WEek Eight- Totally Tolstoy
I can relate to Tolstoy quite well, besides enjoying his works, they seem to put life into perspective and in his readings brings out the true nature of the beast, which beast you ask, why the" human" one of course. It shows the selfishness, greed, insatiable hunger to acquire more , whether it be money, real estate, shares just to create wealth and have it. We are all guilty of this in one form or another, being spurred on by society and commercialism. A grand home, a flash car, latest fashion and accessories, computers, hi-fi's, ipods, BlackBerry,and the list grows and GROWS...the family holiday to that exoctic spot...How about Burma?...I thought not! Are all these things vitally important, goodness how did we live without our mobile phones twenty years ago,I do not know but the world did not seem to fall apart! Isn't a roof over our heads, food on the table, a warm bed to sleep in, people we love around us and just getting out of bed in the morning, isn't this enough that God provides this for us.
Tolstoy's life journey is reflected in his works, it's like his personal diary and an extraordinary one at that! For someone that had it all, a very privileged life at that he was very thoughtful and humble towards all. A man of virtues.
Here is a picture of our humble little abode in the central district of Italy, Abruzzo. It's my dad's home and i love it, i hope to be able to spend time here some day and enjoy it as my father did, maybe write something meaningful while sitting in front of the fireplace, snow piled right up against the door! We are five minutes away from the Parco Nationale D' Abruzzo ( like our National Parks here).
Dad's family are farmer's at heart or "contadini" people who work the land and have livestock, the youngest of six children. He lost his dad at a young age, then the war came along and it was 'hard times' but they all pulled together, with the town's people and weathered the storm, helping each other in these needy times.
My cousin, 28 y.o., dentist, was killed in a road accident, recently married, a young son Fabrizio Yuri De Angelis, and left a wonderful legacy. He was the son of a "contadino" but his dental surgery was in the city, he would give free dental checks and treatment to the people of his town. He had a great respect for the elderly men and women of the town because he knew how hard they had worked and laboured, and they in turn loved him and had the utmost respect for him. He was a communist at heart, but in a good way in that he wanted everyone to come together as a community and share the fruits of their labour.
He loved Russia/USSR's people even thought they have been confronted with many difficulties, political upheaval, poverty, social injustice and so on, something drew him here,now I know what it is. We still grieve our loss, his coat still hangs on his chair and his partners still do the town's people teeth for free. His son only hears of his father's good deeds and his brother wonders everyday if he ever had a brother at all, the loss to him is still unbelievable. His father past away two years later and his mother is unconsolable. He was a country boy at heart... So... How Much Land Does a Man Need?................................
Six feet of land was all that he needed!! Leo Tolstoy 1886
Tolstoy's life journey is reflected in his works, it's like his personal diary and an extraordinary one at that! For someone that had it all, a very privileged life at that he was very thoughtful and humble towards all. A man of virtues.
Here is a picture of our humble little abode in the central district of Italy, Abruzzo. It's my dad's home and i love it, i hope to be able to spend time here some day and enjoy it as my father did, maybe write something meaningful while sitting in front of the fireplace, snow piled right up against the door! We are five minutes away from the Parco Nationale D' Abruzzo ( like our National Parks here).
Dad's family are farmer's at heart or "contadini" people who work the land and have livestock, the youngest of six children. He lost his dad at a young age, then the war came along and it was 'hard times' but they all pulled together, with the town's people and weathered the storm, helping each other in these needy times.
My cousin, 28 y.o., dentist, was killed in a road accident, recently married, a young son Fabrizio Yuri De Angelis, and left a wonderful legacy. He was the son of a "contadino" but his dental surgery was in the city, he would give free dental checks and treatment to the people of his town. He had a great respect for the elderly men and women of the town because he knew how hard they had worked and laboured, and they in turn loved him and had the utmost respect for him. He was a communist at heart, but in a good way in that he wanted everyone to come together as a community and share the fruits of their labour.
He loved Russia/USSR's people even thought they have been confronted with many difficulties, political upheaval, poverty, social injustice and so on, something drew him here,now I know what it is. We still grieve our loss, his coat still hangs on his chair and his partners still do the town's people teeth for free. His son only hears of his father's good deeds and his brother wonders everyday if he ever had a brother at all, the loss to him is still unbelievable. His father past away two years later and his mother is unconsolable. He was a country boy at heart... So... How Much Land Does a Man Need?................................
Six feet of land was all that he needed!! Leo Tolstoy 1886