Anita Mathias: Dreaming Beneath the Spires

Anita Mathias's Blog on Faith and Art

The 0ne who Comes to Steal, Kill and Destroy vs. the One who Gives Life.

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“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

I thought of this verse the other day.
The younger sister of a particularly nasty classmate of mine at boarding school tracked me down on Facebook. She never interacted with my posts, not even liking them. However, whenever I was on, the horrid chat ping, and there she was wanting to chat, telling me news about herself and her horrid sister neither of which I had any interest in.
I probably had two of these chats, and then logged off whenever I saw her Hi, and tried to stay logged off, to prevent them (and other chats from schoolmates I barely remember).
So I suggested to her: No chats, send messages. Thinking she had nothing conceivable to message me about. I was wrong. Messages now came, twice a day, asking for advice, full of chatty details.
Finally, the reason for this stalking emerged. She hopes to get her son into Oxford Brookes. And no doubt, if a friendship had been struck up, I would be corralled to help with numerous details. Already enquiries about visas and admissions. I am neither a government nor a university. It’s amazing how many people from India ask me about admissions to Oxford. Hey, I just about got myself in!!
Relationships with all take and no give are not of God. There is something dark, and almost demonic about them, reminiscent of the thief who comes to steal and kill and destroy, vs. the Christ who comes to give life.
I thought of one relationship in which I am the taker. I will repent, and make sure I give something.
So, while it is good for the soul to have at least one relationship in which one is the giver (so a wise man who mentored me once said) in general, healthy relationships involve give and take, and one should avoid relationships in which the other wants to steal your time, attention, resources, power, influence etc.
And never ever enter a relationship with anyone else solely or mainly for what you can get.

Les Vacances de Monsier Hulot by Jacques Tati.

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Our family watched this on Wednesday evening. Irene, 11, who watched it with a big grin, and the frequent observation “It’s just like Charlie Chaplin.” The rest of us were less enamoured.

Zoe and Roy were irritated and bored, and kept saying, “Let’s turn it off,” “Let’s not throw away good time after bad.” Zoe–“It’s not improving my French.”

I was intensely irritated at first, not having read Bosley Crowther’s review, “There is really no story to the picture.”

It was slapstick, the point being to empathize with the inevitable misadventures of a well-meaning, courteous, accident-prone gent. The characters were all stereotypes, which added to the merriment.

I couldn’t help laughing at the snooty proprietors and waiters. It reminded me why I hate to stay in family-owned pensiones.  And the hearty English woman.

It took me a while to get into the slapstick humour, though by the movie’s end, I was laughing as heartily as Irene, while Roy and Zoe were still tolerating it

Geraldine McCaughrean on Retellings

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I also do lots of retellings… because what’s the point in keep inventing new stories when there are terrific ones already out there which people have been enjoying for centuries but which are getting forgotten? Myths, legends, folk and fairy stories, famous books (made easier)

Parties–and the Writers’ Life

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A writers’ party, or even an Oxford Uni party is as stimulating, refreshing and motivating for me as a complete break. Came back from today’s Society of Author’s party at Freud’s and started writing.
Asked Geraldine McCaughrean, who has written 151 children’s books what her schedule was. She said, settling down to writing was never a problem for her. Being a good wife and mother was. Remembering to pick up her children for instance.
Amen

Society of Authors

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Back from a interesting Society of Authors party at Freuds, a beautiful converted church on Walton Street. Talked to Sharon Dogar, villianness of the week after her book on Anne Frank “Annexed” has caused outrage, Geraldine McCaughrean, the children’s writer whose 151 books my children loved, Mari Prichard, (widow of Humphrey Carpenter, Mr. Majeika, widow), poet Bernard Donoghue, whose wife Heather taught me Middle English. And now to write!

An interesting Society of Authors party

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A writers’ party, or even an Oxford Uni party is as stimulating, refreshing and motivating for me as a complete break. Came back from today’s Society of Author’s party at Freud’s and started writing.

An interesting Society of Authors party at Freuds, a beautiful converted church on Walton Street.

Talked to Sharon Dogar, villianness of the week after her book on Anne Frank “Annexed” has caused outrage, Geraldine McCaughrean, whose 151 books my children loved, Mari Prichard, (widow of Humphrey Carpenter, “Mr. Majeika”), poet BernardDonoghue, whose wife Heather taught me Middle English at Somerville. Buzz! And now to write!

Asked Geraldine McCaughrean, who has written 151 children’s books what her schedule was. She said, settling down to writing was never a problem for her. Being a good wife and mother was. Remembering to pick up her children for instance.
Amen