Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Asking QUESTIONS

I truly believe that one of life's most treacherous races is to live without any questions, to live without any curiosity, to live without any novelty – in other words to live a “flat” life….
Without any doubt, nobody would desire hardship or suffering, but if life is lived without any horizon, flooded only with inner laziness (“blasé” style), or indifference, easily it could become quite dull and depressing.
Further pondering upon these concepts, here are some additional thoughts:
- When you no longer have questions, you no longer look "up", but "down" and you might be tempted to believe that this is enough
- When you run out of questions, you end up believing that you don't have any questions because you have all the answers, which is a big error
- When you run out of questions, nothing can convince you of anything else; most of the time the obvious could be in front of you and you might not be able to see it (which is often the case)
- When you no longer have questions, you lose your candor and humility
- When you let go of candor and humility, you automatically adopt sufficiency, and you become enough
- When you become enough, you become arrogant…and arrogance manifests right before decay.
In order to avoid sliding on this down spiral, scholars believe that doing the following might be helpful to correct yourself:
- Cultivate an inquiring and humble spirit
- Understand that no one can have all the answers, but at least keep your sense of wonder, which would keep you “alive”, and more than anything, would make you loop up more often…
“The ability to ask questions is the greatest resource in learning the truth.” (C. Jung)

Saturday, February 24, 2024

February 24, 2024: “DRAGOBETE” Day

 “DRAGOBETE” – An old Romanian custom featuring Love (or the Romanian version of Valentine’s Day)

As we all know, February seems to be the month when love is in the air
(probably anticipating the spring to come), and for many people (mostly of the Romanian descent) DRAGOBETE is an additional reason to celebrate love even more, occasion which allows me to wish my Romanian friends, Happy “Dragobete” Day!
“Le doresc celor care au găsit dragostea să o poată păstra vie.
Celor care au pierdut-o, să treacă peste durere.
Celor care încă mai cred, să o întâlnească.
Celor care așteaptă o a doua ocazie, să o aibă.
Celor care au o iubire care este în cer, să o simtă aproape.
Celor care se simt bătrâni și obosiți să iubească, să fie surprinși de o emoție.”
Dragii mei, iubiți pur si simplu pentru că iubirea vă dă bucurie....
Refreshing a brief historical background
“DRAGOBETE” is a day rich in traditions, which differ from region to region. In general, nowadays, many Romanians exchange gifts with their partners as a way of showing their affection for each other.
On the other hand, according to one of the many legends on the matter, this day is also known as the day of "The Engagement", "The birds accompanying" or "The birds wedding." According to a popular belief, birds gather in flocks, "courting", in an indescribable turmoil &, until the end, they’ll find their pair. Together they build the nest in which to grow their offspring. According to the same old legend, the birds that do not find their pair now, they remain single until next year.
Another legend says that “Dragobete” was the son of “Baba Dochia”, who is connected with the return of spring. The traditional story tells us that in the ancient times, young men and women together would go to search the meadows for fresh spring flowers. Nonetheless, a beautiful, old, tradition worth sharing further!
● Few short VIDEO-CLIPS:
         In English language: The Dragobete Meets Valentine's Day / Geographies of Tradition”  
         In Romanian language: “Despre Dragobete” (Arhiva TVR) |  “Povestea Dragobetelui sau legenda lui Dragobete
● My previous greetings on the same theme: ”DRAGOBETE” Day  2023, 2022, 20212020
NOTEDear readers, please be advised that on this website each of the previous postings, pertaining to the recurrent annual themes, portray a different perspective of the subject/s presented (same theme/s, but a different outlook without duplication due to the cultural richness of the specific topic/s discussed)

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

February 14, 2024: Happy VALENTINE’s Day

 Dear friends, near and far, I’m wishing each of you a perfect Valentine's Day!
Open hearts see LOVE everywhere…
● ARTICLES:History of Valentine’s Day” | “Valentine’s Day” (background details)
● Short VIDEO-CLIPS: History of Valentine’s Day” (on History Channel) | “14 Cute DIY Gift Ideas for Valentine's Day” (gifts ideas)
● My previous greetings on the same theme: VALENTINE's Day – 20232022202120202019
NOTEDear readers, please be advised that on this website each of the previous postings, pertaining to the recurrent annual themes, portray a different perspective of the subject/s presented (same theme/s, but a different outlook without duplication due to the cultural richness of the specific topic/s discussed)