User:Kembali44

I am 55+ and I am a world civilian. I am living on two continents, Asia and Europe(The Netherlands) I feel attracted to beauty, art, poetry and cultural expressions from different countries. I am early retired as a psychologist and social manager. I love life, I love people, I love cultures, I love art, I love creativity; cosmic energy is intriguing me. I am really happy to have plenty of time now for old and new people, interests and hobby's. I love serious stuff, like books about meditation, cultures, religions. I am a Catholic, I practice Zen meditation. I like to be on the move, to discover new cities, harbors, landscapes, people, to stay for a while, to leave again after a shorter or longer time, depending on whom I meet. My far forefathers must have been gypsies........or Greek sailors or.....Venetian merchants... Roman soldiers.....Dutch colonials there must be a reason why I am always longing for Ithaka or the Silkroad.

ITHAKA (1911)
by Constantine P. Cavafy

As you set out for Ithaka hope your road is a long one, full of adventure, full of discovery. Laistrygonians, Cyclops, angry Poseidon - don't be afraid of them: you'll never find things like that one on your way as long as you keep your thoughts raised high, as long as a rare excitement stirs your spirit and your body. Laistrygonians, Cyclops, wild Poseidon - you won't encounter them unless you bring them along inside your soul, unless your soul sets them up in front of you.

Hope your road is a long one. May there be many summer mornings when, with what pleasure, what joy, you enter harbours you're seeing for the first time; may you stop at Phoenician trading stations to buy fine things, mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony, sensual perfumes of every kind - as many sensual perfumes as you can; and may you visit many Egyptian cities to learn and go on learning from their scholars.

Keep Ithaka always in your mind. Arriving there is what you're destined for. But don't hurry the journey at all. Better if it lasts for years, so you're old by the time you reach the island, wealthy with all you've gained on the way, not expecting Ithaka to make you rich.

Ithaka gave you the marvellous journey. Without her you wouldn't have set out. She has nothing left to give you now. And if you find her poor, Ithaka won't have fooled you. Wise as you will have become, so full of experience, you'll have understood by then what these Ithakas mean