Big Boredom

This week I read (I underlined) :

A UK wide survey reveals the extent to which the younger generation feel disillusioned, with the MAJORITY (89 percent) of 16-29 year olds, claiming their life lacks purpose or meaning.

Then I learned about three French guys this summer :

• A Franco-Canadian man, a 44-year-old musician, died after being attacked by a grizzly bear in a remote area of Canada last week. He was surprised by the animal in his sleep. He was travelling along the Mackenzie River to record sounds of nature for a musical project.
• The adventure of an “eco-adventurer” originating from northern France and living in Toronto, which was supposed to last more than two months, ended tragically during the second stage of his crossing of Canada by bike and kayak.
• The body of a French hiker, 27, who disappeared in Italy after making an emergency call 10 days ago has been found in a ravine near Naples. He made a plea for help on 9 August, saying he had fallen down a cliff and broken both legs while walking in south-west Italy.

 

Then this :

Antidepressant usage has increase almost 400% over the past few years. 23% of women in their 40s and 50s take antidepressants. Women are 2 1/2 times more likely to take an antidepressant than men. Antidepressant usage does not vary by income level.

In other words, it’s safe to say there’s a health, happiness, and antidepressant prescription epidemic going on in USA. Why are people so miserable? Or why are antidepressant medications on the rise?

 

 

Then, I found this chart :

 

Today :

Jessi Combs, famed racer, skilled fabricator, lover of all things automotive, and the “fastest woman on four wheels,” as reportedly died while attempting to set a new land speed record in Oregon. She was just 36 years old. 

 

So this is slowly becoming : what’s happening?

I asked friends, who all agree. In the old ages, we human beings struggled to survive, then (and also), we were constantly working. But today is the days of… more free time. Then how do you live? I wondered once :

https://afrenchtoolbox.wordpress.com/2016/12/29/hey-how-do-you-keep-yourself-together/

Cuddling, reading, sex, alcohol, drugs, sports, art, work, friends, thinking, religion.

You can google “how to live” or “live to the fullest”, you’ll find things possible (“know yourself”, “be moderate”) and hard to find cursors (“be curious”, “set goals”, “laugh”) when you feel this lack of “purpose & meaning”.

 

Voilà. I worry too much for my human sisters & brothers. Too much empathy, I bet.

What did you choose, between the big families?

1. Evasion, with pills, alcohol or drugs?
2. Engagement, with politics or religion, rules?
3. Moderation, with culture, knowledge, watching the world?
4. Pushing limits, with speed, danger, exploration?

 

 

JP

 

#change #motivation

 

 

Cloche – French idioms with “bell”

Here are a few bell French idioms :

Déménager à la cloche de bois (“to move at the wooden bell”) is to go out without paying. To do a moonlight flit.

Etre sous cloche (“to be under a bell”) is to be preserved, protected, with a negative sound to it. To be put under a cover.

Quelle cloche ! (“what a bell !”) : what a numpty, what an idiot!

Se taper la cloche (“to help myself with the bell”) is to have a real feast.

Avoir un autre son de cloche (“to have another bell sound”) is to get another story, another version of it.

Se faire sonner les cloches (“to have my bells rung”) is to get a good telling off.

 

So a cloche is a bell, but also an idiot (as a name and an adjective), and also a dome (a bell cover).

A bell tower is named “un clocher” (say : “closhey”), which is often used to say a village. If someone is attached to his village, il est attaché à son clocher (his bell tower).

The verb “clocher” (it could be “to bell”) means it’s not quite right. Il y a quelque chose qui cloche : something is wrong.

Un clochard is a tramp, a homeless person.

Avoir un esprit de clocher (“to have a bell tower spirit”) is when you want to stay with the opinions of a group.

 

Voilà ! Have fun!

QEHT : https://qeht.photo.blog/

Hello everyone!

I’m happy to present you my new blog, all about photography :

https://qeht.photo.blog/

It’s about “variations in photography”, the way I search for… the perfect way to show a place, something.

I invite you for a little visit. Have fun!

I’ll go on writing in this Frenchtoolbox blog, of course.

Flounceness Quietism

Quietism is a doctrine introduced from Spain to France in the XVIIth Century.

It’s an interesting thing to study even if you’re not a believer!

You just had to find a state, a calm quiet state, to reach, without all the flounces and frills of rites and charity, a total simple communion with God.

In a way, that’s convenient, like a Zen idea of religion : no need to pray or fast to reach a state of perfection, an easy sinless (as you don’t have to obey millions of rules) and sacramentless state.

“…neither fear of punishment nor desire for the reward of eternal life having anything to do with this pure love of God.”

So it’s been a great fight in France between Fenelon, an archbishop and Bossuet, a theologian and orator (you can Wikipedia all this, it’s quite funny).

Adoration, cut from all terrestrial ties, redacted from any search of “rewards”, or fear of punishments : no more prayers, confessions, fear of hell, no more care of Jesus and all questions about this.

 

The tool here is :

What if you suppress all intermediaries? What if you reach the source? What if you focus on the core? What frills and rites do you kill?

Where do we find that? Hierarchies? Politics? Tell me…

 

Thanks for reading!