This week brought news that my long standing housing nightmare may soon be at an end. So now that demon called ‘hope’ has raised its ugly head. I find myself ‘hoping’ that things will work out OK despite long experience of knowing that it rarely does. Worse still, hope brings us to our most vulnerable mental state.
After thousands of chess games I came to realise that hope is one of the ultimate destroyers of objectivity, the urge to relax when battle is still joined. So I’m doing my best to be cautious about my hopes, trying to think of things that can go wrong. The odds are that things will be OK, but nothing is over until the fat lady sings.
“Hope clouds observation.”
– Frank Herbert, Dune.
By: rickmatz on November 4, 2009
at 8:42 pm
Hope springs eternal in the human breast;
Man never Is, but always To be blest;
-Alexander Pope
By: Rocky Humbert on November 4, 2009
at 10:51 pm
Through me you pass into the city of woe:
Through me you pass into eternal pain:
Through me among the people lost for aye.
Justice the founder of my fabric mov’d:
To rear me was the task of power divine,
Supremest wisdom, and primeval love.
Before me things create were none, save things
Eternal, and eternal I endure.
All hope abandon ye who enter here.
Such characters in colour dim I mark’d
Over a portal’s lofty arch inscrib’d:
Whereat I thus: Master, these words import.
- Dante Alighieri
By: ND on November 5, 2009
at 6:39 am
Not sure I can maintain this level of erudtion.
“I’ve always been in the right place and time. Of course, I steered myself there. ” Bob Hope.
I saved half a point from a lost game last night, I almost resigned so conversely I learnt to keep some hope. Best of luck with the housing.
By: kevg on November 5, 2009
at 9:27 am
Nigel,
Yet preserve Hope we must.
As the Old Man Virgil (as a Jungian-Philemon) says unto Dante next, first admonishing then encouraging:
‘Here you must banish all distrust,
here must all cowardice be slain.’
…
And after he had put his hand on mine
with a reassuring look that gave me comfort,
he led me toward things unknown to man.
For maybe, just maybe, as with Dante, its not our time;
and that shaggy Charon has neither shrift nor leave to fetch our souls yonder just yet… :
But when he(Charon) saw I did not move,
he said: ‘By another way, another port,
not here, you’ll come to shore and cross.
A lighter ship must carry you.’
And my leader(Virgil): ‘Charon, do not torment yourself.
It is so willed where will and power are one,
and ask no more.’
Don
[Not sure what is the nature of this 'housing nightmare', but hope it resolves in the best possible way for you soon.]
By: dustysojourner on November 5, 2009
at 12:42 pm
Don,
An attempted purchase fell through after 11 weeks of unaccustomed patience on my part. So now I’m pursuing a different option which is not currently occupied, and perhaps most importantly with a different lawyer.
I’ll post some pics of the new place if and when I consummate the purchase.
Nigel
By: ND on November 5, 2009
at 4:42 pm
Nigel,
I see… I know this is scant consolation but perhaps the new place may be a serendipitous and ‘better’ home in the larger scheme of things.
But I certainly commiserate with you on the frustrations of dealing with more mercenary (or simply inept) service providers, especially ronin-lawyers (term used in highest regard, actually).
All the best.
Don
[Am dealing with a nagging property issue right now myself. Recently received the property tax bill from that investment property closed only a few months ago (how devilishly efficient, the taxman), which rightly reflected my dues pro-rata for this year and the next, but also included 'arrears' from the previous period.
In all likelihood, no fault of the previous owner -- the property was 6-mth old when I bought it and this tax-bill is likely the first bill sent out by the taxman. I have only myself (AND my lawyer) to blame for this oversight.
I REALLY should know better (family business previously dealing with property) and while am pursuing restitution right now, am already writing this in as a miscellaneous expense; with the requisite drop in rental yield.
The yoke of a landlord indeed...
]
By: dustysojourner on November 6, 2009
at 12:16 pm
Nigel: Faith, hope and love are required IMHO. It is hard to imagine where we would be collectively and where I would be individually without these three. I hope your housing situation will be resolved soon.
By: legacy daily on November 6, 2009
at 1:23 pm
Don,
It could well be that this new option is much better. I’ve also learned a lot from this unpleasant experience, for example that supposedly good lawyers can become very poor when they are playing a simultaneous display. Now I’m using a firm that have been involved with chess sponsorship rather than them being local.
Legacy,
I’m with you on faith and love (here I prefer ‘compassion’) but not hope. Life calls upon us to fight an essentially hopeless battle (we’re gonna die). But I believe we should do our best because of faith that our efforts are somehow worthwhile and love of family & extended family. The latter includes friends in my book.
Nigel
By: ND on November 6, 2009
at 7:27 pm
Nigel,
Evaluation and and sense of optimistic elation seems a more practical approach to fulfill dreams.
Don (kindredspirit).
By: kindredspiritks on November 6, 2009
at 7:42 pm
Don, my point is that hope, by its very nature, is the great enemy of evaluation. N
By: ND on November 6, 2009
at 7:59 pm
You’re right, Nigel. Hope does not enhances evaluation.
But, sometimes, to go on, we can’t rely on evaluation only. Sometimes the strenght has it’s source in hope.
By: newtonlinchen on November 12, 2009
at 7:09 pm