THE 8 BALL

CAUSE AND EFFECT - BILLIARDS

The aim in the game of billiards...pool is to be the first person to pocket the 8 Ball after sinking all your other balls first.

This is like life, we know what we are trying to achieve and set about doing just that.

Like pool, there are rules that must be followed in order to achieve our life goals.

However, in achieving pocketing the 8 Ball, or being what we individually think of as being successful, it is not always straight forward.

This article draws an analogy between billiards and life.

Billiards, snooker and pool is a game of cause and effect.

Life is also dominated by cause and effect.

We cause things to happen and it has an effect.

I demonstrate:

In Billiard games, because we want to win the game we have to follow the process and rules of play. 

As mentioned above, in order to win one must be the first to pot the 8 Ball after all your other balls.  However, in doing this one has to avoid accidentally sinking the white ball (cue ball) and/or the 8 Ball as well as your opponent’s balls.  This in itself is a challenge.

However, during the game it is a matter of course that other balls are hit and ricochet off others.  The balls roll around the table and may or may not roll into difficult positions.  Such as touching other players balls or end up against the table cushions.  Therefore, you can be placed in a difficult position which may not be easy to recover.  Following, you have to adjust your game strategy and use differing techniques to accommodate the new ball layout.  That is, with each shot both you and your opponent make, the game alters.

Billiards is a game of cause and effect. Because balls move around the table, either intentionally or otherwise this has an effect on the game.  Cause and effect.

This is like all life challenges...nothing stays regular and constant and one is constantly adjusting to get the advantage and win the game. Meaning, to sink the metaphorical 8 Ball of life.

As you may have gathered, I have recently taken up the sport of Billiards...pool, so much so that I have bought my own cue etc.  I am very lucky that I have ready access to a billiard table.

Being rather new to the game I am still very much a novice at technique and strategy but I am learning.

I enjoy thinking about billiards and pool, what is involved and strategies one may use in order to be the first in the game to pot the 8 ball and win.  

During the quiet hours between midnight and dawn I think a lot about billiards.  This is when I came to realise that the game of billiards is a graphic metaphor for life and all the challenges and obstacles we encounter in order to overcome challenges.

So to explain it better, below are the corresponding elements that are needed for Billiards and Life

BILLIARDS =	LIFE
Billiard Table =	One’s Life
Long skinny stick (Cue) =	Intention
Billiard...Pool Balls =	Skills
Table Pockets =	Target
Potting the 8 Ball =	Goal (Achievement)

The game of billiards, pool is an analogy for life and the above table shows the parallels.

It does not matter if one is playing against another person or against oneself, is not the potting of balls into pockets the same as achieving things in life?

I see this wonderful sport of billiards, pool or snooker that involves no running, jumping, pulling, pushing or lifting heavy weights to be a wonderful visual and physical exercise in understanding the process of living.  

Life, as billiards...pool, does not have to be struggle, both are a game in which we all are trying to achieve a happy and positive outcome.

We make life what it is.  

Everyone can play pool.  Everyone has a different physical stature, mental attitude, health and experience.  Take the cue from me.

A player with a positive attitude regardless of their inexperience can win a game over a very good player.  As a beginner I learnt this lesson the other night when I beat a very experienced and excellent player.  

During my life I have only played pool about five or six times and that was over a period of 15-40 years ago.  Yet, there I was the other night playing about the fourth game since that time. I have never had lessons, I was mis-hitting balls, had one or two air shots but at least the way I was playing, I won the game.

How did I win?

In all honesty I think it was because I was taking my time and properly lining up my shots, covered (blocked) two pockets...not really deliberately...but almost and most importantly, I made sure that I took my time approaching the table and was careful that my stance and bridge (hand aiming the cue) was correct.  (I have lots more to learn about and practice this). But the thing is, this is what we do in life.

Life, as a game of billiards, have obstacles such as rules, penalties and challenges, that is the way things are.

As you can see, achieving goals or becoming successful is not necessarily determined by who or what one is up against.  It is more about our personal attitudes and other attributes in which we play the game of life and living.

Well...that is what I have learnt about the game of Billiards.

Cheers,

Verde

THE TABLE

Dear People,

I am writing this letter to tell you about myself.

I am a table, not just any table...I am ‘the’ table.

Well, in my home I am commonly known as ‘the table’.  I don’t understand why all tables are called ‘table’.  It is like my friends around me, there are generally six and they all have the same name too, ‘chair’.  They are all called the same.  The people in my home have different names and they all look different, but not the chairs around me.  Maybe I am special because I am the only one with the name ‘table’.

I live in a house, not too big, not too small.  I am the exact size to match the family that surround me often throughout the day, the evening and sometimes; through the night (this all depends on events in my home).  I see, experience and feel lots of things happening in the kitchen. Oh yes, that is where I live, in the kitchen, with my mates chair, chair, chair, chair, chair and of course, chair.

I am pretty normal and an ordinary looking kitchen table.  Being of timber construction with my top of four planks stained a sandy-greenish-gray hew I think I look good. I have modestly strong shapely legs that manage to support not only my weight but also the weight of much food.  There are times when I feel other weight of the emotional kind upon me.  Humans have weighty problems and issues sometimes.

It is lucky that I am also able to support the limbs and heads of many people when their life becomes tough.  I have felt human tears upon me, so I hope the smell of my wood helps them as their head is resting on me.  My owners describe me as being timbered, rustic, knobbly legs and of a rectangular shape.  It sounds ok to me.

People seem to talk a lot, especially when they are happy, sad or angry.  Don’t misunderstand me, I have no way of hearing things other than though vibration echoing through the room and through my timber but I know what is going on though, from my perspective that is.

Tables and other wooden things are often seen as objects that are made from dead trees but the reality is that although the tree that forms my presence has gone, the timber remains alive.  It is cellular and still alive. 

Perhaps you have seen timber that has been bumped, dented and damaged.  Over time the dents and damage seems to recover to a degree...well, this is why.  Mind you, I still have chips out of my leg that will be there forever, that is until my leg falls of and I am thrown away I suppose.  Perhaps I will be recycled and live a renewed life as something else.  Or even become a part of the earth like fertiliser and help flowers grow.

As I become older and relive my past experiences I become more grateful for being a table.  I have seen many things and, I have been of service.

There is honour of having lived a life of service.  Although I am an old wooden table, in my own way I have helped to support people and this is my way of being of service.

People, the family in my house, have sat around me many thousands of times and I have enjoyed their company whether it was for good times or not so good times.  I can’t talk for the chairs, they don’t express themselves but that is possibly good because that means that the chairs can’t complain.

Back to the family, they were two big and two small people and then there were another two small ones.  When these two very small people arrived the big people were very happy.  There was music, dancing, singing and lots and lots of food.  I think it is called a ‘party’.

Then two others that were really, really old came and lived in our home.

One day a small one was not around anymore and later one of the old ones went...somewhere.  When these people went, the others, the two big ones and the last little one, who had become bigger, were very sad.  They ate lots of food then and I could feel great sadness. There was no music and dancing. 

I don’t understand, what happened to the one old one and the young one, perhaps they went and became fertiliser like I might one day and help flowers grow.

There was sometimes a lot of thinking, writing and discussion upon me, the table.  At times there were really loud vibrations accompanied by thumping on me, shouting even.  I later heard that these were called homework, the boyfriend and ‘why on earth did I let her have the car keys.’  I don’t understand though.

It is not really my place to understand.  But it is my place to stand in the kitchen and be supportive, regardless of things placed upon me or simply to be a resting place.

I am proud of being a table.  I have been a good utility and have been of service.

Yours sincerely,

Table.

Verde.

ONE'S OWN COUNSEL

A sheep, alpaca and kangaroo lesson.

I have enjoyed the luxury of being surrounded by open space, peace and tranquillity on a country property for a while now. Living on top of a very large hill with the muted sounds and silence of the bush, I never realised what it really means to be surrounded by wild and domestic animals and how they communicate.

From various distant trees the birds call to each other, the kangaroos tend to communicate more by body language than grunting and the sheep, alpacas, cattle and horses communicate vocally but generally, if they feel uncomfortable, they walk off.   

It is quite normal for wild kangaroos and the domestic sheep and alpacas to hang around peacefully together in the same paddock.  They are different species, at the one time, feeding at the same dinner table or simply resting.  I have never seen any show of disharmony.

The animals live and let live.  They don’t meddle, interfere, argue or attack other animals.  There is room for all at the dinner table.  Besides eating they often follow each other around (especially the sheep and alpacas).  But if feeling uncomfortable they simply wander off or hop away.

Then there is the human animal. 

Some human animals object to others being at the same dinner table, or the same function as those of a different colour such as white, black, yellow, brown etc.

Some humans may object to sharing with those of a different culture, from a different social group or have a different accent. 

People are interesting, we learn from their behaviour.  There are those in our society who ensure they know everybody’s business and meddle where it is not warranted and their efforts are unwanted. Following, they seem to think it is their right to spread everyone’s' business around with anyone who will listen.  Thus, the listener very often has little interest but pays attention to be polite.  I am unsure whether the offender does it to demonstrate their knowledge of others or, to display their willingness to help others or, to make themselves feel good or lastly, they have nothing better to do or talk about.  

There are people who continually use subversive questioning techniques to dig for personal or business information about individuals and then spread the word to numerous others. There are times when they do not realise it is wrong, if not immoral.  It may be considered a component of sharing, however if it is done without permission, it is breach of confidentially, privacy.  They think they are smart and undetected.  But this deluded thinking is erroneous as perhaps others have always known but chose to say nothing.  What happens?  Once it is realised, people who have been transgressed and their personal and/or business information compromised, trust in the offender has been lost and consequently, will not tolerate this behaviour and walk away.

Why can't some people just sit quietly and enjoy being with others and talk normal social things instead of talking about others and trying to subvert and sneakily gain information?  Like, WTFC? (Who The Stuff Cares).

§

Throughout my life, there have only been three or four people close to me who never talk about other people and their business or personal lives.  Those people were my mother, father, sister and my very best friend of over 20 years.  All of these folk are intelligent humans.  For hours we would sit quietly and discuss food, music, philosophy, the arts, politics, travel and cars etc.  It was never boring, was consistently interesting and thought provoking and never crossed others' boundaries.

Sometimes we could also sit together in our own thoughts and never speak at all.  Nearly all of them are gone now and I very much miss them. 

In the animal kingdom, I am sure kangaroos never feel they have to show one-upmanship, (except in breeding season to show the ladies they are the alpha male), nor how much they know about others and gossip.  The same is for the sheep and alpacas. They simply live their life as a farm or wild animal does, with survival and enjoyment of their circumstances.  They do not have to prove anything to anyone.  No point scoring.

Why can’t the human animal have this acceptance and grace for what they have been given and simply live life without having to prove they know more about people than the average Joe and point score.

If it is a matter of point scoring, there is only one score board, one scorer and one competitor.  With only one competitor, the score is null and void and it cancels itself out with the sore of nil and therefore the sole competitor has nothing, zilch, zero.

Does this happen in the non-human animal world? 

Does our human intelligence facilitate this, or are the non-human animals smarter?

Let us all share the same dinner table and respect privacy.

Verde.

HEAR THE VOICE

The Voice of the Child

Who is she?

What is her story?

'The Milky Bar Kid'  - (Oil on Canvas)

Art by Gerlinde

What is the story of 'The Milky Bar Kid' in the above picture?

If she could tell us her story, if we could hear her voice, what would she say?

Where we came from, what our forebears were like and, are our behaviour and decisions influenced by them and where and how we were brought up?

 Do we really understand why we act and live the way we do?

Sure, whilst researching our family history we may have collected birth, death, divorce certificates, wills, school reports, letters, certificates, awards, property documents, bills, publications where our family names are mentioned.  Of course, we have also collected various family mementoes such as grandfather’s pipe or cigarette box, grandmas watch, her glasses doileys, assorted plates, cups and various other things such as jugs, statues and pictures.

We have collected and saved all these things because they mean something to us and portray a life lived of someone we have loved but passed on.

By keeping things, it helps us to continue the love and remember people from our past.  In fact, although they are in the past, they remain present in our lives.

Indeed, we have very fond memories which we all treasure and refuse to let go.  This is love. We must never forget because it is our memories of past family members that remind us of whom we are and where we belong.  It is a way of feeling at home and we are at home wherever we are and remember and feel where we belong.

§

Throughout the world Indigenous people not only pass down their native language to children but also tribal and family stories to ensure the history, legends, beliefs and language are continued on throughout the ages.  If this is not done, once the stories, legends and language is gone, they are gone forever.  

If little care is taken, history and all that is attached to the tribe and family are so easily lost. Once lost, it is almost impossible to revive.

Thus it is with families in the modern world.

We have paper and sometimes digital records of family history as well as the mementoes and family treasures.

However, the thing that is often missing are the stories from grandma and grandpa, mum and dad, siblings, uncles and aunts, cousins etc.  

Although we may have documented and written the family stories which are evidence based via papers and other family members memories, there is so much more we can collect to gain a better knowledge of our family history.

Take a deliberate action, make time with the family and use what is needed to listen to mum, dad, grandma, grandpa, brothers and sisters and even long time family friends.

The memories need to be audio or video recorded for prosperity.  

Sure mum and dad may have told their stories over and over and over again, seemingly ad nauseum at times, but there is also so much more to be told and so much more to be discovered.

§

My parents passed on many years ago yet here I am older, perhaps wiser, but now I have been thinking about things I would like to ask mum and dad.

Like, why did they do this, that or whatever, how come they ended up in so and so and the biggie...what on earth was that big argument about and why was mum so upset at something dad said while out on a special occasion dinner at a really fancy restaurant?  I have the photo, mum still looks absolutely furious!

Then, there is the question, why was my dad and his brother not talking for so many years?

Can I find out?  No, they are all deceased., and whatever these things were all about...is gone.   The truth of the stories are gone forever.

There is so much more to learn by taking time and care to sit down with the older generation, encourage them to talk and verbally record their stories.  You will be very surprised what you will find out.  You may even gain a new understanding and clear some unknown misconceptions.

§

Perhaps have a monthly special supper with one family member and after dinner, sit, talk and listen.  Not only hear their story, but listen, really listen. Oh, and don't forget to press the 'record' button.

Sure continue collecting all the family history documents and articles, but one of the most valuable things in your collection is recorded memories.

Don't wait til the oldies and their memories fade, think about the next family gathering, a birthday celebration, wedding anniversary, public holiday, barbecue, picnic or whatever, ask grandma what life was like when she was a kid.  Did she have many play mates, what was school like, who was her best friend?

Hint:  Ask open questions such as ‘why’, ‘how come’, 'what did you feel’? etc.

Folks, by doing it sooner rather than later, you may be at grandma's final gathering and she may never again be able to tell you about her life fully lived and experienced.

Cheers,

VERDE.

FAMILY ARCHIVES

Family history can be as mysterious as the 'Twilight Man'

In shadow, hidden or fading and perhaps waning into obscurity

'Twilight Man' - Oil on paper Art by Gerlinde

Since a young gal, I have wanted my own museum.  With that in mind, I have been collecting personal things that represent my life throughout the decades. 

We all know that our personal history of our family and our lives are not only of interest to others, but our personal history will help descendants form a picture of where they came from and what life was like ‘back in the day’.

There are many of us who research and document our family history using online databases, historic records, newspapers, books, journals, personal diaries and videos on mobile devices, Youtube, Facebook and other similar tools.  Naturally, these are all saved in both paper and digital format.

As much as we investigate our families and document how we live, there are generally a number of other relatives in the same family who research and collect similar information and artefacts.  Although much of the research is duplicated, there is always other information and evidence found that was not previously known.  However, all the records and artefacts are often held at separate locations.

The crucial fact to realise is that with different members of the same family collecting similar things, it is extremely important that all the data and artefacts are both maintained as securely as possible whilst being conserved for posterity.

Naturally, the holding place for conservation has to be protected from insects and climatic elements of which the most dangerous is dust, heat, water and damp.

Now, as much as we love being the holder of artefacts such as medals, photos, diaries, books and perhaps clothing and jewellery, it seems a shame for us all to separately save what we as individuals have been passed down to us or collected. 

It may be more beneficial to house the whole family collection in the one place.  However I stress, the collection must be held in a secure location.

That secure place does not have to be a bank vault that is not easily accessible, although a home safe is good.

Instead I am advocating the use of a particular shelf in a cabinet or cupboard.  But if you are really lucky and have enough that can be displayed in a small spare room that is no longer being used, that would be excellent!

Realistically though, the easiest idea is to allocate space in a book or display case or somewhere similiar but make sure it is secure but still accessable.

The displaying or maintaining of a special place for ‘The Family Archives’ provides a place where we, the children, grandchildren, aunts, uncles or other family members can gain understanding and perhaps explain why we as individuals and family members ‘are’ as we ‘are’.

By setting up a room or area as a holding area for our family history, where we came from and what life has been like for our previous familial generations, it provides an opportunity to:

1.     Educate the grandchildren

2.     Show others how far the family have come

3.   Show how much the family have achieved

4.   Reveal that under extreme circumstances anything can be achieved

5.     Think you have it tough?  have a look at great-grandpa's life

It also demonstrates and encourages:

Pride in the family

Continuance of the family history

      The importance of family in society

Family is the essence of society and continuation of social mores and ways of being.

Every now and then it is great fun for everyone to gather around the Family Archives, tell stories add things to it.  It helps build and cement sometimes family-strained relationships and have a laugh.

Cheers,

Verde.