Celibate and Sane: What a Waste

December 3, 2010

What a Waste

Bougainvillea
Photo by: Castielli

Near where my mother lives is a very old street which leads to the hospital and is quite busy. For many years, the islands in the middle of the street were filled with beautiful bougainvillea. It was always such a lovely sight when they were in bloom and so it was with some confusion a number of years ago, that we discovered the local council had removed every single bougainvillea plant from their beds.

The large traffic islands lay bare until the weeds began to grow and for several years, they lay untended, an ugly eyesore for visitors who often travel this road to gain access to the airport.

The residents simply could not understand why the bougainvillea were removed, and then the land left completely bare and ugly.

Just a few months ago, the council finally decided to do something about the bare traffic islands, and planted them again with lots of highly coloured plants.

They planted MORE bougainvillea!

What a complete waste of time and money. What the heck was that all about?

One hears tales of councils and governments wasting money, and here is a classic example. Doesn't the council have to justify how it spends its money? Frankly I think the townsfolk should demand that the employees responsible for this stuff-up should be paying for it out of their own pocket, don't you?

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Personal Quotes from Vicki-S

"Occasionally I find my breakfast a little bitter, and sometimes it's difficult to chew and swallow; though at other times it's sweet, but it’s very satisfying and always sustains me. My most important meal of the day, is feasting on God’s Word and drinking up His presence."

I love me, because God loves me. It's not that God doesn't see my flaws, they are like blazing torches in His eyes, but rather that He sees past my imperfections and still loves me. And who am I to argue with the perfect God that I am worthwhile, that I am worthy of love, and that He accepts me and wants me to be His child, His beloved daughter? When I understood this, I began to accept and embrace His version and His vision of me, and not the world's.

"The silent treatment and sulking are simply two other weapons in the arsenal of the manipulator."

"Often people use the metaphor of a butterfly emerging from its cocoon to describe how we can grow from difficult experiences, but what they don't mention is the fact that at first we start off as an ugly caterpillar."

"We so often just get caught up in trying to just get through each day, that we forget to pause and be thankful for the fresh one that is presented anew and untouched each morning."

"Contrary to what we might think, forgiveness isn't so much about healing our relationship with that other person, but about healing our own broken heart."

"The purpose of school reunions is to show off how much you've achieved in life, to laugh at the once popular kids who've aged more quickly than you; and to wince at the guy who was a bully in school and who aptly became a policeman."

"I've found in many organisations where volunteers are needed, including the modern-day church, that 80% of its people sit back and let everyone else do most of the work, then there's the 10% who actually make the place run, and the remaining 10% just like to whinge about the 10% doing the work, especially about how they could do it better."

"When traced back to its source, every sin, every despicable act, and every war was motivated by someone's selfishness."

"I do not want to think of man, for that would distract me from God. But if I focus on God, I cannot help but think of my fellow man, and each day God keeps the scales balanced so that I have enough within me to do both."

"Overcoming depression isn’t about changing ones attitude, or just ‘getting on’ with things, it’s like removing one’s personal black shroud one thread at a time, with ones teeth.”