a profound truth, words that all of us would do well to heed: ‘in brute reality there is no/ Road that is right entirely.’
6 August 2002
​
​
True Love
A friend I have known for a long time, affects a stern manner which conceals a warm heart. I knew she had a younger sister but had never met her till she came to stay and I was invited over for dinner. Meeting my friend afterwards, I asked her casually what her sister did. At this simple question, my friend’s face lit up. Glowing with pride she told me how her sister had had to give up her education at a young age, but had still managed to build a career for herself. Her achievements were ordinary, but the look on my friend’s face was special. It told me, more eloquently than any words, how deeply she cared for her younger sister.
The poet, Tony Harrison, has written a series of sonnets which are love poems. No surprise there, except the love they speak of is that he felt for his mother and father. His parents were simple uneducated folk and the son’s education and learning put a distance between them. It was only after they were dead that he realised how much they had meant to him. His father was a baker, awkward and ill at ease in society. After he died and was cremated Tony Harrison wrote these lines: ‘The baker’s man no one will see rise/ and England made to feel like some dull oaf/ is smoke, enough to sting one person’s eyes/ and ash (not unlike flour) for one small loaf.’
I see examples of such love all around me: parents who rush over to help a daughter, grandparents who care for a grandchild when parents are found wanting, childhood friends whose affection, neither distance nor the passing of time, diminishes. All this the media ignores as if it is of no relevance whatsoever. Press and television are obsessed with stories about romantic love, or, given our modern times, with stories about sex. They are filled with tales of gossip, scandal and rumour, which often, have very little to do with love.
Is there someone you care for so that your face lights up when you mention his or her name? If you haven’t seen or spoken to that person recently, perhaps now is the time to get in touch - to call, to write, or to visit. And here is a final thought. Is there someone, somewhere, whose heart gladdens when that person thinks of you?
8 August 02
​
​
Second Sight
People often expect others who belong to another race or religion, or who have a different colour of skin or hair to be different. Red-haired persons, common here in Ireland, have an unfair reputation for having a fiery temperament, as if the colour of their hair affects their temper. In a similar way, people with dark skins are expected to feel the cold more. That is only true if the person has recently arrived from a warm climate. For those who live here, as I do, and even more so for those who are born in this part of the world, the human body adapts and grows used to the local climate. It is the length of time a person lives in a particular place that determines how used to the weather the person is, not the colour of his or her skin.
Misconceptions about persons who belong to another race or religion abound. All too often it leads to those who look different, or have different customs, to be regarded as inferior in some way. In the worst cases, it leads people of another race or religion to be demonised, as the recent tragic events in Palestine prove. The bitter divisions such misconceptions cause run deep and cause suffering on both sides. All right thinking persons condemn such attitudes which lead others to be seen as inferior. Surely then, one might think, it would be much more desirable to see those of another race or colour to be better in some way, to have some special gifts or talents. For example, people from a particular part of the world may be regarded as being musically gifted or good at sports. Not so. Such an attitude is also discriminatory and undesirable. The poet, A K Ramanujam, an Indian who lived in America, recognised this. One night, he was standing in a long queue, with a number of Americans, in a place where it was quite dark. Noticing his distinctive appearance, someone in the waiting crowd made a comment after which Ramanujam wrote: …As we enter the dark,/ someone says from behind,/ ‘You are a Hindoo, aren’t you?/ You must have second sight.’/ I fumble in my nine pockets like the night-blind/ son-in-law groping/ in every room for his wife,/ and strike a light to regain/ at once my first, and only,/ sight.
8 August 02
​
​
Body
A long time ago when I was a young girl….no, let me be honest, a very long time ago when I was young, there was a pop song titled Three Steps to Heaven. The song was all about finding the right girl, telling her you loved her, the usual sort of things you find in pop songs. I can’t talk about taking steps to heaven, but a few steps to making life on earth a bit better, we can all think of some. These are mine.
The first step is simple and can be summed up in one word – exercise, or given the current fashion for repeating words – exercise, exercise, exercise. The benefits of regular exercise are advocated by the medical profession and accepted by everyone. Yet a large number of people do not take any exercise. A common excuse is they are so busy that they don’t have time for exercise. American presidents, who must be among the busiest persons on earth, are regularly pictured out jogging. This applies not just to laid back ones like George W Bush, but also to frenetically busy ones like Bill Clinton. If exceptionally busy persons like American presidents can find time to exercise, it should be possible for everyone. By the way, have you noticed nobody ever says they don’t have time to watch their favourite soap, or reality TV show, or whatever? A second common excuse is lack of resources, such as not having money to join a gym, or to buy the right equipment. In fact none of these are necessary. All that is required is a reasonable pair of shoes and, given our uncertain climate, some protection against the rain. Equipped with these, it is possible to go for a walk or, for the more energetic, for a run.
Nelson Mandela, as in so many other ways, set an example in this matter of taking exercise, whatever the circumstances. As a result, despite the 27 years he spent in jail, today at the age of 85, he is still fit and active. During his time in prison, he made it a point to exercise regularly. Even when he was locked up for long periods in his cell on Robbin Island, he managed to find a way – he jogged on the spot.
26 July 05
​
​
Mind
When I taught an extra mural class in Indian literature in English some years ago, I was surprised by the age of the pupils. The persons who signed up for the class and attended were all retired persons and pensioners. At an age when most people would be inclined to stick to the known and familiar, their minds remained open to new ideas. They showed an eagerness to learn, read and discussed the books enthusiastically in class. It was no surprise, that though they were all into their retirement years, their minds were clear. By keeping mentally active they benefited by remaining sharp and alert.
This evidence seemed to be contradicted by the case of a black American man, George Dawson, who died a few years ago, aged 102. Late in his life, he became something of a celebrity in his country when, at the age of 98, he learned to read and write. Though for 98 years of his life he had been illiterate, the surprise was that he had remained clear of mind. The explanation was contained in his obituary. He kept the fact that he could not read a secret from others. For example when he travelled, he could not read any of the signs. He had to ask other people what the signs meant and he had to remember what they told him. He could never let himself forget anything lest people discovered his shameful secret. So, far from being idle, his mind had had to work harder than that of most literate persons. The result was that his mind had remained razor sharp till his death. He showed no signs of the ‘second childishness, mere oblivion’ that Shakespeare writes is the seventh age of man.
The example of George Dawson shows that one does not have to be a brainy scientist, or working in some intellectually demanding job, to keep an active mind. It is possible for everyone to do things that keep the mind alert. Particularly after retirement, as one grows older, there is a temptation to slow down, both physically and mentally. Yet, keeping an open and active mind brings its own rewards. If a first step to a good life is to exercise the body, the second step is to keep the mind active.
27 July 05
​
​
Spirit
There are a lot of programmes on television these days in which ordinary members of the public are asked to come forward and display their talents, in singing, dancing, acting or whatever, with a prize for the eventual winners. This is something they do in their spare time, simply because they enjoy doing it, even though it does not bring them material rewards. I was watching one of these programmes a while ago, it was called Operatunity. As the name indicates, the contestants had to sing opera songs and the winners got to record a CD.
A young man who appeared on this programme had an interesting experience to relate. He had worked earlier as a chef. However, he had suffered an industrial accident, in which he had lost an arm, as a result of which, he was no longer able to work. The injury also left him in considerable pain for which he needed medication. With time on his hands, he had taken up opera singing again, which he loved. After a while a strange thing occurred. The pain that he had suffered from disappeared and he no longer needed to take pain killers. He didn’t win that particular competition, but he was a winner anyway, because the quality of his life had improved. The singing did not make his arm grow back again, but it satisfied something deep within his spirit. It made the pain disappear and the pills he was taking became unnecessary.
Everyone has some interest or activity that they enjoy doing. For some it is an artistic interest, such as music or painting, for others it might be something practical, like gardening or cooking. Those who pursue them, do so not with thoughts of success, or with the hope of material rewards, but simply for the pleasure they give. Like the young man in the programme who took up opera singing, they satisfy a need in the soul.
In my youth long ago, there was a pop song called Three Steps to Heaven. It was all about finding true love, of course. I don’t know about heaven, but these seem to me three steps to a better life on earth Step 1 – exercise the body, Step 2 – keep the mind active and, last but by no means least, Step 3 – nourish your soul.
28 July 05
​
​
Food
Maybe it’s a bit early in the morning, particularly as many listeners might be having their breakfast, to tell a shocking story about food waste. Some relatives of mine spent a year in America where they were assigned a local family as sponsors. The sponsors were kind, friendly and helped them in many ways, including taking them shopping to the supermarket. At the supermarket the American family stocked up with vast quantities of groceries. After this they drove home only to find the family fridge already full. Their solution was simple. They emptied what was already in the fridge, all perfectly good food, into some bin bags and threw it away.
We don’t behave in this shockingly wasteful way in our part of the world. And yet recent research shows that households in the UK throw away about 6.7 million tonnes of food every year. Some of it is things like potato peelings, used teabags, meat bones, but most of it is perfectly good food. There are two main reasons why food that can be eaten is thrown away. One reason is making too much food, like rice or pasta, which then gets left in the saucepan or on the plate. The second main reason for wasting food is not using it in time. It might be some chicken breasts past their use by date, a bit of cheese gone mouldy, or fruit and vegetables that have gone off. A bit here and a bit there soon adds up and the result is unnecessary and expensive waste. It is estimated each British household throws away food worth between £250-£400 every year.
I grew up, not in the affluent West, but in a poor country on the other side of the world. Ours was a family on a modest income where every penny counted and nothing, certainly no food, was ever wasted. At mealtimes, you were served with a teaspoon of salt and a small wedge of lemon, to add to the food if you wished. When you finished your meal, which was eaten with the fingers, any lemon and salt left over was rubbed on the fingers as a cleanser before you washed your hands. When you got up at the end of the meal, you left nothing on the plate, not even a pinch of salt.
27 November 07
​
​
Clothing
At the world cup football competition held in Germany last year, it wasn’t just the exploits of the England players on the field that made the news, the media also reported what their partners did. We acquired a new word in the English language to describe the companions of the football players – Wags, wives and girlfriends. What the Wags did, and what the media reported in gleeful detail, can be summed up in a phrase– they went shopping. At the resort of Baden Baden where they were staying, they went to luxury boutiques where they spent vast quantities of money at a rapid rate, as much as £50,000 in one hour, we were told. They bought mainly designer clothes from fashion houses, with accessories, such as shoes and handbags to match, and with bits of jewellery thrown in. But it isn’t just women, who go around spending extravagantly on clothes. Men can be equally profligate. A recent newspaper article reported that the England manager at the time owns more than 150 suits.
Ordinary people cannot afford to go in for such lavish spending on clothes. And yet there is an interesting statistic that applies, not to football managers or Wags, but to all of us. Research shows we use 20% of our clothes 80% of the time. The 20% we use most often can easily be accounted for. We all have our favourite clothes, the ones that make us look good, are comfortable, go with other items, and are suitable in different types of weather. These are the clothes we reach for most often and wear day after day, week after week. Then there are the more expensive items in our wardrobe, the ones to be worn on special occasions such as parties, or grand dinners, or weddings. These account for another 20%, no let us be generous and say another 30%, of our clothes. That still leaves 50%, a full half of the clothes we possess, we hardly use at all.
That the super rich go around buying clothes they hardly ever wear is, in a way, understandable. They have the money and they can afford to be profligate. But why do the rest of us spend money on clothes most of which we never use?
28 November 07
​
​
Water
If you were to stop a man or woman in the street and ask what were the basic necessities of life, most would reply – food, clothing and shelter. But some of the poorest people survive without shelter, and some can get by, particularly in warm climates, with minimal clothing. In extreme situations, such as famine conditions, it is even possible to go without food for long periods. But there is one necessity which each and every single one of us needs every single day – we need to drink water.
Here we take access to clean water very much for granted. Though the water in the taps is perfectly safe, we buy bottles of water, fizzy or still, to drink. A newspaper article the other day featured a top London hotel which has a ‘water menu’. From it customers can order water, from an iceberg in the Arctic or rainwater from New Zealand, for as much as £20 a bottle.
In this the 21st century, technological advances mean we accept computers, mobile phones, fancy televisions, travel by air, as part of our lives. Yet in some parts of the world, many still lack for the basic necessities of life. One billion people lack access to clean water and two and a half billion don’t have access to clean sanitation. In the year 2000 the UN made the provision of clean water and sanitation one of its Millennium Development goals but progress has been painfully slow. Governments and international charities are willing to give generously to immunisation programmes, or to build hospitals and schools. But many children cannot attend these schools because they often fall ill, with water-borne diseases such as diarrhoea, after drinking unsafe water. Others, girls especially, have to walk several miles to collect water for their families, leaving them no time for education. Celebrities willingly give their support to deserving causes such as AIDS or cancer, but can you name one who champions the provision of clean water and sanitation? The most basic necessity of human life remains a deeply unfashionable and forgotten subject.
The next time someone asks if you would like sparkling or still, spare a thought for the millions who would settle for water that’s clean.
29 November 07
​
​
A Good Upbringing
This is a story of two children, a boy and a girl. They were born into a society where, traditionally, male children are regarded as a blessing while girls are seen as a burden. Their parents worked as domestics in the home of a middle class family. Thanks to the enlightened attitude of their employers and the financial support they provided, both the girl and her brother, some two years younger, received a good education.
The parents however, were themselves uneducated and from peasant backgrounds, and they treated their two children very differently. From an early age the girl was expected to do things for herself, including washing and ironing her own clothes, and to help with household chores such as cleaning or cooking. The boy on the other hand, led a pampered existence in which everything was done for him. He, literally, did not have to lift a finger. The girl was treated like any child while the boy was never criticised and was lavishly praised for the smallest thing he did. If anyone happened to say something uncomplimentary about him, his mother was enraged.
In due course the two siblings grew up. The girl found a steady job and brought in a good income for the family. The job required her to work long hours and she willingly put them in for she was used to working. When she was home, she continued to help around the house. Increasingly as she matured, she attended to more and more matters, dealing with tradesmen, receiving guests, being sent out to buy things, accompanying her elderly employer to the doctor. The boy was unused to doing any kind of work and he found the discipline of employment irksome. He drifted in and out of jobs. The girl learnt how to conduct herself with a wide variety of people, at her place of work, tradesmen, visitors and guests. The boy felt uncomfortable except in the company of a few like-minded friends. As an adult the girl acquired all the life skills she needs – to look after her own needs, to support herself financially and to conduct herself in the world outside. The boy cannot do the simplest things for himself, has difficulty holding on to jobs and is a misfit in society. The parents wanted to give only one of their children a good upbringing. They did.
5 August 2008
​
​
Leisure
Are you keeping busy? It is a common greeting in our part of the world. The friends who ask this question are saying – I hope you have lots of interesting things to do, that time does not hang heavily on your hands.
In fact, everybody seems very busy these days. Not just at their places of work or at home, even when out and about people are always busy. In trains or in planes, passengers pull out their computers and start tapping away. Just about everywhere - in shops, in buses, out and about in the streets, you can see people talking on their mobile phones. Joggers on the road and those exercising in the gym have plugs in their ears to listen to music. Teenagers, when they’re not talking to their friends on the phone are constantly texting them on their mobiles. Modern technology allows everyone to be busy, all of the time.
The poet, WH Davies, in his short poem Leisure, which is to be found in many a school textbook, took a very different view. He asked – What is this life if full of care/ We have no time to stand and stare. He wrote that we should find time in the hurly burly of our lives to look at the simple beauties of the world around us. He mentions streams sparkling in the sunlight, squirrels running across the grass, or a pretty young woman passing by.
On a sunny spring morning earlier this year, I went for a walk by the river near my house. Here we are blessed with beautiful countryside at our doorstep, even in the cities. As I was walking I was stopped by the sound of a bird calling in the trees beside the path. It was a song thrush, singing its melodious, exuberant song - a variety of musical notes, each note repeated twice, more often 3 or 4 times. During the course of that short walk I heard two more song thrushes. Though out for some exercise, each time I heard the musical sound I stopped and listened to what is surely one of the most mellifluous songs of the avian world.
Davies wrote – A poor life this if full of care/ We have no time to stand and stare. Yes, keep busy by all means. But leave some time to stand and stare or, maybe, to stop and listen.
12 August 2008
​
​
Wealth
The prices of necessities such as food and fuel are going up everyday, house prices are falling, interest rates are rising and experts are talking about the economic downturn. So it’s no wonder many of us worry about paying our bills and making ends meet. It is only natural we wish there was some way to make these problems disappear. We dream of suddenly becoming rich, maybe by winning the lottery. This is exactly what happened to Pat Griffiths. Some years ago she won 8½ million pounds on the lottery. She threw a big party and then bought a large, comfortable house. After that she continued to live as before, working on the family farm, her one indulgence being an expensive luxury holiday every now and then. Remarkably, Pat gave away about a third of her winnings, around £3 million. She did not donate this money to any charity or good cause. Instead taking the dictum, Charity begins at home, to heart, she distributed this huge sum of money between close members of the family. She gave the money to her children and also to brothers and sisters, both her own siblings and her husband’s. With her generosity she ensured all of them, and their families, would be financially secure in the future.
There are some people who win life’s lottery, like football players or pop stars. They earn fabulous sums of money the rest of us can only dream about. Some, all too few, devote themselves to a worthy cause for which they campaign and support. Most spend it on an extravagant lifestyle, buying luxury homes, expensive cars, designer clothes, throwing lavish parties and organising expensive weddings. There is another side to the celebrity lifestyles. This includes spells in clinics to get over alcohol or drug addiction, run-ins with the law, acrimonious divorces and messy personal lives. The great wealth talent earns doesn’t necessarily bring happiness, in some cases, it even seems a curse.
Have you ever wondered how the relatives and close friends of the rich and famous people live? How many of them became better off because they happened to be related to this or that celebrity? In the case of one wise woman, Pat, who won the lottery, the answer is very many.
19 August 2008
​
​
Home cooking
The number of cookery programmes on television proliferates by the day. The presenters, young and old, male and female, turn out dishes that range from the elaborate to the simple, from those that take hours to those guaranteed to take only a few minutes. The presenters become celebrities and the cookery books they write regularly make it into the bestseller charts.
Curiously, this explosion in cookery programmes and recipe books has not led to an increase in cooking in people’s homes. People are cooking less and less and buying more and more ready meals. The pre-prepared meals market in the UK is the largest in the world and is growing by the day. Perhaps the increase in cookery programmes and in sales of ready cooked meals are connected. People feel intimidated by watching professional chefs effortlessly cook meals they cannot hope to reproduce. So they give up and go to the local supermarket and buy expensive ready meals instead.
Here’s a thought. Why not stop watching food programmes and put away all cookery books and recipes. Then cook something you enjoyed eating when you were young, something your mother or father, grandmother, an aunt or a family friend used to make. Start with a few simple ingredients and make a dish that reminds you of home.
I was lucky enough to grow up eating delicious home made food cooked by my mother. Even after I had left, I always looked forward to her meals on visits home. There were no television programmes in her days, in fact there was no television, and no cookery books. She had learnt from her mother, my grandmother. The ingredients for the meals were inexpensive. There were staples - rice and wheat flour, pulses and lentils, supplemented with fresh, seasonal vegetables, bought from the local shop or market. The recipes followed were traditional ones, handed down the generations, from mother to daughter. Young girls didn’t attend cookery classes, they learnt by doing, by helping the older women of the family in the kitchen. When she could no longer continue cooking, an important part of my mother’s life came to an end. She embodied a fine tradition of home cooking that deserves to continue. My mother died earlier this year. This thought is for her.
26 August 2008