My blog title entered my mind a while ago but it wasn’t valid yet, back then. It is now. This is unknown territory to me. The title is also a 1939 mystery novel by Agatha Christie, and “described by her as the most difficult of her books to write.” Actually, I feel the same with this blog.
None is not the same as empty or nothing. Far from it. There’s an English saying that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. I prefer the Dutch version: it’s better to have one bird in the hand than ten in the air. My hands are empty now but the sky is full of birds. Do I clench my fists or open my hands?
Life is all about establishing priorities and making choices. It might well be that my priorities are none Hence, the dilemma in my blog. This situation never occurred to me in my past and may well be irrelevant in my future. It might just be the present that I am questioning. Nothing new.
The subject matter of this blog is hardly relevant as the same principle applies, whether it’s chasing birds, cars, dragons, pavements, or waterfalls. Since 2019, I have been chasing a new car. I settled for a nice ride. Late 2022, I bought the one I had in mind 3 years ago but which wasn’t yet available.
I doubt my previous paragraph implies that we should waite rather than settle for less. Only hindsight gives 20/20 vision. My 2019 car was excellent until I got an injury while doing exercises. Only then I noticed its obvious shortcomings. Now I drive the car that I “pledged” I would never drive.
I think, feel and believe that the “none” allows us to reprioritize and to learn from yesterday. Late 2018, I reprioritized my housing search criteria. My prior chase had been unsuccessful. My new criteria revealed the house that I live in since 2019. It was in an area that I had deliberately ignored.
In the worst case, I’ve entertained a wild-goose chase, a “futile search, a fruitless errand; a useless and often lengthy task whose execution is inordinately complex relative to the value of the outcome.” That may not be funny right now, but it will be – once.
Somehow, the 1986 song Don’t Dream It’s Over just entered my mind:
[Verse 1]
Excerpt of the lyrics from the 1986 song Don’t Dream It’s Over by Crowded House (eg, video)
There is freedom within, there is freedom without
Try to catch a deluge in a paper cup
There’s a battle ahead, many battles are lost
But you’ll never see the end of the road
While you’re traveling with me
Last but not least, an alleged quote by Albert Einstein
“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.”
Chasing Cars (2006) by Snow Patrol
band, lyrics, video, Wiki-band, Wiki-song
Chasing Pavements (2008) by Adele
artist, lyrics, video, Wiki-artist, Wiki-song
(Don’t go chasing) Waterfalls (1995) by TLC
band, lyrics, video, Wiki-band, Wiki-song
Note: all markings (bold, italic, underlining) by LO unless in quotes or stated otherwise.
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