Fallen rocks IMG_1382, a photo by OZinOH on Flickr.
'... the
heavy stones fell with a strange slowness, seen from above, and
accumulated into a kind of mountain it became Joey's summer job to clear
away.
He
learned a valuable lesson that first summer on the farm, while he
turned fourteen: even if you manage to wrestle only one stone into the
wheelbarrow and sweatily, staggeringly trundle it down to the swampy
area this side of the springhouse, eventually the entire mountain will
be taken away.
On the same principle, an invisible giant, removing only one day at a time, will eventually dispose of an entire life.'
from A Sandstone Farmhouse
http://jsse.revues.org/273
Capital: Virtues and Vices: Greed, a photo by Art History Images (Holly Hayes) on Flickr.
- TEMPERANCE: Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.
- SILENCE: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.
- ORDER: Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.
- RESOLUTION: Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.
- FRUGALITY: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.
- INDUSTRY: Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.
- SINCERITY: Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
- JUSTICE: Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
- MODERATION: Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
- CLEANLINESS: Tolerate no uncleanness in body, clothes, or habitation.
- TRANQUILLITY: Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
- CHASTITY: Rarely use venery but
for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of
your own or another's peace or reputation.
- HUMILITY: Imitate Jesus and Socrates.
Ego, a photo by aftab. on Flickr.
'The irony with this battle was that there were principles I would have to abandon in order to survive.
Instead of persisting on my own, I would have to give myself over - to seek help.
Ego can destroy. At our most desperate point in life our ego will not save us.'
from Broken Open
by Craig Hamilton with Neil Jameson
Bantam Books 2004
http://www.craig-hamilton.com/
