_Stories of an Islander
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If you are new to this blog, please read this introduction first to know what this blog is all about and what you may except to read. If you like it, please bookmark it.
If you are a regular reader, then you can go straight to read my last story by clicking on the page, “Today's Story”.
If you are new to this blog, please read this introduction first to know what this blog is all about and what you may except to read. If you like it, please bookmark it.
If you are a regular reader, then you can go straight to read my last story by clicking on the page, “Today's Story”.
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INTRODUCTION
1.1 My origin
I was born in summer of 42.They told me that I was born during an air raid in the Second World War. This makes me a baby boomer. I do not remember anything about the war itself. What I do remember are the remains of several buildings which were then a heap of stones. In my early childhood I remember several structures which were the entrance to shelters in which people used to take refuge during air raids. I also remember that when I was still young, our island was visited by British naval ships and one could see British sailors and soldiers everywhere. Now I know that our island was a British naval and military base.
1.1 My origin
I was born in summer of 42.They told me that I was born during an air raid in the Second World War. This makes me a baby boomer. I do not remember anything about the war itself. What I do remember are the remains of several buildings which were then a heap of stones. In my early childhood I remember several structures which were the entrance to shelters in which people used to take refuge during air raids. I also remember that when I was still young, our island was visited by British naval ships and one could see British sailors and soldiers everywhere. Now I know that our island was a British naval and military base.
1.2 My Island
What island am I referring to? I am proud to be a native of Malta. To those who never heard of Malta, I tell you that our island is called the Island of sunshine. It is considered as a gem in the center of the Mediterranean Sea. Although very small, it is an independent nation now. We have our own language, Maltese, and it is spoken only here in Malta and by Maltese who have emigrated mostly to Australia, USA, Canada and England. Malta is in a geographically strategic position because it is between Europe and North Africa and this makes it very important. It is renowned for its rich history and historical remains since prehistoric ages and the many nations that governed our country through the ages. But foreigners visit mostly the Maltese archipelago to enjoy the wonderful climate and the crystal clear, blue sea which surrounds us. In fact this is a group of seven islands the main one being Malta and the second, which is smaller is Gozo. Then there is Comino which is only inhabited by two or three families. Three other islands, Cominetto, Filfla and St. Paul’s Island are uninhabited and are very small and bare. Then there is Manuel Island which is an island in one of our natural harbors and is connected to the main land by means of a small bridge. It is mainly used as a yacht repair center.
If I were to compare Malta of my childhood days to Malta as it is now, I can say that it is unrecognizable. Development and progress took over, in many ways for the better but in other ways for the worse……..as everywhere else after all. As I grew older I had the chance to visit foreign countries and I was astounded by their immensity and beauty. But, believe me, and this is not only my opinion, there is no place like home and now I am referring to our beautiful island which seems to be blessed by several things which make it a very pleasant and safe place to live in.
What island am I referring to? I am proud to be a native of Malta. To those who never heard of Malta, I tell you that our island is called the Island of sunshine. It is considered as a gem in the center of the Mediterranean Sea. Although very small, it is an independent nation now. We have our own language, Maltese, and it is spoken only here in Malta and by Maltese who have emigrated mostly to Australia, USA, Canada and England. Malta is in a geographically strategic position because it is between Europe and North Africa and this makes it very important. It is renowned for its rich history and historical remains since prehistoric ages and the many nations that governed our country through the ages. But foreigners visit mostly the Maltese archipelago to enjoy the wonderful climate and the crystal clear, blue sea which surrounds us. In fact this is a group of seven islands the main one being Malta and the second, which is smaller is Gozo. Then there is Comino which is only inhabited by two or three families. Three other islands, Cominetto, Filfla and St. Paul’s Island are uninhabited and are very small and bare. Then there is Manuel Island which is an island in one of our natural harbors and is connected to the main land by means of a small bridge. It is mainly used as a yacht repair center.
If I were to compare Malta of my childhood days to Malta as it is now, I can say that it is unrecognizable. Development and progress took over, in many ways for the better but in other ways for the worse……..as everywhere else after all. As I grew older I had the chance to visit foreign countries and I was astounded by their immensity and beauty. But, believe me, and this is not only my opinion, there is no place like home and now I am referring to our beautiful island which seems to be blessed by several things which make it a very pleasant and safe place to live in.
This pictures is an artist's impression which appeared on a local paper some months ago during the Libyan crisis. Malta was really crucial to help not only Maltese people, but thousands of people from all over the world who worked in Libya and were caught in the mist of the civil war. Malta was their first important step to give them refuge and by so doing hundreds of lives were saved. They say that Maltese are very friendly and are very welcoming people.This was surely a very good example.
1.3 About Me
By profession I am a teacher but I consider myself more a story teller because come to think of it, I teach and I also learn mostly through stories as you will discover in this blog. One of my professors at college used to tell us that a good teacher should always be a good story teller. Everybody loves stories both young and old. The proof of this are millions of story books, films, magazines, television serials and also talk show: all these are types of stories.
Our life is made up of hundreds and thousands of episodes or you may call them experiences or simply stories. Now I am almost seventy years old or better ‘young’ because I do still feel young in spirit. I would really like to share with the entire world these stories which made up and still are making up my life. Believe me that if one reflects a little, it can be definitely said that life with its experiences, is the greatest teacher of all.
By profession I am a teacher but I consider myself more a story teller because come to think of it, I teach and I also learn mostly through stories as you will discover in this blog. One of my professors at college used to tell us that a good teacher should always be a good story teller. Everybody loves stories both young and old. The proof of this are millions of story books, films, magazines, television serials and also talk show: all these are types of stories.
Our life is made up of hundreds and thousands of episodes or you may call them experiences or simply stories. Now I am almost seventy years old or better ‘young’ because I do still feel young in spirit. I would really like to share with the entire world these stories which made up and still are making up my life. Believe me that if one reflects a little, it can be definitely said that life with its experiences, is the greatest teacher of all.
1.4 Story Power
As a teacher, I know that I can capture my students’ attention when I am delivering a lesson, be it history or religion or almost any type of lesson especially if I do it by telling a story. When I see that my audience is in a sort of trance and literally living in their imagination the story I am narrating, staring at me with eyes open wide, motionless and in perfect silence, it is easy for me to keep them under my spell until…… until the school bell rings and the spell is broken……. anyone can see that they do not enjoy that sound, for a change. Now that I am retired I really miss those magic moments I used to have with my students.
1.5 Stories, Stories and More Stories
I have a big family and my wife and children and my children’s children are always eager to find the right moment and the right atmosphere to hear me narrate anything…..….my encounter with an old friend, an accident which I was involved in or even a funny situation which I witnessed while I was in church or wherever.
I remember many, many years ago, when my wife and I were teenagers, before we married, during our long walks by the sea in the moonlight, I used to tell her stories about some love story which I had read or a romantic film which I had seen and she would enjoy every second of it. Then later, I recall narrating stories to each and every one of my children when they were still babies, when they were toddlers, then when they were nine or ten and later when they were teens. The stories I told my eldest child, I repeated to my second and my third and fourth…..etc……at that particular age. Now this is happening again with my grandchildren. But one particular grandson is always thirsty for my stories and the moment he sees me, he always utters the same five words, ”Grandpa, tell me a story.”
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As a teacher, I know that I can capture my students’ attention when I am delivering a lesson, be it history or religion or almost any type of lesson especially if I do it by telling a story. When I see that my audience is in a sort of trance and literally living in their imagination the story I am narrating, staring at me with eyes open wide, motionless and in perfect silence, it is easy for me to keep them under my spell until…… until the school bell rings and the spell is broken……. anyone can see that they do not enjoy that sound, for a change. Now that I am retired I really miss those magic moments I used to have with my students.
1.5 Stories, Stories and More Stories
I have a big family and my wife and children and my children’s children are always eager to find the right moment and the right atmosphere to hear me narrate anything…..….my encounter with an old friend, an accident which I was involved in or even a funny situation which I witnessed while I was in church or wherever.
I remember many, many years ago, when my wife and I were teenagers, before we married, during our long walks by the sea in the moonlight, I used to tell her stories about some love story which I had read or a romantic film which I had seen and she would enjoy every second of it. Then later, I recall narrating stories to each and every one of my children when they were still babies, when they were toddlers, then when they were nine or ten and later when they were teens. The stories I told my eldest child, I repeated to my second and my third and fourth…..etc……at that particular age. Now this is happening again with my grandchildren. But one particular grandson is always thirsty for my stories and the moment he sees me, he always utters the same five words, ”Grandpa, tell me a story.”
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1.6 During Our Prayer Meetings
My wife and I were part of a prayer group for twenty years. Generally speaking we used to read short parts from the bible and then after few moments of meditation, some of the members would say how that word of God made an impact on their life through a concrete experience. In due time I begun to notice that several of my friends there, waited eagerly to see if I was going to say any experience relating to the part which was read. Some showed their disapproval when I kept my mouth shut, while when I did say something, when the session was over, some would approach me to tell me how they enjoy listening to my experiences. As these prayer meetings affected my life quite a lot, I will narrate several stories which I consider very important and essential for any man or woman who want to discover their spiritual side of life.
1.7 The Way You Tell It
So, one can say that I have a talent to narrate stories. Perhaps it’s the way I tell them or the way I express myself when describing people, things and situations. To me it comes naturally and sometimes I do have a particular way, when narrating a story to emphasis certain words, change the pitch of my voice and I often find myself gesticulating in a very unique way. I am not that aware of doing extraordinary things but I guess this must impress some people. In this blog you can’t hear my voice and you can’t see me gesticulating, but I hope that what I write, will perhaps hypnotize you for as long as it takes to read the story which I’ll be narrating.
My wife and I were part of a prayer group for twenty years. Generally speaking we used to read short parts from the bible and then after few moments of meditation, some of the members would say how that word of God made an impact on their life through a concrete experience. In due time I begun to notice that several of my friends there, waited eagerly to see if I was going to say any experience relating to the part which was read. Some showed their disapproval when I kept my mouth shut, while when I did say something, when the session was over, some would approach me to tell me how they enjoy listening to my experiences. As these prayer meetings affected my life quite a lot, I will narrate several stories which I consider very important and essential for any man or woman who want to discover their spiritual side of life.
1.7 The Way You Tell It
So, one can say that I have a talent to narrate stories. Perhaps it’s the way I tell them or the way I express myself when describing people, things and situations. To me it comes naturally and sometimes I do have a particular way, when narrating a story to emphasis certain words, change the pitch of my voice and I often find myself gesticulating in a very unique way. I am not that aware of doing extraordinary things but I guess this must impress some people. In this blog you can’t hear my voice and you can’t see me gesticulating, but I hope that what I write, will perhaps hypnotize you for as long as it takes to read the story which I’ll be narrating.
1. 8 I Will Narrate This Part Of My Life More In Detail In The Future
Since a few years ago I found myself with plenty of spare time on my hands. I was still teaching. I used to go to school from 8.00 in the morning till 2.30 in the afternoon from Monday to Friday. Then, because I have a big family I used to do a part time job which was much more exhausting than teaching. In fact I am a sort of ‘Jack of all trades’. I do mostly woodwork but when an opportunity comes along, I also do art work because I am also very keen on drawing, painting, designing, decorating and such jobs. But you can say that I try my skills at what comes my way…..I made all types of furniture including kitchens, bedrooms, wall units and also doors and windows. I also built boats, wooden boats and fiber glass boats. For the past six years or so, I did a lot of artwork because one of my sons is a comedian. He and his three friends form a very successful company and are in great demand here. They do television and stage shows. I still make props, scenery and sets for their stage and television programs.
I had to do such work because we didn’t manage with just my pay cheque. So after school hours, the real hard work began and some times my working day ended late at night especially when I had dead lines to meet. This went on also, on Saturdays and during the many school holidays including the long hot summer holidays. Of course this was no time to tell stories except when someone came over to my workshop to order some work and several times we would be caught up in an intense conversation and I found myself narrating and my friend listening with interest to what I would be saying. But there was always too much work to be done so these situations had to be controlled although I am sure that this built a good relation with my clients which helped my business.
But as I was saying in the beginning of this section, something happened and I had to stop working at this part time job, I had to sell all my tools and machinery, give up my rented workshop………and that’s how I ended up with plenty of spare time on my hands. Perhaps you wish to know what happened exactly. I will surely tell you in one of my stories some day, but for now I will just say that it was something regarding my health.
Since a few years ago I found myself with plenty of spare time on my hands. I was still teaching. I used to go to school from 8.00 in the morning till 2.30 in the afternoon from Monday to Friday. Then, because I have a big family I used to do a part time job which was much more exhausting than teaching. In fact I am a sort of ‘Jack of all trades’. I do mostly woodwork but when an opportunity comes along, I also do art work because I am also very keen on drawing, painting, designing, decorating and such jobs. But you can say that I try my skills at what comes my way…..I made all types of furniture including kitchens, bedrooms, wall units and also doors and windows. I also built boats, wooden boats and fiber glass boats. For the past six years or so, I did a lot of artwork because one of my sons is a comedian. He and his three friends form a very successful company and are in great demand here. They do television and stage shows. I still make props, scenery and sets for their stage and television programs.
I had to do such work because we didn’t manage with just my pay cheque. So after school hours, the real hard work began and some times my working day ended late at night especially when I had dead lines to meet. This went on also, on Saturdays and during the many school holidays including the long hot summer holidays. Of course this was no time to tell stories except when someone came over to my workshop to order some work and several times we would be caught up in an intense conversation and I found myself narrating and my friend listening with interest to what I would be saying. But there was always too much work to be done so these situations had to be controlled although I am sure that this built a good relation with my clients which helped my business.
But as I was saying in the beginning of this section, something happened and I had to stop working at this part time job, I had to sell all my tools and machinery, give up my rented workshop………and that’s how I ended up with plenty of spare time on my hands. Perhaps you wish to know what happened exactly. I will surely tell you in one of my stories some day, but for now I will just say that it was something regarding my health.
1.9 Financial Problems
As a result of this I and my family had to face a serious problem. This happened when I was in my fifties. Our older children were married and others were preparing to, one after the other. We had extra expenses because our wish was always to give and help our children as much as we can. Of course they worked and did their part but still everybody needs that extra push when starting a new page in his life. But we had still the younger children with us and there were expenses everywhere, schooling, ongoing bills, maintaining our rented house in good condition, medical expenses and daily and monthly expenses. My teacher’s wage (and now pension) is never enough; I had to do some thing.
As a result of this I and my family had to face a serious problem. This happened when I was in my fifties. Our older children were married and others were preparing to, one after the other. We had extra expenses because our wish was always to give and help our children as much as we can. Of course they worked and did their part but still everybody needs that extra push when starting a new page in his life. But we had still the younger children with us and there were expenses everywhere, schooling, ongoing bills, maintaining our rented house in good condition, medical expenses and daily and monthly expenses. My teacher’s wage (and now pension) is never enough; I had to do some thing.
1.10 The Computer
It happened that one of my children who was studying IT needed a more modern computer badly. This meant another monthly installment to pay for the new computer. But the good thing was that the old computer now was mine and I started to experiment because till that day I did not find it necessary to learn how this wonderful gadget works. I could not afford to go to have a good computer course but with the little help I got from my son, I began to explore this new world.
It happened that one of my children who was studying IT needed a more modern computer badly. This meant another monthly installment to pay for the new computer. But the good thing was that the old computer now was mine and I started to experiment because till that day I did not find it necessary to learn how this wonderful gadget works. I could not afford to go to have a good computer course but with the little help I got from my son, I began to explore this new world.
1.11 My Dreams
And what do you think was my first priority having this information treasure machine in my hands? Perhaps you guessed. I wanted to find a way to earn money so as to solve my financial problems. Soon enough I learned that there was an avalanche of internet marketing systems that claim to make people millionaires almost overnight. I remember that after discovering and joining in one or two systems, I was so excited that I had several sleepless nights but not dreamless. Yes, I used to dream all night long, what I would do with all those millions. Oh how I would help my children, how I would buy clothes for my wife, a new car and why not a new house, our own house with a big garden full of trees and flower plants all over…..and of course a nice swimming pool. Being a keen swimmer and being in love with the blue, clear sea which surrounds the island we live in….of course, I must have a nice cabin cruiser. I also dreamed of helping the needy and watching their happiness shining through their eyes while receiving a nice sum of money which they never expected.
And what do you think was my first priority having this information treasure machine in my hands? Perhaps you guessed. I wanted to find a way to earn money so as to solve my financial problems. Soon enough I learned that there was an avalanche of internet marketing systems that claim to make people millionaires almost overnight. I remember that after discovering and joining in one or two systems, I was so excited that I had several sleepless nights but not dreamless. Yes, I used to dream all night long, what I would do with all those millions. Oh how I would help my children, how I would buy clothes for my wife, a new car and why not a new house, our own house with a big garden full of trees and flower plants all over…..and of course a nice swimming pool. Being a keen swimmer and being in love with the blue, clear sea which surrounds the island we live in….of course, I must have a nice cabin cruiser. I also dreamed of helping the needy and watching their happiness shining through their eyes while receiving a nice sum of money which they never expected.
1.12 Failure
Now five long years passed and during this time I signed up for so many of these online network marketing or MLM or whatever of these opportunities that my inbox is flooded everyday with emails and I came to know many of these internet gurus who promise you heaven on earth.
The end result was one big failure and the bills keep piling up and every month seems to be longer than the one before because it seems that payday is always so far away. I attributed my failure to a number of factors. There are many, believe me ‘many’, of these so called opportunities which are pure hype and scams. To be honest there are real genuine ones but to make them work for you, you must be very computer friendly which I am not. I joined several good programs but at one point or another, I always got stuck because of this. Moreover, one has to have some money to spare especially for promoting massively because that’s the only way that these marketing opportunities will work and earn you money…… and again, I do not have any money to spare and I feel guilty of the money I spent on these systems which I could have spent on more essential things. But I had to try and try hard because the temptation of getting rich took hold of me.
One positive aspect of this online business adventure is that I corresponded with a lot of people from all over the word. These people were either my sponsors or in my upline or downline. It’s always nice to get to know people of different cultures and make friends with them. To my great satisfaction several of them told me that they really enjoy reading my emails and some of these are still my e-friends and we correspond regularly in spite of not being in their business team any more.
1.13 I Am A Lousy Businessman
This is the situation now. This is the present. After five long years of dreaming, trying and spending, I realized that I wasted so much time sitting at my computer for nothing. So I decided to stop dreaming and trying and spending. What made me give up? I realized that this is not my piece of bread and as much as I am a good teacher and a good woodworker, I am a lousy business mess not even a business man!
1.14 The Book Which Inspired Me
In fact what made me realize this was something I read in this book I am reading. Yes, I read books because as much as I like to tell stories, I also like to read stories. The book I am reading right now is the story of a married couple who agreed to ‘find their way home’ after their life journey in a world which is everything but our home. Our home is when we reach a stage in our life that we let go all that which is worrying us to the point that we get lost, our home is when we forgive all those who wronged us and shed off all our bitterness. Most of all, our home is to LOVE unconditionally.
Now five long years passed and during this time I signed up for so many of these online network marketing or MLM or whatever of these opportunities that my inbox is flooded everyday with emails and I came to know many of these internet gurus who promise you heaven on earth.
The end result was one big failure and the bills keep piling up and every month seems to be longer than the one before because it seems that payday is always so far away. I attributed my failure to a number of factors. There are many, believe me ‘many’, of these so called opportunities which are pure hype and scams. To be honest there are real genuine ones but to make them work for you, you must be very computer friendly which I am not. I joined several good programs but at one point or another, I always got stuck because of this. Moreover, one has to have some money to spare especially for promoting massively because that’s the only way that these marketing opportunities will work and earn you money…… and again, I do not have any money to spare and I feel guilty of the money I spent on these systems which I could have spent on more essential things. But I had to try and try hard because the temptation of getting rich took hold of me.
One positive aspect of this online business adventure is that I corresponded with a lot of people from all over the word. These people were either my sponsors or in my upline or downline. It’s always nice to get to know people of different cultures and make friends with them. To my great satisfaction several of them told me that they really enjoy reading my emails and some of these are still my e-friends and we correspond regularly in spite of not being in their business team any more.
1.13 I Am A Lousy Businessman
This is the situation now. This is the present. After five long years of dreaming, trying and spending, I realized that I wasted so much time sitting at my computer for nothing. So I decided to stop dreaming and trying and spending. What made me give up? I realized that this is not my piece of bread and as much as I am a good teacher and a good woodworker, I am a lousy business mess not even a business man!
1.14 The Book Which Inspired Me
In fact what made me realize this was something I read in this book I am reading. Yes, I read books because as much as I like to tell stories, I also like to read stories. The book I am reading right now is the story of a married couple who agreed to ‘find their way home’ after their life journey in a world which is everything but our home. Our home is when we reach a stage in our life that we let go all that which is worrying us to the point that we get lost, our home is when we forgive all those who wronged us and shed off all our bitterness. Most of all, our home is to LOVE unconditionally.
1.15 The Greatest Story Teller Of Them All
So I decided to let go. I decided not to worry that much about making money. I decided to ‘find my way home’. I always searched for the truth, the truth of our existence and I struggled to find the WHY of so many things in life. But now at my ripe age, I feel that it is time to arrive to some serious conclusions. The books I like to read now are no longer ‘love stores’ or ‘adventures ‘ or ‘detective stories’ or the like, but I like to read books that dig deep in a man’s soul, books that are rather spiritual yet realistic, books that tell the story of one’s life with his inner self and his relation with The Almighty. Earlier I mentioned that my wife and I were in a prayer group for about twenty years. There I got to know J. C. better and better and I can say that He is the greatest story teller of us all. Now He is my hero. And in his stories one can find the way home, the truth and the meaning of our existence because He is life itself. His exact words are, “I am the way, I am the truth and I am life.” You want to know who is J.C. ……..Guess!!
So I decided to let go. I decided not to worry that much about making money. I decided to ‘find my way home’. I always searched for the truth, the truth of our existence and I struggled to find the WHY of so many things in life. But now at my ripe age, I feel that it is time to arrive to some serious conclusions. The books I like to read now are no longer ‘love stores’ or ‘adventures ‘ or ‘detective stories’ or the like, but I like to read books that dig deep in a man’s soul, books that are rather spiritual yet realistic, books that tell the story of one’s life with his inner self and his relation with The Almighty. Earlier I mentioned that my wife and I were in a prayer group for about twenty years. There I got to know J. C. better and better and I can say that He is the greatest story teller of us all. Now He is my hero. And in his stories one can find the way home, the truth and the meaning of our existence because He is life itself. His exact words are, “I am the way, I am the truth and I am life.” You want to know who is J.C. ……..Guess!!
1.16 What About The Bills?
Perhaps at this point you ask me, “And what about the bills, what about helping yourself and your family?” At this point I wish to explain my aims for setting up this blog. No, I think you are getting it wrong! I am not doing this to earn money because as I told you, I am not good at doing that. But I am sort of, leaving a window open. I will explain later what I mean by this. So, first and foremost I am doing this because it is something which I enjoy doing and which I am good at. Besides, by so doing I really hope to teach others from my life experiences. Moreover, as a teacher I know for sure that when one teaches, he himself learns a lot and so while I’ll be narrating episodes or true life stories from my life, I will be making an introspection and it will surely help me to find my way home. Mind you, I am just a very ordinary guy, nothing special or spectacular but I believe that everyone has his very own unique stories to narrate and which others would like to know about.
1.17 What You Can Except Of This Blog
So what can you expect from this blog? I intend to post a story every once or twice a week. It will always be a story either which happened to me directly or indirectly. In narrating these stories I will also refer to many places in our island so you will also get to know my island better even because I intend to include several beautiful photos not only of Malta but also photos of myself and my family. In spite of this, for now I do not wish to reveal my true identity so I am changing the real names of people I will talk about because perhaps they do not wish to be public. But the more stories I tell, the more I will reveal my identity, and some local people who know me will surely know that I am narrating stories from my life. For this reason I will use a pseudonym. The stories that I will narrate may be short or they may be long. They may be funny or they maybe sad or very touching. They may be frivolous but they may have profound meaning. They can bare a message or teach a lesson but they can be just entertaining or just interesting. They can be profane but they can be deeply spiritual.
At this point I wish to make one thing clear. I do not have any pretensions. I already told you that English is not my language although here it is a second language but because of this factor, my narrating may not be as good as it would have been if I use my native language. So please pardon any idiomatic or grammatical mistakes in English. I surely do not pretend that this has any literary value. One other thing is that I do not intend to follow a chronological sequence in telling you the stories that make up my life. Maybe I will be narrating some event which happened that same day but I may tell you about a story which happened twenty, thirty, forty or more years ago. It will probably depend on my mood and on the inspiration I get at the moment of writing.
1.18 What About The Open Window?
In one of the previous paragraphs I said that I was not doing this with the intention of earning money as I am not selling anything and obviously one can read this blog absolutely for free. I would like people from all straits of life to read my blog….. poor people, average people and why not, also rich or very rich people. The open window which I mention is just this. Because my financial problems are so very real, because my bills and expenses are always going from bad to worse and (this is important) because as my wife and I get older, our medical expenses tend to become bigger and more frequent, I will let go my ‘not so good’ business ambitions which I described above and instead I will just let Lady Providence come knock at my door. Perhaps some lady who will be one of my regular readers will be moved and inspired to give me a donation. Or maybe that rich, kind man who happened to read some of my stories, feels deep in his heart that he can help…...why not?
On the other hand they say that a river is made up of many drops, so I will gladly accept drops and droplets. Anyway my present dreams are no longer to buy a house of our own or the latest car or a cabin cruiser. We will be happy to have enough money to be able to pay our bills regularly and for my wife and I to have regular medical tests and be able to buy the treatment. Of course at our age we wish us to take life at a slower pace because we are still doing several things that people of our age should restrain from doing. Then again I wish to be able to help those of our children and why not, others who are mostly in need.
I do believe in providence much more than in my business skills. Sometimes it may drizzle and sometimes, hopefully, it may pour. Let’s hope for the best but I really am not pretending much but I have faith in human nature and I know that all people, even those who seem tough and heartless, have something good inside. I myself always wished to have abundance so as to give abundantly. For this purpose I am installing a PayPal donate button. I will keep you informed of what happens………if it happens!! Again I say that I have many experiences which I will surely narrate some day which make me a firm believer that there are many generous, kind-hearted people who are only too willing to help and give to those in need a little from what God provided to them. In fact I can say from experience that it makes one feel better and happier to give than to receive………..and anyway everybody can give something and here I am not referring only to money……..a kind word, a smile, a helping hand, a good advice, love, kindness and even some of one’s own time.
In the near future I also wish to do some advertising especially of some Money Making Systems which although I did not succeed to make them work for me, I am sure that they are genuine and if one is more computer friendly than I am, one will surely benefit a lot from them, money-wise. Besides, as my passion is writing I intend to have several of my past writings as e-books and put them for sale. In this way I will be earning some money, hopefully. But I want to make it clear that if someone wants to give a donation or buy something which I will be advertising, this is absolutely voluntarily and my blog will be always free for those who want to read it.
1.19 Conclusion
As I have already told you, I do not have good computer skills but I wish to improve my blog as I go along even with your help. So if some of my readers have good computer skills, I will be only too glad if you can give me advices and suggestions to help me make my blog better. You can either leave a comment or if you prefer email me on [email protected]
I intend to divide my blog into the following pages. On the ‘Home’ page, there will always be my profile. Then on another page there is this long 'introduction' for the first time visitors. I also would like to have a section which will contain a sort of 'photo album' of different features and aspects of my island. This will include some information too. Then, there is a page for the day’s post, that is, 'my last story'. And of course there is the page where you can 'leave a comment', an advice or a suggestion. If as I go along, I will feel the need to add a page or two for some reason which right now I don't know, I will do it and explain the reason.
Lastly, I will be very grateful if you use the “tell a friend” feature and also spread the word so that more people will read my stories. I am trying to find people from all over the world, Americans, English, Canadian, Australian…….not only English speaking but also others who are learning or already learned English. I already have some contacts with Italian, Spanish, African, Chinese, Indian and German individuals. I really would appreciate your help in promoting my blog. Thanks
NB
After each story I intend to write a quotation which can be well known or hardly. It may be a proverb or a saying which strikes me and which gives you food for thought. It won't necessarily have any thing to do with the story just narrated.
Perhaps at this point you ask me, “And what about the bills, what about helping yourself and your family?” At this point I wish to explain my aims for setting up this blog. No, I think you are getting it wrong! I am not doing this to earn money because as I told you, I am not good at doing that. But I am sort of, leaving a window open. I will explain later what I mean by this. So, first and foremost I am doing this because it is something which I enjoy doing and which I am good at. Besides, by so doing I really hope to teach others from my life experiences. Moreover, as a teacher I know for sure that when one teaches, he himself learns a lot and so while I’ll be narrating episodes or true life stories from my life, I will be making an introspection and it will surely help me to find my way home. Mind you, I am just a very ordinary guy, nothing special or spectacular but I believe that everyone has his very own unique stories to narrate and which others would like to know about.
1.17 What You Can Except Of This Blog
So what can you expect from this blog? I intend to post a story every once or twice a week. It will always be a story either which happened to me directly or indirectly. In narrating these stories I will also refer to many places in our island so you will also get to know my island better even because I intend to include several beautiful photos not only of Malta but also photos of myself and my family. In spite of this, for now I do not wish to reveal my true identity so I am changing the real names of people I will talk about because perhaps they do not wish to be public. But the more stories I tell, the more I will reveal my identity, and some local people who know me will surely know that I am narrating stories from my life. For this reason I will use a pseudonym. The stories that I will narrate may be short or they may be long. They may be funny or they maybe sad or very touching. They may be frivolous but they may have profound meaning. They can bare a message or teach a lesson but they can be just entertaining or just interesting. They can be profane but they can be deeply spiritual.
At this point I wish to make one thing clear. I do not have any pretensions. I already told you that English is not my language although here it is a second language but because of this factor, my narrating may not be as good as it would have been if I use my native language. So please pardon any idiomatic or grammatical mistakes in English. I surely do not pretend that this has any literary value. One other thing is that I do not intend to follow a chronological sequence in telling you the stories that make up my life. Maybe I will be narrating some event which happened that same day but I may tell you about a story which happened twenty, thirty, forty or more years ago. It will probably depend on my mood and on the inspiration I get at the moment of writing.
1.18 What About The Open Window?
In one of the previous paragraphs I said that I was not doing this with the intention of earning money as I am not selling anything and obviously one can read this blog absolutely for free. I would like people from all straits of life to read my blog….. poor people, average people and why not, also rich or very rich people. The open window which I mention is just this. Because my financial problems are so very real, because my bills and expenses are always going from bad to worse and (this is important) because as my wife and I get older, our medical expenses tend to become bigger and more frequent, I will let go my ‘not so good’ business ambitions which I described above and instead I will just let Lady Providence come knock at my door. Perhaps some lady who will be one of my regular readers will be moved and inspired to give me a donation. Or maybe that rich, kind man who happened to read some of my stories, feels deep in his heart that he can help…...why not?
On the other hand they say that a river is made up of many drops, so I will gladly accept drops and droplets. Anyway my present dreams are no longer to buy a house of our own or the latest car or a cabin cruiser. We will be happy to have enough money to be able to pay our bills regularly and for my wife and I to have regular medical tests and be able to buy the treatment. Of course at our age we wish us to take life at a slower pace because we are still doing several things that people of our age should restrain from doing. Then again I wish to be able to help those of our children and why not, others who are mostly in need.
I do believe in providence much more than in my business skills. Sometimes it may drizzle and sometimes, hopefully, it may pour. Let’s hope for the best but I really am not pretending much but I have faith in human nature and I know that all people, even those who seem tough and heartless, have something good inside. I myself always wished to have abundance so as to give abundantly. For this purpose I am installing a PayPal donate button. I will keep you informed of what happens………if it happens!! Again I say that I have many experiences which I will surely narrate some day which make me a firm believer that there are many generous, kind-hearted people who are only too willing to help and give to those in need a little from what God provided to them. In fact I can say from experience that it makes one feel better and happier to give than to receive………..and anyway everybody can give something and here I am not referring only to money……..a kind word, a smile, a helping hand, a good advice, love, kindness and even some of one’s own time.
In the near future I also wish to do some advertising especially of some Money Making Systems which although I did not succeed to make them work for me, I am sure that they are genuine and if one is more computer friendly than I am, one will surely benefit a lot from them, money-wise. Besides, as my passion is writing I intend to have several of my past writings as e-books and put them for sale. In this way I will be earning some money, hopefully. But I want to make it clear that if someone wants to give a donation or buy something which I will be advertising, this is absolutely voluntarily and my blog will be always free for those who want to read it.
1.19 Conclusion
As I have already told you, I do not have good computer skills but I wish to improve my blog as I go along even with your help. So if some of my readers have good computer skills, I will be only too glad if you can give me advices and suggestions to help me make my blog better. You can either leave a comment or if you prefer email me on [email protected]
I intend to divide my blog into the following pages. On the ‘Home’ page, there will always be my profile. Then on another page there is this long 'introduction' for the first time visitors. I also would like to have a section which will contain a sort of 'photo album' of different features and aspects of my island. This will include some information too. Then, there is a page for the day’s post, that is, 'my last story'. And of course there is the page where you can 'leave a comment', an advice or a suggestion. If as I go along, I will feel the need to add a page or two for some reason which right now I don't know, I will do it and explain the reason.
Lastly, I will be very grateful if you use the “tell a friend” feature and also spread the word so that more people will read my stories. I am trying to find people from all over the world, Americans, English, Canadian, Australian…….not only English speaking but also others who are learning or already learned English. I already have some contacts with Italian, Spanish, African, Chinese, Indian and German individuals. I really would appreciate your help in promoting my blog. Thanks
NB
After each story I intend to write a quotation which can be well known or hardly. It may be a proverb or a saying which strikes me and which gives you food for thought. It won't necessarily have any thing to do with the story just narrated.