I read an interesting quotation from Maxine Du Camp this morning as I contemplated the first early grey of the day, 'History is like Janus, it has two faces: whether it looks at the past or the present, it sees the same things.' It is interesting that history constantly repeats itself but I guess its because fundamental human nature doesn't change. Progress is charted through technological and scientific change but the resilience, patience, benevolence, joy, misery, love, violence, et al of human nature changes very slowly through the centuries of our evolution. Indeed, even Janus faced is too simplistic because we would have to look both sideways, up and down too. Imagine having 100% vision, it must be awful being an all seeing God, watching your word and world being translated so badly by so many. But this is not a day for navel-gazing-doom-laden thoughts. My cup of early grey is still half full, 'Inherent in the gaze is the expectation to receive a response from the one to whom it gives itself,' said wise Walter Benjamin. If you smile at me today I promise to smile back. But I will smile at you anyway because everyone is entitled to receive that and maybe if we offered more in a smile every day there would indeed be less misery around - here's tae us, wha's like us? Come on down to the Mermaid Cafe and I will buy a bottle of wine - oh your a mean old daddy but I like you:
