Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labours and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace with your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.
One night in Antigua, Mr Special and I were relaxing in the hotel room. I think this may have been the day of the boat trip. We had been out all day as it was around 7ish (the time when most people would have gone to dinner).
I was sitting at the dressing table just fussing, probably doing my hair or something girly and Mr Special was reading or reviewing photos or something of that sort.
I heard a rattling of keys in the door; it was like someone was trying a key, and it not working so they were trying another. I was scared because the story about the two British honeymooners that got murdered in the hotel room (link) was still in my head it was only a year ago.
Also I remember clearly that Antigua has 15,000 illegal immigrants (remember in my last post I told you about the size and the population this is a lot) and because of this, resourses like the police and hospitals are now overstretched.
Anyway I said in a quiet voice to Mr Special
“Babe I think someone is trying to get in”
Mr Special did not business he is a fearless black man so he walked over to the door waited until the next key got pulled out and then opened in really quickly.
On the other side was a skinny teenager with a stripy t-shirt a plastic bag and a surprised look on his face.
“Yeah?” Mr Special asked, in a very annoyed voice
“Erm….erm……towels” the boy said “they asked me to change towels I must have the wrong room”
“Babe shut the door!” I said
I was alarmed because the boy wasn’t holding any towels and I was thinking he would just shoot us or something.
Mr Special closed the door and I called reception.
Let me tell you they were fantastic they called security that moment and security caught him.
Later on we found out that he was an ex employee who had broken into the housekeeping office and had stolen the keys. He had broken into every room along the row and ours was the last one. He had stolen ipods and valuables (which is strange because I would have my valuables locked away) but luckily everything was returned.
Mr Special was gutted, he said it was his one chance to give someone a good beating (lol) and even I was angry but when I heard more I changed my stance.
He was let go in January and had another job in construction but was also let go from that as well He was young and had a baby.
I really think that he had just become desperate. With no job seekers allowance or unemployment benefits that we have here he must have been desperate to feed his child.
People will do anything when desperate.
You have to ask yourself, who is the real victim here?
Do you think it’s the tourists who are all insured for their loss of items and didn’t lock up anything? (even if we were not in, he wouldn’t have got anything from our room we locked up everything)
The boy, who was jobless, hungry and desperate who will now go to jail and from what I know, jail in the Caribbean isn’t the hotel that it is in the UK. Jail always fails to rehabilitate anyone so he will just come out hardened and ready to commit more crimes.
Or the child, who probably wont know their daddy for a long time.Who will go hungry at night and if he/she survives will probably grow up to be just as desperate
I’d love to know who you think suffers the most in situations like this.
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