SlideShare una empresa de Scribd logo
1 de 10
Descargar para leer sin conexión
'In The Old Familiar Places'...
Preface / Introduction

@~~~>The LAST Time I Made This OFFER I was BURIED in calls so I am limiting this to the
NEXT 5 PEOPLE ONLY CALL ME NOW - don't miss out! CALL ME NOW for your FREE
Internet marketing consultation. $100 value. Let an expert show you RIGHT NOW how to profit
online every single day without leaving home. CALL ME -- Liz English -- NOW, (315) 668-1591.
LIVE 24/7/365.
Table of Contents
1. ' ... in all the old familiar places.' The insistence of memory... any time, any place, in an instant,
there, never alone or unaffecting.
2. My most memorable Christmas, delivered by hand, changing my life. Now my time to do the
same.
'In The Old Familiar Places'...


' ... in all the old familiar places.' The insistence of memory...
any time, any place, in an instant, there, never alone or
unaffecting.
by Dr. Jeffrey Lant
Author's program note. I was ruminating about my next article this morning when it happened. I was
thinking of doing a piece on the bookstores we all grew up with... inviting places you could go to get
out of the storm, and sit and read for a bit, even if you had no money that day to purchase. That was
my intention but things got away from me, as they often do these days... and I was remembering.
No, not merely remembering... but being there... on Clark Street, Chicago, where special stores for
second-hand books catered to the bibliophiles of the Windy City... folks who discovered these stores
like an archeologist the layers of ancient Troy or Babylon, eureka!
But then, fleet-footed memory ran fast ahead... and it was not just the place I was recalling but why I
was there and who I was with. Then, there she was. It was my mother; I was 13 or 14 or so and she
was young and beautiful. She was telling me, and I did not just remember the words; I heard them,
just as she said them...
... an admonition she had told me every time we visited such a place of leather bound and folio'ed
addiction that I could have as many books as I could carry, but not one more. I would nod sagely,
signifying agreement... then run rampant through the shelves, brainstorming strategies to break the
treaty and emerge into the late afternoon light with more than I had agreed to. Sometimes, if a title
moved her, she'd even concur... while making it clear this was no precedent.
And then there were tears in my eyes... and I missed her and that smile which was as vibrant this
early morning as it was those long years ago... Songstress Vera Lynn knew this feeling and made it
the signature of an entire generation, the World War II generation. The minute "I'll be seeing you"
(music by Sammy Fain, lyrics by Irving Kahal) was released (1938), it was clear this was not just or
even mostly a song about the people you would indeed see again... but, as war engulfed Europe, far
more poignantly about the people, literally here today, gone tomorrow -- that you would only see
again in your mind's eye... with fond recollections, love, tears, all ingredients of memory which
works its potent alchemy so sharply in "all the old familiar places."
Thus, go now to any search engine to find this well-loved number; there are many fine renditions,
but Vera Lynn's is my own constant selection.
Around the corner, memory awaits...
I often think that remembrance is unrelenting, unremitting, unfair. It means us to remember and
ensures, through pangs that can grip you with unbearable force and urgency, that you will
remember... whether you like it or not. And most of us don't like it... at least the fact that memory
has the unrivalled power to stop us from what we are doing and demand instant obeisance. And this
can happen anywhere, at any time.
Old familiar places of course make us aware of the sovereign powers of memory... old familiar
objects do, too; photographs, prized possessions, and especially clothes which retain scents. Oh, yes,
scents. A whiff of Chanel no. 5 makes me reel, pulled from whatever I am doing... to right where
memory wants me to be. This was my mother's scent, and I see myself buying some for her at Mr.
Mackey's general store one Christmas when I was a boy. I had no idea the sustaining power of that
fragrance or that gift...
Scents you once detested, memory changes to gifts of great value. A friend told me not so long ago

http://www.LizsWorldprofit.com                     Copyright Elizabeth English - 2012           4 of 10
'In The Old Familiar Places'...

that she hated the pipe smoke her husband insisted in generating, to the gags and disgust of his wife
and others. Those "others" may have felt relief when his passing removed the menace; she did not.
She searched their well-appointed home, his drawers, his closet sniffing the air until she sniffed just
what she wanted and was looking for: the pipe scent, pungent, masculine, unmistakable that
signified in her grieving mind... him. She told me, too, hesitant at first, that she had found some of
his special mixture tobacco, smoked it herself (to near nausea) until the bedroom resembled the back
room of a political convention... then lay down... closed her eyes.... and remembered. It was the
night she felt nearest to him. Before she said another word, I embraced her... before she said so
much, so intimate. That was for her alone.
Even rulers of great lands...
No one, however powerful and well placed, is immune from the powers of memory and its
connivances. It means to have you... and it will. As Queen Victoria, ruler of half the planet, learned
and relearned every day of her long life. She was just 42 years old when her obsessively beloved
consort Prince Albert succumbed; he was just 42, too. Her world dissolved... and she spent a
lifetime and the patience of a great nation, doing whatever it took to assuage the memories and
escape the madness of her ancestors.
His pajamas, his soap, even his toothpaste (with new paste applied daily) were all summoned to
assist in the process of at once keeping the memories from overpowering while simultaneously
holding them close. Queens are not alone in discovering that this formula is hard, perhaps
impossible, to render just so... just so you can continue.
And these memories become most potent at Christmas... for this holiday of the greatest joy becomes
a minefield of the greatest pain... not something you look forward to, but something you dread and
fear...
This is wrong.
What you should fear and dread is not the unrelenting grip of your memories, their proven power to
discommode you, their potency and unbridled force... for these are the good things, the necessary
things you should move heaven and earth to protect, conserve, and maintain. Instead, fear and dread
the steady diminution of these memories, time that brings not precise, enhanced remembrance but
oblivion, well-minded people telling you over and over again (out of kindness, mind, however
misdirected) to get "closure" on the matter and so diminish what you should be greatly striving to
keep intact, close and forever.
"This too shall pass", the Bible says. But beware of what you wish for, for you may get it. And is
oblivion and eternal loss truly what you aim for? Thus hold every memory close and give way when
memory seizes you... for what you have is precious and irreplaceable.
Thus approach this holiday season with a fresh new attitude and embrace the memories, every one of
them no matter how painful. Remember, you are the curator of your memories... the person
responsible for tending them, ensuring their vibrancy... charged with their complete and total extent.
This is one of the duties of every adult; in fact, the proper realization of what memory is and its
intrinsic significance in our lives is one of the proofs that you have lived, have loved, that you are an
adult, with an adult's insight.
None of this is easy, obvious or the work of an instant, not least because as you mature and grow
sensitive to their interpretation and significance your understanding shifts, improves, ripens. And
you see why sustaining these memories, in their total completeness is so very important.
Now let's listen again, with a different ear, to Vera Lynn's song and, for the first time understand that
it is not Vera Lynn singing to us, bringing the balm of peace, serenity and comfort. It is immemorial

http://www.LizsWorldprofit.com                     Copyright Elizabeth English - 2012             5 of 10
'In The Old Familiar Places'...

memory itself... resonating through your life through the ages.
"I'll be seeing you In all the old familiar places...
I'll find you in the morning sun And when the night is new. I'll be looking at the moon But I'll be
seeing you."
This article is dedicated to my colleague Lance Sumner, in friendship, and in recognition of his good
heart, vigilant keeper of profound memories.
### Your response to this article is requested. What do you think? Let us know by posting your
comments below.




http://www.LizsWorldprofit.com                          Copyright Elizabeth English - 2012      6 of 10
'In The Old Familiar Places'...


My most memorable Christmas, delivered by hand, changing
my life. Now my time to do the same.
by Dr. Jeffrey Lant
Author's program note. One of the most marvelous things about the Internet is that wherever you are
the riches of the world are just a few keystrokes away, and this is never more true than at Christmas,
when you can, wherever you are, remember, access what the most fertile, inventive, and creative
minds crafted to celebrate the birth of our Messiah. It is a feast, a banquet, an embarras de choix that
never palls, even if you do have distinct touches of Scrooge about you.
One of my favorite Christmas carols never fails to exult, thrill, and cleanse. I always feel better
hearing it... and if you know it, I suspect you feel the same. It's called "Carol of the Bells," and if
you don't know it, it's my pleasure to introduce it to you. You'll be glad to have it. Either way, go to
any search engine to find it. There are many fine versions.
Play it now... turn it up and up again. This is no pallid anthem but a stirring declaration that
something of transcendent importance is about to occur... and the bells are ringing out to ensure you
don't miss it and are not late.
It is of Ukrainian origin; a 1904 choral miniature work by Mykola Leontovych, set to the words of
an ancient Ukrainian pagan chant. It tells the tale of a swallow flying into a household to proclaim
the plentiful and bountiful year that that fortunate family will have. Given the rocky road we've all
traveled this year, I am sure you hope that swallow visits you... as I do.
1974.
I was just 26 in 1974, the time in one's life when, having assiduously pursued education,
self-improvement and development, one is ready to stride life's stage and announce to the world that
you are ready to demonstrate your powers and do your bit, however small, to make things better on
terra firma. You have your health, your teeth, an ample mane, and that crucial "never say die"
attitude, so necessary, sure to be sorely tested in the days ahead. You can be certain of that. In short,
you're as ready for life as you'll ever be. And that life bloomed for me in 1974.... when I set out, like
the protagonist of every great novel, not just to see the world, but to conquer it.
And so this year, I tasted life, and tasted deep I tell you, in the city where everyone finds the
England -- and the life -- they desire... London.
London, beloved, rich, desired, accepting.
If one believes in Fate, as I didn't then but believe now, I encountered mine in what I regarded, not
alone either, as the greatest city on earth... where every minute was like the best champagne and
every person delivered gifts one had waited a lifetime to receive and was ready to savor. In this year,
in this city everything was possible... so long as one was bold enough to dream it, bold enough to
seize it. And I was... and I did.
Robert Montgomery Scott.... His Excellency will be pleased...
I can see him clearly in my mind's eye... and will never forget. He was a gentleman to his fingertips...
which meant cordial manners, polished speech, and, most of all, consideration; for a gentleman is
nothing without that. When I entered his office in the Embassy of my United States, in Grosvenor
Square, he was direct, but most kind; I could see at once he meant to be my benefactor...
I had written Walter Annenberg, U.S. Ambassador that year, to see if he would assist me in gaining

http://www.LizsWorldprofit.com                      Copyright Elizabeth English - 2012              7 of 10
'In The Old Familiar Places'...

access to the Royal pageants I was studying and wished to see at first hand. Ambassador Annenberg,
a titan of American media, richer than Croessus, was the best kind of envoy being gifted with means
and the desire to disperse them liberally. He also understood the need that media have for never-
ending content and the need to encourage the creators of such content, people like me. And so he
asked the debonair Mr. Scott to receive the young Harvard man and see what could be done. He was
no doubt scrutinizing me, drawing his own conclusions; that was his job. But the scrutiny was
oblique, a chat, not an inquisition. And after this most amiable inspection he said, "For the next
year, whenever the Ambassador is invited to any Royal ceremony, you shall go as a member of his
official party."
The skies had opened and the road below was clear. I was grateful then... and grateful now because
he -- and the Ambassador -- had given me just what I needed, just when I needed it. And how often
does that happen in even the longest life? But it was happening to me, in 1974, in London, and I put
the bit between my teeth and relished the run.
That summer there was a shower of largesse... not least because of the Harvard Traveling Fellowship
bestowed on me, a Fellowship which made it all possible. I went to the annual ceremony of every
order of chivalry... the Bath, the Order of the British Empire, the St.Michael and St. George, and
delved deep into the mysteries of Thistle, St. Patrick, and Garter. I loved every minute of it and, for
current use and later reflection and proof that I had lived, wrote it all down, fodder for many articles
to come. I had occasion to thank the Ambassador over and over again...
... especially on the day when I attended the ceremony marking the 25th wedding anniversary of
H.M. The Queen and her Consort of Edinburgh. My reserved place was right behind one of Prince
Philip's sisters, as if I were a sprig of the Family Royal myself.
But money at an end and the pressing need to harness reality brought me back to Cambridge, to
Harvard, to graduate, to get a job I was perhaps destined to hate; how could the mundane details of
"real" life compare?
But I had a scheme... to write my way to freedom... and so back to London where in due course I
returned in December of 1977, there to hand-deliver a proposal for my first book, to Hamish
Hamilton the famous publisher whose ranks I wished to join.
No knock. Just a letter.
It was Christmas Eve, 1977. My friends and I were going to Covent Garden, dressed to the nines,
bright, mordant, as sophisticated as earnest money and deadly effect could make us.
Just before we left, a letter was slipped under the door... it was hand addressed to me. I opened it
with alacrity only to read, "I regret to inform you..." It was on Hamish Hamilton's stationery. I didn't
complete the letter and was marooned in such unhappiness no Sugar Plum fairy could lift my spirits.
Upon returning, I saw the letter, on the floor. Robert Dobson, so often in the right place at the right
time, picked it up and said, "Hadn't you better read this?"
And so I did... and in instant, a single instant, there was "Joy to the World" in my heart as my now
editor Roger Machell wrote, "I regret to inform you we cannot accept your proposal as written but if
you make a few minor changes..." A contract and cheque were waiting for me after Christmas at his
office. And so "Insubstantial Pageant: Ceremony and Confusion at Queen Victoria's Court" was
born... and another benefactor stepped forward, Christmas Eve mind, to advance my career and
provide succor.
Now it my turn, 64 this year as I am, to give to others in remembrance of the many, now too often
gone before, who have given to me. God having blessed me so, and especially that unforgettable

http://www.LizsWorldprofit.com                     Copyright Elizabeth English - 2012             8 of 10
'In The Old Familiar Places'...

Christmas, makes that imperative, pressing, essential, a great joy and comfort.




http://www.LizsWorldprofit.com                    Copyright Elizabeth English - 2012   9 of 10
'In The Old Familiar Places'...


Resource
About the Author Harvard-educated Dr. Jeffrey Lant is CEO of Worldprofit, Inc., providing a wide
range of online services for small and-home based businesses. Services include home business
training, affiliate marketing training, earn-at-home programs, traffic tools, advertising, webcasting,
hosting, design, WordPress Blogs and more. Find out why Worldprofit is considered the # 1 online
Home Business Training program by getting a free Associate Membership today.
Republished with author's permission by Elizabeth English http://LizsWorldprofit.com.




http://www.LizsWorldprofit.com                    Copyright Elizabeth English - 2012           10 of 10

Más contenido relacionado

Último

How to Manage Cross-Selling in Odoo 17 Sales
How to Manage Cross-Selling in Odoo 17 SalesHow to Manage Cross-Selling in Odoo 17 Sales
How to Manage Cross-Selling in Odoo 17 SalesCeline George
 
DUST OF SNOW_BY ROBERT FROST_EDITED BY_ TANMOY MISHRA
DUST OF SNOW_BY ROBERT FROST_EDITED BY_ TANMOY MISHRADUST OF SNOW_BY ROBERT FROST_EDITED BY_ TANMOY MISHRA
DUST OF SNOW_BY ROBERT FROST_EDITED BY_ TANMOY MISHRATanmoy Mishra
 
How to Send Emails From Odoo 17 Using Code
How to Send Emails From Odoo 17 Using CodeHow to Send Emails From Odoo 17 Using Code
How to Send Emails From Odoo 17 Using CodeCeline George
 
The basics of sentences session 10pptx.pptx
The basics of sentences session 10pptx.pptxThe basics of sentences session 10pptx.pptx
The basics of sentences session 10pptx.pptxheathfieldcps1
 
Department of Health Compounder Question ‍Solution 2022.pdf
Department of Health Compounder Question ‍Solution 2022.pdfDepartment of Health Compounder Question ‍Solution 2022.pdf
Department of Health Compounder Question ‍Solution 2022.pdfMohonDas
 
How to Show Error_Warning Messages in Odoo 17
How to Show Error_Warning Messages in Odoo 17How to Show Error_Warning Messages in Odoo 17
How to Show Error_Warning Messages in Odoo 17Celine George
 
2024.03.23 What do successful readers do - Sandy Millin for PARK.pptx
2024.03.23 What do successful readers do - Sandy Millin for PARK.pptx2024.03.23 What do successful readers do - Sandy Millin for PARK.pptx
2024.03.23 What do successful readers do - Sandy Millin for PARK.pptxSandy Millin
 
Vani Magazine - Quarterly Magazine of Seshadripuram Educational Trust
Vani Magazine - Quarterly Magazine of Seshadripuram Educational TrustVani Magazine - Quarterly Magazine of Seshadripuram Educational Trust
Vani Magazine - Quarterly Magazine of Seshadripuram Educational TrustSavipriya Raghavendra
 
Easter in the USA presentation by Chloe.
Easter in the USA presentation by Chloe.Easter in the USA presentation by Chloe.
Easter in the USA presentation by Chloe.EnglishCEIPdeSigeiro
 
Ultra structure and life cycle of Plasmodium.pptx
Ultra structure and life cycle of Plasmodium.pptxUltra structure and life cycle of Plasmodium.pptx
Ultra structure and life cycle of Plasmodium.pptxDr. Asif Anas
 
Optical Fibre and It's Applications.pptx
Optical Fibre and It's Applications.pptxOptical Fibre and It's Applications.pptx
Optical Fibre and It's Applications.pptxPurva Nikam
 
Riddhi Kevadiya. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE....
Riddhi Kevadiya. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE....Riddhi Kevadiya. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE....
Riddhi Kevadiya. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE....Riddhi Kevadiya
 
P4C x ELT = P4ELT: Its Theoretical Background (Kanazawa, 2024 March).pdf
P4C x ELT = P4ELT: Its Theoretical Background (Kanazawa, 2024 March).pdfP4C x ELT = P4ELT: Its Theoretical Background (Kanazawa, 2024 March).pdf
P4C x ELT = P4ELT: Its Theoretical Background (Kanazawa, 2024 March).pdfYu Kanazawa / Osaka University
 
How to Add Existing Field in One2Many Tree View in Odoo 17
How to Add Existing Field in One2Many Tree View in Odoo 17How to Add Existing Field in One2Many Tree View in Odoo 17
How to Add Existing Field in One2Many Tree View in Odoo 17Celine George
 
3.26.24 Race, the Draft, and the Vietnam War.pptx
3.26.24 Race, the Draft, and the Vietnam War.pptx3.26.24 Race, the Draft, and the Vietnam War.pptx
3.26.24 Race, the Draft, and the Vietnam War.pptxmary850239
 
CHUYÊN ĐỀ DẠY THÊM TIẾNG ANH LỚP 11 - GLOBAL SUCCESS - NĂM HỌC 2023-2024 - HK...
CHUYÊN ĐỀ DẠY THÊM TIẾNG ANH LỚP 11 - GLOBAL SUCCESS - NĂM HỌC 2023-2024 - HK...CHUYÊN ĐỀ DẠY THÊM TIẾNG ANH LỚP 11 - GLOBAL SUCCESS - NĂM HỌC 2023-2024 - HK...
CHUYÊN ĐỀ DẠY THÊM TIẾNG ANH LỚP 11 - GLOBAL SUCCESS - NĂM HỌC 2023-2024 - HK...Nguyen Thanh Tu Collection
 
EBUS5423 Data Analytics and Reporting Bl
EBUS5423 Data Analytics and Reporting BlEBUS5423 Data Analytics and Reporting Bl
EBUS5423 Data Analytics and Reporting BlDr. Bruce A. Johnson
 
KARNAADA.pptx made by - saransh dwivedi ( SD ) - SHALAKYA TANTRA - ENT - 4...
KARNAADA.pptx  made by -  saransh dwivedi ( SD ) -  SHALAKYA TANTRA - ENT - 4...KARNAADA.pptx  made by -  saransh dwivedi ( SD ) -  SHALAKYA TANTRA - ENT - 4...
KARNAADA.pptx made by - saransh dwivedi ( SD ) - SHALAKYA TANTRA - ENT - 4...M56BOOKSTORE PRODUCT/SERVICE
 
AUDIENCE THEORY -- FANDOM -- JENKINS.pptx
AUDIENCE THEORY -- FANDOM -- JENKINS.pptxAUDIENCE THEORY -- FANDOM -- JENKINS.pptx
AUDIENCE THEORY -- FANDOM -- JENKINS.pptxiammrhaywood
 

Último (20)

How to Manage Cross-Selling in Odoo 17 Sales
How to Manage Cross-Selling in Odoo 17 SalesHow to Manage Cross-Selling in Odoo 17 Sales
How to Manage Cross-Selling in Odoo 17 Sales
 
DUST OF SNOW_BY ROBERT FROST_EDITED BY_ TANMOY MISHRA
DUST OF SNOW_BY ROBERT FROST_EDITED BY_ TANMOY MISHRADUST OF SNOW_BY ROBERT FROST_EDITED BY_ TANMOY MISHRA
DUST OF SNOW_BY ROBERT FROST_EDITED BY_ TANMOY MISHRA
 
How to Send Emails From Odoo 17 Using Code
How to Send Emails From Odoo 17 Using CodeHow to Send Emails From Odoo 17 Using Code
How to Send Emails From Odoo 17 Using Code
 
The basics of sentences session 10pptx.pptx
The basics of sentences session 10pptx.pptxThe basics of sentences session 10pptx.pptx
The basics of sentences session 10pptx.pptx
 
Department of Health Compounder Question ‍Solution 2022.pdf
Department of Health Compounder Question ‍Solution 2022.pdfDepartment of Health Compounder Question ‍Solution 2022.pdf
Department of Health Compounder Question ‍Solution 2022.pdf
 
How to Show Error_Warning Messages in Odoo 17
How to Show Error_Warning Messages in Odoo 17How to Show Error_Warning Messages in Odoo 17
How to Show Error_Warning Messages in Odoo 17
 
2024.03.23 What do successful readers do - Sandy Millin for PARK.pptx
2024.03.23 What do successful readers do - Sandy Millin for PARK.pptx2024.03.23 What do successful readers do - Sandy Millin for PARK.pptx
2024.03.23 What do successful readers do - Sandy Millin for PARK.pptx
 
Vani Magazine - Quarterly Magazine of Seshadripuram Educational Trust
Vani Magazine - Quarterly Magazine of Seshadripuram Educational TrustVani Magazine - Quarterly Magazine of Seshadripuram Educational Trust
Vani Magazine - Quarterly Magazine of Seshadripuram Educational Trust
 
Easter in the USA presentation by Chloe.
Easter in the USA presentation by Chloe.Easter in the USA presentation by Chloe.
Easter in the USA presentation by Chloe.
 
Ultra structure and life cycle of Plasmodium.pptx
Ultra structure and life cycle of Plasmodium.pptxUltra structure and life cycle of Plasmodium.pptx
Ultra structure and life cycle of Plasmodium.pptx
 
Optical Fibre and It's Applications.pptx
Optical Fibre and It's Applications.pptxOptical Fibre and It's Applications.pptx
Optical Fibre and It's Applications.pptx
 
Riddhi Kevadiya. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE....
Riddhi Kevadiya. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE....Riddhi Kevadiya. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE....
Riddhi Kevadiya. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE....
 
P4C x ELT = P4ELT: Its Theoretical Background (Kanazawa, 2024 March).pdf
P4C x ELT = P4ELT: Its Theoretical Background (Kanazawa, 2024 March).pdfP4C x ELT = P4ELT: Its Theoretical Background (Kanazawa, 2024 March).pdf
P4C x ELT = P4ELT: Its Theoretical Background (Kanazawa, 2024 March).pdf
 
How to Add Existing Field in One2Many Tree View in Odoo 17
How to Add Existing Field in One2Many Tree View in Odoo 17How to Add Existing Field in One2Many Tree View in Odoo 17
How to Add Existing Field in One2Many Tree View in Odoo 17
 
3.26.24 Race, the Draft, and the Vietnam War.pptx
3.26.24 Race, the Draft, and the Vietnam War.pptx3.26.24 Race, the Draft, and the Vietnam War.pptx
3.26.24 Race, the Draft, and the Vietnam War.pptx
 
CHUYÊN ĐỀ DẠY THÊM TIẾNG ANH LỚP 11 - GLOBAL SUCCESS - NĂM HỌC 2023-2024 - HK...
CHUYÊN ĐỀ DẠY THÊM TIẾNG ANH LỚP 11 - GLOBAL SUCCESS - NĂM HỌC 2023-2024 - HK...CHUYÊN ĐỀ DẠY THÊM TIẾNG ANH LỚP 11 - GLOBAL SUCCESS - NĂM HỌC 2023-2024 - HK...
CHUYÊN ĐỀ DẠY THÊM TIẾNG ANH LỚP 11 - GLOBAL SUCCESS - NĂM HỌC 2023-2024 - HK...
 
Personal Resilience in Project Management 2 - TV Edit 1a.pdf
Personal Resilience in Project Management 2 - TV Edit 1a.pdfPersonal Resilience in Project Management 2 - TV Edit 1a.pdf
Personal Resilience in Project Management 2 - TV Edit 1a.pdf
 
EBUS5423 Data Analytics and Reporting Bl
EBUS5423 Data Analytics and Reporting BlEBUS5423 Data Analytics and Reporting Bl
EBUS5423 Data Analytics and Reporting Bl
 
KARNAADA.pptx made by - saransh dwivedi ( SD ) - SHALAKYA TANTRA - ENT - 4...
KARNAADA.pptx  made by -  saransh dwivedi ( SD ) -  SHALAKYA TANTRA - ENT - 4...KARNAADA.pptx  made by -  saransh dwivedi ( SD ) -  SHALAKYA TANTRA - ENT - 4...
KARNAADA.pptx made by - saransh dwivedi ( SD ) - SHALAKYA TANTRA - ENT - 4...
 
AUDIENCE THEORY -- FANDOM -- JENKINS.pptx
AUDIENCE THEORY -- FANDOM -- JENKINS.pptxAUDIENCE THEORY -- FANDOM -- JENKINS.pptx
AUDIENCE THEORY -- FANDOM -- JENKINS.pptx
 

'In the old familiar places'...

  • 1. 'In The Old Familiar Places'...
  • 2. Preface / Introduction @~~~>The LAST Time I Made This OFFER I was BURIED in calls so I am limiting this to the NEXT 5 PEOPLE ONLY CALL ME NOW - don't miss out! CALL ME NOW for your FREE Internet marketing consultation. $100 value. Let an expert show you RIGHT NOW how to profit online every single day without leaving home. CALL ME -- Liz English -- NOW, (315) 668-1591. LIVE 24/7/365.
  • 3. Table of Contents 1. ' ... in all the old familiar places.' The insistence of memory... any time, any place, in an instant, there, never alone or unaffecting. 2. My most memorable Christmas, delivered by hand, changing my life. Now my time to do the same.
  • 4. 'In The Old Familiar Places'... ' ... in all the old familiar places.' The insistence of memory... any time, any place, in an instant, there, never alone or unaffecting. by Dr. Jeffrey Lant Author's program note. I was ruminating about my next article this morning when it happened. I was thinking of doing a piece on the bookstores we all grew up with... inviting places you could go to get out of the storm, and sit and read for a bit, even if you had no money that day to purchase. That was my intention but things got away from me, as they often do these days... and I was remembering. No, not merely remembering... but being there... on Clark Street, Chicago, where special stores for second-hand books catered to the bibliophiles of the Windy City... folks who discovered these stores like an archeologist the layers of ancient Troy or Babylon, eureka! But then, fleet-footed memory ran fast ahead... and it was not just the place I was recalling but why I was there and who I was with. Then, there she was. It was my mother; I was 13 or 14 or so and she was young and beautiful. She was telling me, and I did not just remember the words; I heard them, just as she said them... ... an admonition she had told me every time we visited such a place of leather bound and folio'ed addiction that I could have as many books as I could carry, but not one more. I would nod sagely, signifying agreement... then run rampant through the shelves, brainstorming strategies to break the treaty and emerge into the late afternoon light with more than I had agreed to. Sometimes, if a title moved her, she'd even concur... while making it clear this was no precedent. And then there were tears in my eyes... and I missed her and that smile which was as vibrant this early morning as it was those long years ago... Songstress Vera Lynn knew this feeling and made it the signature of an entire generation, the World War II generation. The minute "I'll be seeing you" (music by Sammy Fain, lyrics by Irving Kahal) was released (1938), it was clear this was not just or even mostly a song about the people you would indeed see again... but, as war engulfed Europe, far more poignantly about the people, literally here today, gone tomorrow -- that you would only see again in your mind's eye... with fond recollections, love, tears, all ingredients of memory which works its potent alchemy so sharply in "all the old familiar places." Thus, go now to any search engine to find this well-loved number; there are many fine renditions, but Vera Lynn's is my own constant selection. Around the corner, memory awaits... I often think that remembrance is unrelenting, unremitting, unfair. It means us to remember and ensures, through pangs that can grip you with unbearable force and urgency, that you will remember... whether you like it or not. And most of us don't like it... at least the fact that memory has the unrivalled power to stop us from what we are doing and demand instant obeisance. And this can happen anywhere, at any time. Old familiar places of course make us aware of the sovereign powers of memory... old familiar objects do, too; photographs, prized possessions, and especially clothes which retain scents. Oh, yes, scents. A whiff of Chanel no. 5 makes me reel, pulled from whatever I am doing... to right where memory wants me to be. This was my mother's scent, and I see myself buying some for her at Mr. Mackey's general store one Christmas when I was a boy. I had no idea the sustaining power of that fragrance or that gift... Scents you once detested, memory changes to gifts of great value. A friend told me not so long ago http://www.LizsWorldprofit.com Copyright Elizabeth English - 2012 4 of 10
  • 5. 'In The Old Familiar Places'... that she hated the pipe smoke her husband insisted in generating, to the gags and disgust of his wife and others. Those "others" may have felt relief when his passing removed the menace; she did not. She searched their well-appointed home, his drawers, his closet sniffing the air until she sniffed just what she wanted and was looking for: the pipe scent, pungent, masculine, unmistakable that signified in her grieving mind... him. She told me, too, hesitant at first, that she had found some of his special mixture tobacco, smoked it herself (to near nausea) until the bedroom resembled the back room of a political convention... then lay down... closed her eyes.... and remembered. It was the night she felt nearest to him. Before she said another word, I embraced her... before she said so much, so intimate. That was for her alone. Even rulers of great lands... No one, however powerful and well placed, is immune from the powers of memory and its connivances. It means to have you... and it will. As Queen Victoria, ruler of half the planet, learned and relearned every day of her long life. She was just 42 years old when her obsessively beloved consort Prince Albert succumbed; he was just 42, too. Her world dissolved... and she spent a lifetime and the patience of a great nation, doing whatever it took to assuage the memories and escape the madness of her ancestors. His pajamas, his soap, even his toothpaste (with new paste applied daily) were all summoned to assist in the process of at once keeping the memories from overpowering while simultaneously holding them close. Queens are not alone in discovering that this formula is hard, perhaps impossible, to render just so... just so you can continue. And these memories become most potent at Christmas... for this holiday of the greatest joy becomes a minefield of the greatest pain... not something you look forward to, but something you dread and fear... This is wrong. What you should fear and dread is not the unrelenting grip of your memories, their proven power to discommode you, their potency and unbridled force... for these are the good things, the necessary things you should move heaven and earth to protect, conserve, and maintain. Instead, fear and dread the steady diminution of these memories, time that brings not precise, enhanced remembrance but oblivion, well-minded people telling you over and over again (out of kindness, mind, however misdirected) to get "closure" on the matter and so diminish what you should be greatly striving to keep intact, close and forever. "This too shall pass", the Bible says. But beware of what you wish for, for you may get it. And is oblivion and eternal loss truly what you aim for? Thus hold every memory close and give way when memory seizes you... for what you have is precious and irreplaceable. Thus approach this holiday season with a fresh new attitude and embrace the memories, every one of them no matter how painful. Remember, you are the curator of your memories... the person responsible for tending them, ensuring their vibrancy... charged with their complete and total extent. This is one of the duties of every adult; in fact, the proper realization of what memory is and its intrinsic significance in our lives is one of the proofs that you have lived, have loved, that you are an adult, with an adult's insight. None of this is easy, obvious or the work of an instant, not least because as you mature and grow sensitive to their interpretation and significance your understanding shifts, improves, ripens. And you see why sustaining these memories, in their total completeness is so very important. Now let's listen again, with a different ear, to Vera Lynn's song and, for the first time understand that it is not Vera Lynn singing to us, bringing the balm of peace, serenity and comfort. It is immemorial http://www.LizsWorldprofit.com Copyright Elizabeth English - 2012 5 of 10
  • 6. 'In The Old Familiar Places'... memory itself... resonating through your life through the ages. "I'll be seeing you In all the old familiar places... I'll find you in the morning sun And when the night is new. I'll be looking at the moon But I'll be seeing you." This article is dedicated to my colleague Lance Sumner, in friendship, and in recognition of his good heart, vigilant keeper of profound memories. ### Your response to this article is requested. What do you think? Let us know by posting your comments below. http://www.LizsWorldprofit.com Copyright Elizabeth English - 2012 6 of 10
  • 7. 'In The Old Familiar Places'... My most memorable Christmas, delivered by hand, changing my life. Now my time to do the same. by Dr. Jeffrey Lant Author's program note. One of the most marvelous things about the Internet is that wherever you are the riches of the world are just a few keystrokes away, and this is never more true than at Christmas, when you can, wherever you are, remember, access what the most fertile, inventive, and creative minds crafted to celebrate the birth of our Messiah. It is a feast, a banquet, an embarras de choix that never palls, even if you do have distinct touches of Scrooge about you. One of my favorite Christmas carols never fails to exult, thrill, and cleanse. I always feel better hearing it... and if you know it, I suspect you feel the same. It's called "Carol of the Bells," and if you don't know it, it's my pleasure to introduce it to you. You'll be glad to have it. Either way, go to any search engine to find it. There are many fine versions. Play it now... turn it up and up again. This is no pallid anthem but a stirring declaration that something of transcendent importance is about to occur... and the bells are ringing out to ensure you don't miss it and are not late. It is of Ukrainian origin; a 1904 choral miniature work by Mykola Leontovych, set to the words of an ancient Ukrainian pagan chant. It tells the tale of a swallow flying into a household to proclaim the plentiful and bountiful year that that fortunate family will have. Given the rocky road we've all traveled this year, I am sure you hope that swallow visits you... as I do. 1974. I was just 26 in 1974, the time in one's life when, having assiduously pursued education, self-improvement and development, one is ready to stride life's stage and announce to the world that you are ready to demonstrate your powers and do your bit, however small, to make things better on terra firma. You have your health, your teeth, an ample mane, and that crucial "never say die" attitude, so necessary, sure to be sorely tested in the days ahead. You can be certain of that. In short, you're as ready for life as you'll ever be. And that life bloomed for me in 1974.... when I set out, like the protagonist of every great novel, not just to see the world, but to conquer it. And so this year, I tasted life, and tasted deep I tell you, in the city where everyone finds the England -- and the life -- they desire... London. London, beloved, rich, desired, accepting. If one believes in Fate, as I didn't then but believe now, I encountered mine in what I regarded, not alone either, as the greatest city on earth... where every minute was like the best champagne and every person delivered gifts one had waited a lifetime to receive and was ready to savor. In this year, in this city everything was possible... so long as one was bold enough to dream it, bold enough to seize it. And I was... and I did. Robert Montgomery Scott.... His Excellency will be pleased... I can see him clearly in my mind's eye... and will never forget. He was a gentleman to his fingertips... which meant cordial manners, polished speech, and, most of all, consideration; for a gentleman is nothing without that. When I entered his office in the Embassy of my United States, in Grosvenor Square, he was direct, but most kind; I could see at once he meant to be my benefactor... I had written Walter Annenberg, U.S. Ambassador that year, to see if he would assist me in gaining http://www.LizsWorldprofit.com Copyright Elizabeth English - 2012 7 of 10
  • 8. 'In The Old Familiar Places'... access to the Royal pageants I was studying and wished to see at first hand. Ambassador Annenberg, a titan of American media, richer than Croessus, was the best kind of envoy being gifted with means and the desire to disperse them liberally. He also understood the need that media have for never- ending content and the need to encourage the creators of such content, people like me. And so he asked the debonair Mr. Scott to receive the young Harvard man and see what could be done. He was no doubt scrutinizing me, drawing his own conclusions; that was his job. But the scrutiny was oblique, a chat, not an inquisition. And after this most amiable inspection he said, "For the next year, whenever the Ambassador is invited to any Royal ceremony, you shall go as a member of his official party." The skies had opened and the road below was clear. I was grateful then... and grateful now because he -- and the Ambassador -- had given me just what I needed, just when I needed it. And how often does that happen in even the longest life? But it was happening to me, in 1974, in London, and I put the bit between my teeth and relished the run. That summer there was a shower of largesse... not least because of the Harvard Traveling Fellowship bestowed on me, a Fellowship which made it all possible. I went to the annual ceremony of every order of chivalry... the Bath, the Order of the British Empire, the St.Michael and St. George, and delved deep into the mysteries of Thistle, St. Patrick, and Garter. I loved every minute of it and, for current use and later reflection and proof that I had lived, wrote it all down, fodder for many articles to come. I had occasion to thank the Ambassador over and over again... ... especially on the day when I attended the ceremony marking the 25th wedding anniversary of H.M. The Queen and her Consort of Edinburgh. My reserved place was right behind one of Prince Philip's sisters, as if I were a sprig of the Family Royal myself. But money at an end and the pressing need to harness reality brought me back to Cambridge, to Harvard, to graduate, to get a job I was perhaps destined to hate; how could the mundane details of "real" life compare? But I had a scheme... to write my way to freedom... and so back to London where in due course I returned in December of 1977, there to hand-deliver a proposal for my first book, to Hamish Hamilton the famous publisher whose ranks I wished to join. No knock. Just a letter. It was Christmas Eve, 1977. My friends and I were going to Covent Garden, dressed to the nines, bright, mordant, as sophisticated as earnest money and deadly effect could make us. Just before we left, a letter was slipped under the door... it was hand addressed to me. I opened it with alacrity only to read, "I regret to inform you..." It was on Hamish Hamilton's stationery. I didn't complete the letter and was marooned in such unhappiness no Sugar Plum fairy could lift my spirits. Upon returning, I saw the letter, on the floor. Robert Dobson, so often in the right place at the right time, picked it up and said, "Hadn't you better read this?" And so I did... and in instant, a single instant, there was "Joy to the World" in my heart as my now editor Roger Machell wrote, "I regret to inform you we cannot accept your proposal as written but if you make a few minor changes..." A contract and cheque were waiting for me after Christmas at his office. And so "Insubstantial Pageant: Ceremony and Confusion at Queen Victoria's Court" was born... and another benefactor stepped forward, Christmas Eve mind, to advance my career and provide succor. Now it my turn, 64 this year as I am, to give to others in remembrance of the many, now too often gone before, who have given to me. God having blessed me so, and especially that unforgettable http://www.LizsWorldprofit.com Copyright Elizabeth English - 2012 8 of 10
  • 9. 'In The Old Familiar Places'... Christmas, makes that imperative, pressing, essential, a great joy and comfort. http://www.LizsWorldprofit.com Copyright Elizabeth English - 2012 9 of 10
  • 10. 'In The Old Familiar Places'... Resource About the Author Harvard-educated Dr. Jeffrey Lant is CEO of Worldprofit, Inc., providing a wide range of online services for small and-home based businesses. Services include home business training, affiliate marketing training, earn-at-home programs, traffic tools, advertising, webcasting, hosting, design, WordPress Blogs and more. Find out why Worldprofit is considered the # 1 online Home Business Training program by getting a free Associate Membership today. Republished with author's permission by Elizabeth English http://LizsWorldprofit.com. http://www.LizsWorldprofit.com Copyright Elizabeth English - 2012 10 of 10