"Of the Seven Deadly Sins, anger is possibly the most fun. To lick your wounds, to smack your lips over grievances long past, to roll over your tongue the prospect of bitter confrontations to come, to savor to the last toothsome morsel both the pain you are given and the pain you are giving back - in many ways it is a feast fit for a king. The chief drawback is that what you are woofing down is yourself. The skeleton at the feast is you."
~ Frederick Buechner
Image: Salvador Dali, The Face of War
Dali was a genius. I cannot say that I love his paintings, but I admire his vivid imagination, he was a brilliant painter, and it is easy to see that he was a fantastic skilled drawer (do you call it a sketcher?) I'm attracted to Dali in a strange way, but I wouldn't have his surrealism in my rooms. That would give me nightmares!
ReplyDeleteThe painting you show us here is frightening and thought-provoking. It's horror to the highest degree, and I think I know why you bring it now.
Teresa, I wrote a note to you in my Poetry-blog. My comment was abrupted, because my screen suddenly "crashed!"
Cheers to you and Buddy! What a sweet portrait of him in the side-board.
Grethe ´)
Grethe, Thank you so much for your comments. I agree completely with your assessment of Dali, and I appreciate your intuitive remarks....
ReplyDeleteBuddy sends his regards. :)
Hello Teresa:
ReplyDeleteHow very, very wise this is. And it is a lesson which at some point or another we all need to learn and then, at other times, to remember.
The Dali painting, an artist who we greatly admire and find endlessly fascinating, is entirely new to us.
Have, as we are certain that you will, a very calm weekend!
I think I remember that anger is humor turned inside out. Or something like that.
ReplyDeleteHow is Buddy? All Growed UP?
Manzanita@Wannabuyaduck
Yes, a truer word is rarely spoken. Pity that one pays so dearly for indulging in spite and self-pity.
ReplyDeleteI only allow myself this feeling on a very bad day, a day so bad, that it doesn't matter if I feel even worse after a bout of self-righteous anger.
Dali is great, as sardonic as I frequently feel.
The image and words fit perfectly together.
ReplyDeleteAnd I agree with the words...forgiving benefits us more than the one being forgiven. Keeping the anger hurts us more that the offender.
I find nothing good with anger at all. It can't be stopped some times and anger caused unnecessarily is the worst kind and causes more harm.
ReplyDeleteJANE AND LANCE, I felt certain Dali would have the perfect painting to illustrate this....
ReplyDeleteA calm has come over me this morning. It looks to be a wonderful weekend. thank you.
MANZI, Humor does seem to be the counterpart to anger. Humor is always the better route. Buddy is growing so fast and is such a good pal. I love him immensely. Did you see his current pic in my sidebar? I trust you and Cody are moving into a good weekend.
FRIKO, One should never feel dis-empowered by someone else's actions, so a sense of righteous anger, in those instances, Seems warranted, but moving beyond it is essential. The sooner, the better. Feasting makes one ill. :)
LADYCAT, Exactly so.
ONE FLY, I've found that anger begets more anger and where it stops, nobody knows. Letting it all go allows for a person to move forward and for the natural unfoldment of life to take place. It's hard for me to hear the good ideas that pop out when I'm angry. :)
Anger may energize me, but if I carry it I'll get a stomach ache and a distraction until I have worked through it.
ReplyDeleteLinda M, Me, too. My throat or my stomach get the brunt of my anger, expressed or withheld. No one and no circumstance, has the right to take away our peace of mind and it's up to us not to allow it. I'm getting better at it.
ReplyDeleteit seems the other Dali, Llama, said anger obscures our thoughts to enjoy life so he could never partake in it..
ReplyDeletePowerful words and image.
ReplyDeleteI don't know. Sometimes I find anger helps me -- the venting type I suppose. This is easily let go of though. Other anger eats me alive.
ReplyDeleteI used to like Dali a lot when I was young. I guess this was so because he said in his painting much I couldn't express with words at the time.
Steve, Yes, so true.
ReplyDeleteMarilyn, I thought so. I sometimes post what I need to work on....
Linda, I understand what you're saying. The key is to let it go so it doesn't eat at us. Thus the skeleton metaphor, I suppose.
ReplyDeleteDali seemed to be the right choice here. His work is disturbing, and thought provoking. I don't like being disturbed too much anymore, unless it takes me to a better place.
I felt inside myself to feel what anger does to me. It makes me blood pressure boil, and I feel it in my chest, which constricts and makes me feel simply... RED. I suppose if I indulged I would have a heart attack, so I'll leave it alone. That picture is so spooky, but the quote... it's so perfect. The comments are so interesting, and your responses to them.
ReplyDeleteDJan, Thank you for your comments. Anger hits each of us differently. It's such a dangerous emotion, and can be damaging to ourselves if it continues. I simply don't want to waste my time and energy with it anymore. Peace of mind is a precious thing, isn't it? It should be nurtured.
ReplyDeleteNo, I had not seen Buddy's new picture but I did now. What a handsome, healthy looking dude he is. It shows he has an owner who adores him. Dogs are such great communicators with each other. Cody and I have been going to the doggie park every day that I posted about. I've never seen hostility between any dogs. They greet every dog with the sniff test, do their little dance of recognition and follow their owner. They especially love it if the owners stop and chat a minute and that often happens.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to watch their recognition of the pecking order. Often Cody is alpha dog because of her age (she's 6) but then she'll bow to strength, age or what have you.
Too bad we're not near the same park.
Manzanita@Wannabuyaduck
Good Morning, Manzi, I don't have a dog park near here, but yesterday, Buddy went to play with my sons two dogs and their "cousin." They obviously had a great time. He had this happy smile on his face all evening and fell asleep early, all tuckered out from playing.
ReplyDeleteSniffing the world seems to be a main occupation in the yard and on our walks. He's teaching me a lot about having a healthy state of mind and body.
re: being near the same park - that would be fun. Lots of great companionship, all the way around.
I am a fan of Dali...Something about his work is mysterious andmagical...I like Edward Hopper, Grant Wood and Picasso as well...
ReplyDeleteYeah, me, too.
ReplyDeleteSuch an insightful quote. Yow-wow. Now I'll be thinking all day.
ReplyDeleteBB, It definitely gave me pause for thought.
ReplyDelete