'I'm always looking for the Hows and the Whys and the Whats,' said Muskrat, 'That is why I speak as I do. You've heard of Muskrat's Much-in-Little, of course?'
'No,' said the child. 'What is it?'
- The Mouse and his Child. Russell Hoban.

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Saturday 12 June 2010

Entangled



My Grandfather was a keen trout fisherman. I often remember him sitting at the kitchen table painstakingly unravelling a seemingly impossible mess of pale translucent fishing line. "Never pull at an end' he would say to me. Always push, tease, and follow your line back until it almost undoes itself. If you pull, you'll make the nylon kink or knot and then your job will be so much harder."
There's no big metaphor here for life. Well, none that springs to my mind at this point. But I did learn from watching him that patience and thought usually solves problems and gets jobs done both quicker and better than the 'rip shit and bust' method.

Here's a nice little game that reminds me of that nest of fishing line of Poppa's.

6 comments:

  1. An excellent philosophy. I wish that I'd had the patience when I used to fish for trout. My usual way of dealing with a tangle was to cut and start again! I'm not sure that that hasn't been nearer my metaphor for parts of my life too at times!

    That puzzle looks rather difficult. definitely one for an evening and not before breakfast!

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  2. I just smashed my mouse against the wall and chucked the keyboard out of the window so thanks for the "nice little game"!

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  3. Elizabeth13.6.10

    The Chinese have a proverb,'Take every crisis slowly'. It's true that when we panic and rush at things we end up getting in a worse mess - much better to approach things calmly and methodically. x

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  4. GB - There is also a saying "Don't throw good money after bad" there is a time to cut and run too! The puzzle is not to demanding, I think.

    YP - Take two sedatives and call me in the morning.

    Elizabeth - The wise Chinese have some brilliant sayings. Which reminds me - have you heard of Ashley Brilliant's sayings? And yes, odd though it is, that IS his real name.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashleigh_Brilliant

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  5. Oh yes. As a fisherman too, those are wise words indeed. I tried to explain that to my young son... he's not quite ready. But it soooo easy to get frustrated! Cute game too :)

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  6. Beau - Sometimes a quick, planned tug is just what IS needed. As when the hook is just in the mouth...

    What is your top score? :o)

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