Sunday 25 February 2018

If something can go wrong it will.



I saw this little Tit on my walk and it immediately made me think of those two wee birds that have been finding their way into my paintings for ages. This little fellow looked so alone and lost. I wonder what had happened that he was so alone? I so hope being in this painting of mine if I ever see him again his friends will have returned and he once again has a song to sing for me.

I think it was my best friend who told me that in the soldiers manual there is a word of advice for those in command. "An order that can be misunderstood with be misunderstood."

It is the case but do not despair there is hope.  I have found myself thinking more than once in life that I had suffered from being misunderstood. later I have learned that I might have suffered more had I been understood. 

It really is the case that we end up being misunderstood because we get ourselves all wound up and before we know it chaos reigns supreme. 

Let me give you two examples one that is very true and the other I am not so convinced about. I will leave you to decide which is which.

The first is  a story I heard recently that made me smile and set me to thinking. 

One dark rainy night a salesman had a flat tyre on a lonely road not far from Auchtermuchty. (I threw the name in for those who find Scots pronunciation hard). A simple thing to sort if you have the correct tools. To his dismay, he had no tool to remove the wheel nuts. 

Seeing a nearby farmhouse, he set out on foot. Surely the farmer would have a such a tool, he thought. But would he even come to the door? And if he did, he'd probably be furious at being bothered at this time of night. He would  say, "What's the big idea getting me out of bed in the middle of the night?" 

This thought made the salesman angry. Why that farmer is a selfish old clod to refuse to help me. Finally, he reached the house. Frustrated and drenched, he banged on the door. "Who's there?" a voice called out from a window overhead.
  
"You know good and well who it is," yelled the salesman, his face red with anger. "It's me! And you can keep your old wrench! I wouldn't borrow it is it was the last one in the county.

Nobody to blame but his own stupidity.

The second I apologise is slightly longer but trust me worth the time. The following advertisements appeared in the local Courier.

Monday: "The Rev. A.J. Jones has one colour television for sale. Telephone 01337 1313 after 7 p.m. and ask for Mrs Donnelley who lives with him, cheap." 

Tuesday: "We regret any embarrassment caused to Rev. Jones by a typographical error in yesterday's paper. The ad should have read: 'The Rev. A.J. Jones has one colour television set for sale, cheap...Telephone 01337 1313 and ask for Mrs Donnelley, who lives with him after 7 p.m." 

Wednesday: "The Rev. A.J. Jones informs us that he has received several annoying telephone calls because of an incorrect ad in yesterday's paper. It should have read: 'The Rev. A.J. Jones has one colour television set for sale, cheap. Telephone 01337 1313 after 7 p.m. and ask for Mrs Donnelley who loves with him." 

Thursday: "Please take notice that I, the Rev. A.J. Jones, have no colour television set for sale; I have smashed it. Don't call 01337 1313 anymore. I have not been carrying on with Mrs Donnelley. She was, until yesterday, my housekeeper." 

Friday: "Wanted: a housekeeper. Usual housekeeping duties. Good pay. Love in, Rev. A.J. Jones. Telephone 01337  1313." 

There are days when just nothing goes correctly let me tell you I know because I had one two days ago. Have a great error-free day.  I am not sure if you are a rugby fan but one side had to win and one had to lose.

No comments:

Post a Comment