Episode 19 Slow Down

Words and Music–William Thaumatrope
Produced by David Barratt at the Abattoir of Good Taste

Vocal and Guitar–William Thaumatrope
Ukulele and everything else–David Barratt

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NARRATIVE

Wisdom for the Greeks was a virtue embodied in the goddess Athena. Wisdom requires great intelligence and knowledge, but neither intelligence nor knowledge is sufficient by itself, for the wise person is someone whose knowledge informs the practice of life, someone who is able to deploy her intelligence and knowledge in judging what is the right course of action in any given circumstance. Wisdom is certainly manifest in the thoughts of great thinkers, in sages and philosophers of every kind, but wisdom is also to be found in common man or woman who has learned to understand and apply the lessons of life.

The psychology and self-help shelves are full of advice on how to make the right choices and to lead life wisely. But it is also perhaps true what some of our parents told us, that the capacity to make wise choices in life is not learned from books. What is it to choose or act wisely? Is it anything more than capacity to act in ones own best interests? If so, then the wise person, the person who consistently exercises good judgment, is someone who possesses a great depth of self-knowledge and is thus least likely to be ensnared in the web of self-deception and irrational action to which all of us are prone.

Some have parents and teachers who model for us practical wisdom but others are less fortunate. In public life there are all too many crash courses in self-destruction from Tiger Woods to Dominique Strauss-Kahn. Perhaps it is just not cool to be wise. There are a few people I have met who do seem to be instinctively wise about life, but most of us just muddle along and seek to adapt and learn from experience. Tragically for some the lessons come too late or simply forever remain unlearned.

Is publishing this blog wise?

LYRIC

Slow down
Thinking of the future it can’t help you know
Chances are you and I will change and grow
Let’s take our time and listen to the rain
Let’s take our time and listen to the rain

Slow down
Hold my hand remember all the times we had
Not forgetting moments when times were bad
Lie with me and listen to the rain
Just lie with me and listen to the rain

Life is sweet when love is kind
Life is mean when love is blind
So let’s just leave old loves behind
Side by side with no illusions in our minds
Let’s wait and see what we shall find

Slow down
Don’t forget the reason that you are here
Sample all the pleasures that you hold dear
Let’s you and I go walking in the rain
Come on let’s take a walk into the rain

Life is sweet when love is kind
Life is mean when love is blind
So let’s just leave old loves behind
Side by side with no illusions in our minds
Let’s wait and see what we shall find
No illusions in our minds
Wait and see what we shall find