“Qui Qui’ agrees Ava! … despite being half German 😉
Well done on your maiden voyage little lady 🙂 So brave!
I on the other hand, am somone who thinks about death and dying for an inordinate amount of time. Mostly when I’m swimming thanks to all the shark “porn” in recent weeks… and the very loud shark alarm that is currently ringing in my ears!
I was reading a list of Shark “don’t s” during the week. Number 1 was don’t spearfish in camouflage, and number 2 was don’t swim with pets. So, you can imagine my horror when I happened upon Mark at the Bower this morning:
And in my haste to get the hell out of there, bumped into this gorgeous creature:
No.where. Is. safe.
Luckily we had the hot doctors in our midsts should anything occur …
But even Blake and Becky’s guns didn’t curb my train of thought for long …
My melancholic dispostion was inherited from my beautiful Nan who turned 91 yesterday. I called her on New Years day and asked her if she’d made any new years resolutions? … “to stay alive” was her response.
I hung up feeling intensely embarrassed for even having thought about writing my own list, which predictably would have have featured diet and exercise, starting a book club and of course, swimming.
Recent worldly events, and my penchant for the game “Would you rather” (now conveniently packaged into an iphone app – move over Trivia Crack!) got me thinking about humans tenacity for “life”, and our constant striving to be able to live it in a way that we feel serves us best, and does justice to who it is we think we are as people – I suppose it’s this trait that makes us human?
Other animals (and arguably some men) are driven purely on instinct and the need to survive.
Eat. Sleep. Breed.
Wouldn’t that be GREAT !! 🙂
If we were stripped of all other “choices” … how would we behave? what would our priorities look like? In the cold light of day would you rather …
Die standing or live on your knees ?
Remove both breasts now or possibly face cancer 10 years down the line ?
Lose our limbs or lose our sight?
Kill myself now or wait until I am no longer capacitated to make that decision?
And rather more Aussie-centric, be eaten by a shark or by a crocodile ?
I’m always thinking about the meaning of life and its point? And yet, faced with having a life or not, I know what my immediate answer would be …
It then comes down to a matter of quality. Something that I am sure does not occur to blind cats, 2 legged dogs or and a limp limbed turtle. They just want to live! and they love it.
We are indeed spoilt for choice, and spend a lot of time indulging instead of time just being – you never know when the norm you’re so desperately trying to “improve” will become a distant and seemingly impossible wish.
A story that caught my eye last week was that of a young woman in her 20’s facing terminal cancer.
The headline was “I don’t need children. I don’t need a career. I just want to live”
Humbled.
There by the grace of god go we.
Every morning. At 7am. And 6 and 6.30…and some rogue noon-ers) …
Todays recipie: Turtle Soup
Catch it:
Kill it:
Boil it:
Am told it was “delicious” by Nick Dawkins; Chef De Partie @ Manly Oceanarin.
Other stuff:
Does anyone know what these are?
Did anyone lose their keys?
Take care everybody. There ARE sharks out there.
Lots of Love, Jones xx
http://www.kellyjonespersonaltrainer.com.au/about-me/
STATS:
Swimmers: 265
Ava’s: 1
Newbies: 28
Water temp: 22.8 degrees
Sharks: Who the h*ll knows !!?!?
BOTTOM OF THE BLOG:
Staying safe
Remember that there are no badges for scaring yourself silly! While it is great to extend your boundaries, it is important to know your limits. Do read these excellent tips on staying safe in the surf. To read, or even download, click here.
19 comments
Lips
18/01/2015 at 2:26 pm
Some deep thoughts there Jones. Love it. Despite your blatant disregard for Sunday blogging low-brow content guidelines.
So proud of Ava. Her French is really coming along nicely..
Roger Harvey
18/01/2015 at 2:28 pm
I love that cooking segment 🙂
… and would like to hear more about Rogue Nooners
Lesbubbles
18/01/2015 at 2:35 pm
Oooh love the fluro blue tenticle things! I’ve never seen them before!!
And for those reading the bnb blog for the first time ..that turtle was being rescued and taken to manly aquarium!! Kelly!!!!
LSA aka HKTQ
18/01/2015 at 2:53 pm
Ava – a true star B&B swimmer and blog-tart, just like your Dad! I hope I can keep up with you both when I return:)
Actually been doing 1500 metres the last few mornings in a Bangkok hotel pool – feels like a lot more!
Shelly
18/01/2015 at 3:20 pm
Okay, I had to get a translation,
“Il est agité par les vagues, et ne sombre pas”
She is tossed by the waves but does not sink !
So great opening line for Ava, what a star ! proud parents indeed.
The rest of the blog I had to scroll to the bottom after starting to read it to see who was todays blogger so I’ll have to think about it !
But good on you for ringing Nan Jonesy! bet it made her day !
cya
love you all !
Shelly
xoxoxo
Elizabeth X
18/01/2015 at 3:33 pm
An absolutely brilliant blog Jones – as usual. Humour and depth, always entertaining and usually thought provoking. Love your work. Thanks so much
Jeffwitha J
18/01/2015 at 3:45 pm
Wow! What a lot packed into a Sunday blog! Thought provoking Jones. Thank you for your killer blog!
Jeffwitha J
18/01/2015 at 3:48 pm
Oh btw, can someone please get Brendan Maher out of the water before he grows gills and scales! That is a hell of a lot of klms Brendan!
Mauricio
18/01/2015 at 3:52 pm
So much to live for and so much to die for!
Our inner child knows the way!
Lovely and deep blog, always worth stoping a bit and considering our choices! Thank you
This is what made me stop and think today:
http://youtu.be/G8yEe55gq2c
18th of Jan is trully a special day!
ros ex
18/01/2015 at 4:08 pm
Good one Jones! You’re a real gem.
Lips
18/01/2015 at 4:32 pm
Hope you’re back soon. Or Ted and I will be swimming all over you in the PC.
PS: Those hotel pool laps are not tickable!
Jane Stevenson
18/01/2015 at 5:38 pm
Not the slightest idea what they are. I’ve sent the pic (a beauty!) to Mark at the OzMus for ID.
Wish I was there! Hobart is freezing, but some marvellous bodysurfing at Taroona /Hinsby Beach where I am staying on Granny Duties.
Mark
18/01/2015 at 7:42 pm
Had an old “no fear” t shirt which sprung to mind with jonesy’s blog( snorter it was too!), which read
…”The only thing worth dying for is living”
Live life and love.
Snorkles
18/01/2015 at 7:56 pm
Oooooo I’ve seen those blue things before and I took a photo and I googled them and guess what? I’ve gone and forgotten what they are? But do remember they are juvenile something or other!
gregemail@bigpond.com
18/01/2015 at 9:25 pm
Contact Greg McD re keys. Thanks.
Peter B
18/01/2015 at 9:38 pm
I enhanced the photo to give greater visibility. No fluro, probably white with hint of blue. I have a sequence of about 30 photos. The main body appeared to be triangular, Dims: 100mm wide (each body), 25mm thick (?), tentacles 500mm long.
I was swimming near the point and noticed a loose mass of string about the size of a shopping bag. Being a consciences swimmer, I attempted to grab it to dispose of on shore. In doing so, it/ they swam away. Propulsion was either jets (as in squid) or side fins (cuttlefish). They swam in unison.
I think they are alien craft here to study earth. There is going to be an invasion soon.
greg mc donagh
18/01/2015 at 9:59 pm
Thanks for blogging lost keys identified as
mine.please phone Greg 0418 256 840
john.st.
19/01/2015 at 1:22 pm
or was it???
Keith
21/01/2015 at 6:13 pm
Those blue things are actually little fish. They are juvenile Pennant Fish also known as Threadfin Trevally. They may also be juvenile Diamond Trevally. I have seen them in Sugerloaf Bay in Middle Harbour. At first I thought they were some form of jellyfish….