Today’s bit is a bit strange. Not soapbox screed strange, just a thought.
It’s cold, damp and drizzling in the capital of Virginia, forecast high of 49ºF, if it gets that warm. So naturally my thoughts turn to merry ol’ England.
“Weather channel?” asked “Pooh.” “You have an entire channel devoted to weather across the U.S.? Never work in England. ‘It’s going to be s*****y and cold today, followed by s****y and cold weather again tomorrow.’ Brilliant.” (Sorry for the language, but that was a direct quote come back to me from 1989.)
The thing about this Easy and Elegant Life experiment is that sometimes a little rain falls on the parade. (I don’t mind, but cold and wet? What’s the point? Let it snow.) And in said circs, it’s best to find a rôle model with a stiff upper lip. Putting a bit of swagger into today, I will remind you of my fascination with things Bond. James Bond. There are numerous Bond related sites out there and a few “How To Live Like….” sorts of products.
Well, gentle readers, I am about to give you the secret to the whole affair.
The life of a double-O is nasty, brutish and short. (Wish I’d written that last part.) So our man lives everyday as if it were his last. Indeed, every moment. He might order a fantastic meal of Beluga and Bollinger. He might play at the high stakes Chemin-de-Fer table. He might dally with an interesting companion. He might have a new suit made. He might go for a drive in his custom Bentley. Or he might go for a dive, as Ian Fleming frequently did, in Jamaica, skiing in Gstaad, or golf at St. Andrew’s. What he would not worry about is work — he would live the high life.
So think of today, Friday, as the second chance to start living. Take a moment right now to consider the evening’s pleasures and mentally put on your best suit or dinner jacket (tomorrow is the day for calvary twills and your sweater.) Be sure to mix a martini at day’s end, and then Bond a little.
I already have my outfit picked out, ironed and ready to go!
Tonight will find me relaxing with a friend over cocktails and good food :O)
Marvelous thoughts and of course I agree wholeheartedly. Especially about the martini[s]. And I am also a Bond fan of long standing. YOLT was my second favorite Connery-era movie after Goldfinger. And my all time favorite Bond theme song. The lyric says it all…
You only live twice
or so it seems
One life for yourself
And one for your dreams
You drift through the years
And life seems tame
Til one dream appears
And Love is its name.
Love is a stranger
who becons you on
Don’t think of the danger
or the stranger
is gone.
These dreams are for you
so pay the price.
Make one dream come true
you only live twice.
Love of life. Let’s grab the moment. And let’s remember there is no guaranteed “next moment” coming along.
ML
mlanesepic.blogspot.com
Very inspirational… I’m taking your advice and running with it!
Thank you for this gentle nudge! I had just about talked myself out of dressing up after a long work week and meeting my french-speaking gang at the museum – but I always, always have fun when I just “act as if” something incredible might happen!
Living the Bond life sounds intriguing indeed! Our son, being precocious from the start, on his 13th birthday and on a family vacation in Switzerland, when asked what we should do for the day, suggested we visit the film site of Bond’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service–the infamous revolving restaurant/lounge with chase scene down the mountain! So off we went, sort of like a scene out of The Sound of Music (except no one was wearing lederhosen), up the steep, jagged, rocky cliffs of the Schilthorn on a long, slow ride up a cable-lift arrangement (much less reliable looking than the gondolas of the Rockies) and arrived at the Piz Gloria on a cold and blustery August day. I remember being in shorts and being miserably cold. I also remember dreading the trip back down that blasted lift! But the photos, souveniers, Bond memorabilia, and just plain being there–in person, with two very excited kids–made the trip worth every effort! He was well-versed in Bond by that age (keep in mind the early movies were much more tame and also more intelligent than the later scripts), having read the entire Pooh collection at age three. Kids keep us young and take us places we would otherwise never go! Most recently, our son has urged us out the door to go shooting (he being a crack shot). So this weekend’s plan is to watch our home team play on Saturday (along with 80,000+ other fans) and Sunday afternoon at the shooting range, with cocktails and Sunday supper following. We will substitute black tie, blazers, and martinis for wellies, Barbour jackets, handsome shotguns, and Sidecars this weekend. Think of it as ‘James Bond and the Country Set.’ Thanks for the encouragement!