Monday, February 18, 2013

Three Beautiful Things 02/17/13: Debrief Over Ales, Pork Hash, Scott Shirk Reminds Me of "Nothing" (!)

1.  I met with the Senior Warden upon his arrival back to Eugene after the vestry retreat and we had a beer at Sixteen Tons and couple more at Falling Sky.  Falling Sky, I do believe, has become my favorite beer spot in town.  I really enjoyed my pint of Pouring Porter followed by a pint of Ember Lager.  I think, but I'm not sure, that it's in the hops.  I think, but I'm not sure, that I prefer the hops from England and the Continent to the hops grown here in the Pacific Northwest.  I've got more testing to do, but, for now, I'm going to say this is the case. 

2.  The Troxstar (a.k.a. Senior Warden) and I decided to complement our pints of ale at Falling Sky with plates of food and I fully enjoyed my pork hash, sunny side up eggs, and toast.  The Ember Lager, by the way, provided, for this boy, a perfect pairing with the hash. 

3.  Several years ago, the local Shakespeare Club asked me to give the Shakespeare Birthday talk and I gave a paper focused on Shakespeare's work with the word, "nothing".  The details of the paper escape me.  I need to go back and read it again.  I beamed today, though, when Scott Shirk told me today that he admired the paper.  He told me this as a comment on my last bit of writing about happiness.  This all pleased me and brought back to mind, with Scott's help, the conclusion Richard II draws, too late, when he realizes: 

. . . but whate'er I be,
Nor I nor any man that but man is
With nothing shall be pleased, till he be eased
With being nothing.

I don't know if any of those working in positive psychology have drawn upon this insight, but it's definitely a key to happiness, as I understand happiness.  

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