WPC: NO EXCESS

What is excess? What is justice? Should we all try to succeed and to become rich or should we solve all problems only by increasing taxes? What is too much and too little? Please read my thoughts in the old post in the writing challenge and don’t miss facts about rich people in the post.

PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

“Perhaps too much of everything is as bad as too little”. – Edna Ferber

Do you agree with this statement on excess?

First of all, with all due respect to Edna Ferber, who was an American novelist, short story writer and playwright, I believe that the quote above is very bad from many points of view.

Words “too much” and “too little” are not applicable to many things. For example, it can’t be too little ocean, too much beauty or too little children.

It also can’t be too little criminals or too many competent people in the government.

In general, “too little” and “too much” are subjective terms. In my country many people believe that $10 per hour for their work is too little. In some countries it is “too much”.

Too little of pain is better than too much pain.

If too little people can hack in your bank…

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Cappuccino or a day when we were very rich

First time I tried cappuccino in February of 1975. I was 40 years old. We lived in Lido di Ostia and waited for American visas.

Another immigrant who somehow had a lot of money and liked to play chess with me bought cappuccino for both of us.

I was afraid to try it as in the Soviet Union I had terrible allergy each time I drank a cup of coffee. However, my partner insisted that cappuccino is very good and I must try it.

What could I do? I raised a cup, opened my mouth, took a mouthful and …fell in love. Not only this. Somehow cappuccino became for me a symbol of freedom, a symbol of Italy, of this wonderful beautiful country with very warm people.

Years passed and we visited Italy again. We took a two weeks trip from the north to the south. Every day I drank a cup of cappuccino and enjoyed it very much. Some members of our tourist group told me that it did not make sense to pay two euros for a cup of cappuccino. With my very bad hearing it was very easy to ignore it.

One day our group went to Capri. You do know that the island is beautiful and you can have as many splendid views as you want. But usually tourists after taking in a good part of nature’s beauty go shopping.

I warned my wife that we should not do it. We did not need anything. Everything on Capri was very expensive. But this time something happened with her hearing. She took my hand and we found ourselves in the nearest boutique.

It was very nice in the air-conditioned store. Tourists recovered from the heat outside and were very busy leaving their money inside the store.

My wife looked around, then she came to me and said: “I found a wonderful tee-shirt for you! It’s unique and it costs only 35 euros!”

Only 35 euros! Tee-shirt! I could not hear it!

Still I went to see that unique tee-shirt. When love speaks wise man listens.

It really was beautiful. Only the fabric was rather sick and the tee-shirt had sleeves.

“Darling, when will I wear it? It’s not suitable for parties and it’s not good in summer”.

“Don’t worry, we’ll think about it later”.

We bought the tee-shirt and went out of the store.

There was another hour before departure from Capri.

It was impossible to stay in the sun.

At that moment I noticed a café around the corner. People were sitting in the shadow enjoying life.

“My love”, said I. “Would you like to have a cup of cappuccino?”

‘Oh, yes! Yes!”

A beautiful young smiling girl showed us the best table in the café and in two minutes we had colorful richly smelling cappuccino. We drank it very, very slowly and looked at unfortunate people from our group who was standing in the sun.

Life was wonderful, we were immensely rich!

Soon it was time to leave and I asked for a check. The beautiful young smiling girl gave it to my wife. My love looked at it, sighed and said: “Darling, please pay 19 euros. It was worth it! We are very rich today!”

:

Imagine!

This morning in a post I stated that people with children are very, very rich. Later I found my old post that proves that people with grandchildren are also very, very rich. I decided to reblog it for you.

PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

I am in a hotel with my grandson.

He does not speak yet but I am sure that he understands everything.

He does not walk yet but I am sure that he’ll start walking any moment.

Imagine that he crawls to a chair and slowly stands up grabbing it with both hands.

Then he hesitates. He wants to go from the chair but he fears to fall.

At that moment I tell him: “Leave the chair and go to me! I’ll catch you!”.

My grandson looks at me, smiles, makes two small steps and falls in my hands.

We are both very happy! Then I say: “Go back to the chair and grab it!”.

He does not hesitate and makes two steps to the chair. I tell him: “Excellent, you already can walk. I love you! Now go to the mirror!”

He looks at me, then he looks at the…

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Sharing quotes

Elections are coming. It’s a good time to share quotes about politics and politicians with new followers and guests.

PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

My old friend sent me a message with quotes of famous people.

Some of these quotes are well-known.

Here are the quotes:

If we got one-tenth of what was promised to us in these State of the Union speeches, there wouldn’t be any inducement to go to heaven.

~Will Rogers~

Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build a bridge even where there is no river.

~Nikita Khrushchev~

When I was a boy I was told that anybody could become President; I’m beginning to believe it.

   ~Clarence Darrow~

Politics is the gentle art of getting votes from the poor and campaign funds from the rich, by promising to protect each from the other.

~Oscar Ameringer~

A politician is a fellow who will lay down your life for his country.

~ Tex Guinan~

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