Category: Books

Quote Of The Week

‘If you yourself are a shy one, then please try not to settle for living in your isolation cage. Take every opportunity a stranger or colleague or associate may offer and run with it. There is no need to be scared of people or believe that what you have to contribute is worthless. Take a chance, get involved and slowly the cage will open.’

Bob Mortimer – And Away

Quote Of The Week

‘I was never going to have things the way I wanted them, no matter how vivid they seemed in my imagination. In a way, life itself was an improvisation, in which I was going to have to deal with what came to me and not think about what should have come.’

Never Have Your Dog Stuffed – Alan Alda

Missed Opportunities

Ever had a missed opportunity?

Whether it’s just a neighbour

Who waved at you

Across the way

From the window

And you froze

And didn’t wave back.

In lockdown.

And now you don’t know

How To Pull it Back.

‘Cos maybe won’t take rejection a second time

And yet, you won’t put your neck on the block

Even though it was them who put their neck on the line

That first time

And you are lonely and isolated

And have fantasized and wished

For a long time

That they would wave at you again.

But you know it’s not their call

And you know you would wave back manically

If they waved back at you again.

‘Cos you just froze

Like you always do.

And backed away from the window

Now they turn away from their window

When you are there

Or look away

Won’t take rejection a second time

But sometimes they stare

Straight at you

Hoping you’ll return the kind gesture

They gave you

But you can’t be spontaneous

Or even planned

Would rather crawl on the floor

Then pass by the window again.

And have often done, to your shame.

Ahem, okay, let’s get off this train of thought

Where was I?

Oh yes, look…

Perhaps there was an job opportunity

A job you didn’t take

Or applied for

Because you didn’t think

You were good enough

Or worthy enough

Or could do it

And sustain it

And authenticate it

Or believe you could do it

Or a romantic relationship that

Passed you by

Because you knew it was wrong

Or maybe it was right

And you fought it tooth and nail

And murdered your feelings

For an easy life

Or because it wasn’t what you were

Or what you were supposed to do

But it never led to an easy anything

Did it?

Ever had a missed opportunity?

When you haven’t smiled

Or didn’t stand up for yourself

Or didn’t say the right thing

The thing you wanted to say

Or didn’t say anything

And let that moment pass

That valuable, precious moment

Hindsight is

20 20 vision

Sometimes.

You didn’t say the right thing

Didn’t do the right thing

What is the right thing?

Is there such a thing?

As a missed opportunity?

If you didn’t do it the first time round

Maybe there is a good reason.

Your natural self reacted

Responses are instinctive

Sometimes not fast enough

For other people

Who Live Their Life

In The Fast Lane

Or you were pre-emptive

But it’s not always what you think it should be

It doesn’t have to be anything

Don’t beat yourself up

Over missed opportunities

Don’t regret these so called

‘Missed opportunities’

We just don’t know

How it would have turned out

If it had happened

It might have been the worst thing

We ever did.

But next time,

As a result of all the missed opportunities

Maybe we might be

More spontaneous

The next time round

And if not

It doesn’t matter

As there’s always a next time

And God Is Good

And will give you limitless opportunities

To miss opportunitiies

Or to hit them

On the bullseye

Every single day

Of your life.