Country Life Interests

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21221, 18 September 1940, Page 5

Country Life Interests

A page devoted to the interests of the Country Women of the Waikato, and in particular to advancing and recording the activities of those two great national organisations, the Women's Institutes and the Women's Division of the Farmers’ Union.

ON DOING WHAT ONE LIKES

Extremely Difficult to Carry Out (By Lady Margaret Sackville) 'T'HIS phrase, which seems to indicate a short cut to Fairyland; this apparently simple recipe for perpetual happiness, is in reality extremely difficult to put into effect. Like the very simple directions for making coffee, nothing sounds easier, yet how rare, how lamentably rare, good coffee is ! To start with, it is uncommonly hard to disentangle what one really likes from what one thinks one likes or ought to like. So many things, delightful to imagine, are exceedingly tiresome when they do happen. Imagination turns ud its nose scornfully at annoying details. It shows us travel without packing, picnics without sandflies, marriage without responsibility, fame without detractors. So plausible it is that reason is usually hallucinated, and follows or is lugged along like an unwilling captive bound to imagination’s chariot wheels. Events as a rule justify this reluctance—t »• lato. But that does not make one more in love with reason. If “ I told you so” is irritating from the lins of others, it is more unbearable still when said by, and to, oneself. The true test, therefore, of whether you really like doing a thing or not is your capacity for losing sight of those provoking and unexpected annoyances—which Always occur in your general sense of enjoyment. If so do; if not don’t, sounds a pretty safe rule. Followed strictly, this would, I believe, delete a considerable number of rather painful pleasures. It might also be given a wider application. There are many games, but so few are worth a—scandal—as one could almost rewrite the ancient proverb. Make the Best of the Present Also a good deal is to be said for liking what one has. This would seem to be a natural gift almost as rare as genius. It is, however, a habit which can be cultivated. For one thing, if you do not like what you have you are never very sure of liking anything else. You have probably a wooden and unresponsive temperament, sometimes mistaken by its owner for intelligence, but which is, in fact, often nothing more than the spoilt child’s inability to amuse itself with anything except the most expensive toys. If we are peevish when we’re poor, we shall be equally peevish rich. If we can’t get on with our relations, the same lack of elasticity will make us in the end disagree with other people’s. It is noticeable, too, and rather queer when you come to think of it, that the people who most persistently do what they like or live their own lives—to use a charming old world phrase—not only do not seem, except in passing moments, filled with anything like “ joie de vivre,” but are often restless and discontented. “ Divine discontent,” as it is often called, but that does not make it any more pleasant. I, who always want to do as I like and enjoy myself in spite of it, consider this a great injustice. Why should such conscientious labour in so laudable a cause be often so inadequately rewarded ? Other people are apt inconsiderately to get in the way at times. So horribly selfish of them. But perhaps they are trying to do as they like, too ! They have no right to attempt any such thing if by doing so they interfere with others—that is to say, with me. But perhaps you are interfering with them. That, of course, is an entirely different matter