WISDOM OF THE WORLD - WEEK 13

Photo: Talk 2 me sponsored walk in Buncrana in aid of suicide awareness.

WEALTH BEYOND RICHES

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed that a monk came to his village at midday and gave him a huge precious stone that would enable him to be rich beyond his wildest dreams.

At noon the next day the monk from his dream turned up at his village. The man ran out to meet him. “Where’s the stone? Give me the stone?” the man cried. The monk reached into his sack and took out a diamond; the biggest diamond in the world. It was the size of a human head!

And he said, “Is this the stone you want. I found it in the forest. Here, take it.” The man was delighted; he seized the stone and ran home. But that night, he had a very restless night; he just couldn’t get to sleep at all.

Very early next morning, he went to the where the monk was sleeping under a tree. He woke him up and said, “Here’s your diamond back. Please teach me about the kind of wealth that enables you to give this diamond away!”

5 MINUTES WITH - EMMA BYRON

Emma is currently on a year out from college having finished her HND in Fashion Design. She will be starting her degree in Fine Art in September and in the meantime has been busy using her creative skills in design. Emma has been working for various exhibitions including the Ocular Picnics and most recently has been working with Inishowen Artists, organising their collective venture, which culminated in the launch of their brochure and exhibition in Buncrana.

The aim of Inishowen Artists is to have an ongoing series of events and exhibitions and for the group to develop and grow. Any artist living in Inishowen is welcome to join with all the benefits of being able to share ideas, as well as exhibition space, funding opportunities and marketing.

Emma has three children who are a continual source of inspiration for her. She is also inspired by the environment and works with different mediums including paint, pastels, clay, wood, metal and various other objects to create colourful, textural and at times informative work.

For more information go to the Inishowen artists website: http://www.inishowenartists.com/

What music do you like?
I love all kinds of music. I don’t really have a favourite type as such. At the minute my mp3 has stuff from Black Eyed Peas, Jack Johnson, Metallica, Nine Inch Nails, Muse, Kylie Minogue, Pussycat Dolls, Elvis, James Brown, Andre Bocelli and Maksim Mrvica. If it’s good and I can dance to it, I’ll listen to it.

What would you never throw away?
I try to throw away as little as possible, I can usually find a use for most things, but the things which I couldn’t be without are my family, friends, my art and music.

What book are you reading?
I don’t really read books, I tend to read magazines like the National Geographic and Artists and Illustrators and any interesting articles I come across on the net, usually things which would be inspirational to my work.

What was your favourite childhood game?
I loved anything to do with art and drawing and making things from what ever I could find, but when I wasn’t doing that I was building assault courses or huts in the back garden or cycling with my brothers and friends, always something active.

Have you been to the Cinema recently, what did you see and was it any good?
Last thing I saw at the cinema was “The Golden Compass” with my children. It was brilliant.

What is your idea of a good night out?
I’m not too fussy; as long as the company is good, I’m happy.

Biggest fear?
I think to be incapacitated, being unable to look after my family or myself or doing the things I love.

Biggest thrill?
Ah life itself is thrilling enough for me. There are lots of lovely things each day, which I get a thrill from, seeing or being part of.

Personal philosophy?
LOVE each other….LOVE life....they are each infinitely full of possibility….ENJOY....

What is your idea of a good night in?
A nice hot bath, the candles lit and some nice relaxing music…

Which period in history would you most have liked to have lived through?
Being trained in fashion I’d loved to have been a designer in the 1920’s, and a very wealthy one so I would get the chance to wear a few of the beautiful garments too.

World’s most useful inventions?
Clothes; I’d be freezing and jobless without them. The dishwasher too- it saves so much time and so many fights!

What’s my idea of a great meal?
I love most food, but my idea of a great meal is one that was lovingly prepared just for me. My eldest boy Josh made me scrambled eggs one morning and it was full of shells but I loved it because he made it especially for me.

How do you relax?
I put on some music and I sit and draw.

What job did I want to do as a child?
At first I wanted to be a nurse, but from I was about ten I wanted to be an artist and fashion designer.

Where do you like to go for your holidays?
Somewhere I can explore and have an adventure, I don’t like lying about a pool I’d rather be out taking photos and drawing, or rummaging through some little art gallery or curio shop somewhere.

Your idea of heaven?
Anywhere that has the people that I love.

5 MINUTES WITH - JOHN GORMLEY

Green Party Leader and Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, John Gormley, takes time out of his busy schedule to talk to us this week. John’s father, Vincent Gormley ran the Ture Inn Public House in Inishowen for many years. John’s uncle, John Gormley still lives in Muff. John has been campaigning on green issues for years and has also been the Lord Mayor of Dublin. John lives in Ringsend in Dublin with his wife and 2 children.

What have you been downloading on your iPod?
My most recent download was the Waterboys – Fisherman’s Blues.

What would you never throw away?
Very little. I tend to hoard and recycle.

What book are you reading?
Robert Dallek’s book on JFK. An Unfinished Life 1917-1963.

What was your favourite childhood game?
Football

Have you been to the cinema recently, what did you see and was it any good?
I saw Once on DVD. It was OK.

What section of the newspaper do you turn to first?
I turn to the letters page.

What is your idea of a good night out?
A good meal in a good restaurant.

Most embarrassing moment of your life?
Too many to mention!

What is your idea of a great meal?
Anything in the Café Paradiso vegetarian restaurant in Cork.

Have you a favourite TV programme?
I’ll watch any rugby on the TV

How do you relax?
Either sleep or read

What job did you want to do when you were a child?
Centre forward with Liverpool

Where would you like to go for your holidays?
Wales (Pembrokeshire)

Your idea of heaven?
Living in total harmony with nature.

Your idea of hell?
Our planet destroyed by climate change.

What famous people would you invite around for dinner and why?
John Lennon (Deceased unfortunately!)

Favourite animal?
Dog.

Biggest fear?
Mental illness.

Biggest thrill?
Getting elected to the Dáil in 1997

What got you into politics in the first place?
I was involved in environmental issues and environmental campaigning for a long time. It was this that eventually led me into politics as I realised that to make changes you had to effectively lobby the Dáil.

The world’s most irritating invention?
Airports.

Personal philosophy?
Don’t let the begrudgers get you down.


What is your idea of a good night in?
Early night with a good book.

Biggest disappointment?
The elections in 1992 – not getting elected.

Which period in history would you most like to have lived through?
1920’s Berlin.

World’s most useful invention?
The pen.

Any last words?
No!

WISDOM OF THE WORLD - WEEK 12

Maybe…

An American Indian Chief was skilled in interpreting events. One day for no reason his horse ran away to the plains. Every-one tried to console him. “What a pity” they said.

“Maybe” the chief replied.

Some months later the horse returned with a splendid wild stallion. “What great fortune” the people congratulated him.

“Maybe” the chief replied.

Their household was richer by a fine horse, which his son loved to ride. One day he fell off and broke his hip. “How sad, ” the people said with pity in their eyes.

“Maybe” the chief replied.

A few weeks later a neighbouring tribe declared war and every able-bodied man went into battle. The tribe lost nine of every ten men. The son was not able to fight because of his injury.

Blessing turns to disaster and disaster to blessing; the changes have no end, nor can the mystery be fathomed.

5 MINUTES WITH - NOELINE HAYLETT

Noëline Haylett lives just outside Westport in County Mayo and originally comes from South Africa. Noëline first came to Ireland in 1978 and works caring for people with special needs. She founded Mayo Animal Welfare, which takes in injured wildlife from all over the country. And, on top of that, she supports a community in Ghana. Her reputation has spread to Inishowen and local people have sponsored orphans and made donations to support her work.

Noëline has been raising money and sending containers out to Ghana for the past twelve years including four ambulances, a bus and a tractor. Known as ‘Mama’ to the locals in Ghana, Noëline has set up a sewing school, a bakery, she has built a school with her SSIA money, several health clinics and bore holes for fresh water. Her next container is being sent out in June and she is hoping to find a boat with an outboard engine to send over to the inhabitants of Dwarf Island. This is located in Lake Volta, the world’s largest man-made lake. Every year a large number of people drown in the small ferry boats that travel to the island. If any-one could donate a boat or lifejackets, or for more information contact Noëline on 09841484

What kind of music do you listen to?
I like ethnic drumming and folk music. But when I am on the move I listen to Marian Finucane on radio 1. I enjoy the human-interest stories and interviews.

What would you never throw away?
I would never throw anything away! If I break a plate I would use the pieces for a mosaic. Everything has its uses and if I can’t use it, someone else can.

What books are you reading?
The life of Edith Stein. Edith was a German Jewess philosopher, who became a Carmelite nun. She became a martyr and saint of the Catholic Church. She died in Auschwitz. In the bathroom I have books on gardening and antiques.

Have you been to the cinema recently?
I have been 5 times in the last 30 years! I was taken to see Happy Feet recently, before that I was taken to see Babe.

What section of the newspaper do you turn to first?
I have no time for reading papers. I use them for wrapping things!

What is your idea of a great night out?
Meeting people and cultivating them to work on the project I run.

What makes a great meal?
Sitting around a campfire in South African bush, roasting large chunks of meat with watermelon. This would be washed down with good strong coffee made on the fire.

How do you relax?
I rarely do -but I have been known to spend two hours in the bath!

What is the world’s most useful invention?
The Swiss army knife. They are even standard issue on space shuttle missions.

What job did you want to do when you were a child?
I wanted to run away to the circus to be a lion tamer. Then I wanted to be a jungle doctor and vet.

Do you go anywhere nice for your holidays?
In 2006 I went over to Ghana to aid the school and borehole building programmes in Ho. Before that I last went away in 1983. With £150 in my pocket I hitchhiked to the Artic, which was a fantastic experience. I slept in boatyards, cemeteries and forests to keep the cost down.

What is your idea of heaven?
I believe in reincarnation so I wouldn’t be there long! I am sure it will be inhabited by animals as well as humans.

What famous people would you invite for dinner?
Nelson Mandela, Ghandi, David Attenborough and Thor Heyerdahl, the adventurer who sailed a raft called Kon-Tiki 4300 miles from South America to the Tuamoto Islands in the Pacific Ocean.

What is your favourite animal?
Dogs and wolves for their loyalty and personality. I have 15 dogs and they are all so different. My favourite animal baby has to be an otter. They are so cute!

What is you biggest fear?
Bicycles, drowning and going blind. I don’t like the thought of being dependent on anyone to get around.

What is your biggest thrill?
Being alive. I nearly died at 26 so every day is a new adventure.

What is the world’s most irritating invention?
Ghetto blasters that play loud music, we don’t want to listen to!

Personal philosophy?
I have three. S**t or get off of the pan, if you think positively, positive things happen and live simply so others may simply live.

What is your idea of a good night in?
Uninterrupted gardening in summer and in winter I like to have a long soak in the bath after all of the animals are fed.

What was your favourite childhood game?
I liked survival games in the bush. I would always have a bag packed full of bandages, dried food, aspirin and a wind up gramophone (with a Strauss LP) I used this for my expeditions and I was always prepared if anyone made a kidnap attempt on us.

Any last words?
I believe in the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of man. Treat others, as you would like to be treated.

WISDOM OF THE WORLD - WEEK 11

Any pleasure

There was a man who died and found himself in a beautiful place, surrounded by every conceivable comfort. A white jacketed man came to him and said, “You may have anything you choose-any food- any pleasure- any kind of entertainment.”

The man was delighted, and for days he sampled all the delicacies and experiences of which he had dreamed on earth. But one day he grew bored with it all, and calling the attendant to him, he said, “I am tired of all this. I need something to do. What kind of work can you give me?”

The attendant sadly shook his head and replied, I’m sorry, sir. That’s the one thing we can’t do for you. There is no work here for you.

To which the man answered, “That’s a fine thing. I might as well be in hell.”

The attendant said softly, “Where do you think you are?”