I spent one of the most interesting years of my life on this little island, three miles long one and half miles across. At that time the population on the island was almost 80 and that included those eight or nine of us who lived permanently in the Abbey.
It was a time of real change in my life having given up my regular job and trying to teach myself enough to get into either university or collage to become a youth worker or maybe more.
I look at the many paintings I have done of the island and think of the people I shared that time with often. It was at this time that I had definitely decided to give up being a member of the 99 club and to find ways of making life more meaningful and hopefully happier.
What is the 99 club I hear you say?
Once there was a King who, despite all the wealth he had was neither happy nor content.
One day as he rode through the village near his castle he saw a poor looking man working and toiling and yet singing. Fascinated by this the king wondered how it was the he the supreme leader of all he surveyed did not seem as happy as this poor man.
The King went to the poor man and asked him why he was so happy. The man responded instantly telling him that he might not have much but he was able to feed his family and to give them a roof over their heads. he had a good wife and two lovely children.
The king returned to his castle still perplexed by the answer he had been given. He called in his most trusted adviser and asked him how this could be?
"Ah, it is simple," said the adviser. "He has as yet not been made part of the 99 Club."
"And what is the 99 Club," asked the king. The adviser told the king that if he truly wanted to know he should put 99 gold coins in a bag and leave them at the door of the poor man and watch closely.
The king did just that.
When the poor man found the bag of gold coins he could not believe his fortune. he took the bag into the house and counted them four times. Each time he counted 99. He then began to wonder what had happened to the hundredth coin, because surely nobody would leave only 99.
He searched everywhere for the missing coin to complete the collection. Finally on failing to find it he decided he would have to work harder to earn it and make the 100 complete. He did just that.
From that day his life changed. he became tired with work he began to get irritable and unable to sleep. He became very grumpy and complained that none of them were helping him to earn the extra gold coin. He stopped singing at work instead become grouchy.
The king had watched this happening and spoke with his adviser. " He has now become a member of the 99 Club and is no longer happy with his lot and is permanently seeking to get more and better."
"The 99Club is the name given to all those who have enough to be happy but are never happy with what they have. They are always yearning more and striving for that extra one."
They tell themselves that if they get that one thing then they will be content but they never are.
Did my year on the island change me? For certain it did it resulted in, "An interesting life."
My wish for you all is just that an interesting life. Have a great day.
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