“My grandfather always said that living is like licking honey off a thorn.”
Louis Adamic
I enjoy the process of my Thursday Thoughts - the regularity of it, the time spent scanning words to ponder, and the surprise and delight when I choose a quote I had no real intention of landing on whatsoever! This is one of those days.
I was thinking about life, but I certainly wasn't pondering thorns or honey or bees... but this was such a lovely pithy quote. And it made me nod my head.
I just loved the imagery of trying to lick honey - such beauty, such reward, such nourishment, such sweetness - off a thorn - so sharp, so pointy, so scratchy, so piercing...
Having seen the image in my head, I went straight to imagining the experience of it and the tentative way in which you would approach the task.
I'm not sure I think that life should always be approached tentatively - my fear is that you might miss moments of magic that only appear when you are bold - but I think it kind of captures the balance between reward and risk pretty well.
You know the danger is worth it, the reward will be great, but you know not to just dive right in oblivious and blind to the side bits that go with it. You know you need to take account of the piercing nature of the thorn; but it doesn't deter you; you simply find a way to achieve your goal whilst negotiating obstacles.
I could go on and on about how well I think these few words and this imagery and imaginary experience work for me on all sorts of levels, but I'll let your imagination join in instead!
And you'll need it here with a poppy, not a rose. No thorns but fabulous bees working to make honey!
Louis Adamic
I enjoy the process of my Thursday Thoughts - the regularity of it, the time spent scanning words to ponder, and the surprise and delight when I choose a quote I had no real intention of landing on whatsoever! This is one of those days.
I was thinking about life, but I certainly wasn't pondering thorns or honey or bees... but this was such a lovely pithy quote. And it made me nod my head.
I just loved the imagery of trying to lick honey - such beauty, such reward, such nourishment, such sweetness - off a thorn - so sharp, so pointy, so scratchy, so piercing...
Having seen the image in my head, I went straight to imagining the experience of it and the tentative way in which you would approach the task.
I'm not sure I think that life should always be approached tentatively - my fear is that you might miss moments of magic that only appear when you are bold - but I think it kind of captures the balance between reward and risk pretty well.
You know the danger is worth it, the reward will be great, but you know not to just dive right in oblivious and blind to the side bits that go with it. You know you need to take account of the piercing nature of the thorn; but it doesn't deter you; you simply find a way to achieve your goal whilst negotiating obstacles.
I could go on and on about how well I think these few words and this imagery and imaginary experience work for me on all sorts of levels, but I'll let your imagination join in instead!
And you'll need it here with a poppy, not a rose. No thorns but fabulous bees working to make honey!
And, perhaps, life is such a mixture of the good and the bad, the easy and the difficult, the moments of calm and pleasure and those of anxiety and trouble - the double-sided coin.
ReplyDeleteThis quote to me says all this ... and so much more.
For a simple quote is says so much doesn't it Charlton/Margaret? I like all your thoughts and am sure that life and the quote hold all of that and more! Go well.
DeleteI like the quote and your thoughts about it so much, Fiona; it really hit home with me today. So much to think about with this one...
ReplyDeleteIt's a funny little one Sharmon, but there is so much in it isn't there? Happy pondering!
Deletesuch a deliciously tantalizing quote & exploration Fiona
ReplyDeleteFor something so succinct Mo it offers an awful lot I think, and oh how tantalising the exploration is! Go well.
Delete