When I was in my 20s, I had a girlfriend who was an astrologer. She told me that I could be or do anything I wanted in life and, being in my 20s, I believed her. The charts may not always tell the truth, but they never lie.
When I was a kid, my eldest sister had our palms read by taking prints of them to a London clairvoyant. The first thing the palmist said - having compared the size of my hand to my siblings - was that I would outlive them all. The next thing was that I would never be rich, but I would always get by. So far she is correct.
Now I am in my 60s, I know that there are certain things I will never be or do. For instance, I will never be a jet fighter pilot. I wish I could say the same about being a murderer, but murder is possible at any age.
In 18th century novels like Tom Jones or Tristram Shandy, the hero is tossed around by fate like a small boat on the high seas, but he is always young - or at least starts out that way. Fortune and misfortune gets heaped upon him in a seemingly haphazard way, but destiny is always fulfilled. You can predict fate but only God can predict destiny, and I am not even sure about that.
'Self-made men' always say that they got where they are without any help from anyone, and self-effacing ones say that they have been 'very lucky'. Both are liars, but I prefer the lucky ones.
I started out in life with nothing, and I still have most of it left.
In earlier, darker times, one could steal and plunder, then build a huge fortified castle, only to have it taken away again by someone stronger. This seems to have happened more often that not. It makes for good stories.
ReplyDeleteWe are going to stay in Corfe Castle. The geezer who built that knew he was about to fall out with the London-based monarchy. It must have taken years to build. How come the king had no decent intelligence of it?
DeleteWhen as a young child I asked my father what I would inherit on his death. He told me that he would leave me the world to get my living in... and years later I am now enriched by my inheritance.
ReplyDeleteHe never promised you a rose garden then?
DeleteI always say that I don't believe in astrology but I use it to decipher people. It helps me not kill them, if I can convince myself that they can't help being assholes because they were born under a sun sign that makes them whiny, vain, oblivious, or liars.
ReplyDeleteLeos are the easiest to spot. Second easiest are Taureans like me. We don't believe in all that shit.
DeleteI'm just lucky. I remember being told we make our luck. That's probably true, too.
ReplyDeleteWe make our fate, I think. Destiny can only be viewed over the shoulder on this earth. Luck be a lady tonight...
DeleteThose self made women
ReplyDeleteYes, I thought of that but it is usually the men who stand on a hill and crow about it - or it has been until recently. I am pleased that the term 'self made women' has not have to be used, and I am pleased that 'Two-Tone' does not have to describe a band comprising 50/50 black/white musicians these days too. There really should be nothing to talk about, but of course there is.
DeleteTo some extent we have to weather whatever comes our way in life - but how we deal with it is the important thing
ReplyDeleteI am still trying to decide if I dealt badly with one thing and well with another, but I am still waiting for people to cease judging each other in monetary terms when it comes to success - especially inherited success.
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ReplyDeleteYou cannot dodge your destiny.
ReplyDeleteBetter dig up Jimmy Savile and remind him of that.
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ReplyDelete"When I was in my 20s, I had a girlfriend who was an astrologer"
When I was in my 20s I had a girlfriend who worked in gregs
Was she an astrologer?
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