Comments on: Old Friends http://julesritter.com/2008/05/old-friends/ Sun, 06 May 2012 18:57:16 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Adam http://julesritter.com/2008/05/old-friends/comment-page-1/#comment-245 Adam Fri, 06 Jun 2008 19:14:24 +0000 http://julesritter.com/?p=369#comment-245 PS the americans in the gallery emind me of my father's response to emotional moments in film. Let's say someone's sister dies in the movies: "Don't worry, you've got another one." A tender moment of love might be greeted with "disgusting! Totally gratuitous!" Or a relationship that splits up "Don't worry, there's plenty more fish in the sea!" I suppose the overriding philosophy is don't dwell on your problems, you only make them worse. Perhaps he is right... PS the americans in the gallery emind me of my father’s response to emotional moments in film. Let’s say someone’s sister dies in the movies: “Don’t worry, you’ve got another one.” A tender moment of love might be greeted with “disgusting! Totally gratuitous!” Or a relationship that splits up “Don’t worry, there’s plenty more fish in the sea!” I suppose the overriding philosophy is don’t dwell on your problems, you only make them worse. Perhaps he is right…

]]> By: Adam http://julesritter.com/2008/05/old-friends/comment-page-1/#comment-244 Adam Fri, 06 Jun 2008 19:05:16 +0000 http://julesritter.com/?p=369#comment-244 Okay, so at the risk of being laughed off the side of the earth (it is flat, isn't it?), I happen to think that the external environment is merely a manifestation of the internal thought process. So, if you think happy, neighbourly thoughts...you get a happy, neighbourly life etc. It has worked for me every time...well, the two times I gathered up the guts to risk communication with strangers without the benefit of children and dogs as props. So if that is true about the internal and the external, why do I keep getting emails that say "looking for really effective non surgical penis enlargement?" Or "want to make the girls happy?" I mean I have spent 40 years in a love/hate relationship with my body and whilst the traction device sounds as though it could be somewhat comforting on a rainy friday night, I am rather afraid of admitting to my own feelings of personal inadequacy. By the way, do women get similar emails? I just deleted one that I assumed was on the same wavelength: "Improve your men's health with WonderCum." It sounds promising. I haven't seen any about enlarging my breasts with 100% safe non-surgical methods but I have stopped running and this seems to be happening all on its own. Maybe that is why I don't get those emails... Talking of which, can we talk about sex again? Surely Jules you can bring something back from Italy on the subject. What about the loving couple at Pompeii, for example? A hot night for them, obviously. I cast my memory back to our Australian correspondent's marvelous contribution to the subject at the beginning of the year, and remember the feelings of puritanical self-hatred he roused in so many of us. Loved your comment about the americans in the art gallery! I wish I had been able to join you that day. Looking forward to catching up. I just love your writing...it is funny, witty and it frequently makes me laugh out loud. Not a bad tonic for whenever I am feeling old sad and lonely. Keep it up, Jules! Okay, so at the risk of being laughed off the side of the earth (it is flat, isn’t it?), I happen to think that the external environment is merely a manifestation of the internal thought process. So, if you think happy, neighbourly thoughts…you get a happy, neighbourly life etc. It has worked for me every time…well, the two times I gathered up the guts to risk communication with strangers without the benefit of children and dogs as props.

So if that is true about the internal and the external, why do I keep getting emails that say “looking for really effective non surgical penis enlargement?” Or “want to make the girls happy?” I mean I have spent 40 years in a love/hate relationship with my body and whilst the traction device sounds as though it could be somewhat comforting on a rainy friday night, I am rather afraid of admitting to my own feelings of personal inadequacy. By the way, do women get similar emails? I just deleted one that I assumed was on the same wavelength: “Improve your men’s health with WonderCum.” It sounds promising. I haven’t seen any about enlarging my breasts with 100% safe non-surgical methods but I have stopped running and this seems to be happening all on its own. Maybe that is why I don’t get those emails…

Talking of which, can we talk about sex again? Surely Jules you can bring something back from Italy on the subject. What about the loving couple at Pompeii, for example? A hot night for them, obviously. I cast my memory back to our Australian correspondent’s marvelous contribution to the subject at the beginning of the year, and remember the feelings of puritanical self-hatred he roused in so many of us.

Loved your comment about the americans in the art gallery! I wish I had been able to join you that day. Looking forward to catching up. I just love your writing…it is funny, witty and it frequently makes me laugh out loud. Not a bad tonic for whenever I am feeling old sad and lonely. Keep it up, Jules!

]]> By: Nadia http://julesritter.com/2008/05/old-friends/comment-page-1/#comment-256 Nadia Tue, 20 May 2008 05:52:45 +0000 http://julesritter.com/?p=369#comment-256 Especially dogs. Great ice-breaker! When I lived in Champel in Geneva (very hoity-toity neighborhood) I knew the names of all the dogs we met in the park. So okay, no human names, but it was contact! :D Especially dogs. Great ice-breaker! When I lived in Champel in Geneva (very hoity-toity neighborhood) I knew the names of all the dogs we met in the park. So okay, no human names, but it was contact! :D

]]> By: Diana http://julesritter.com/2008/05/old-friends/comment-page-1/#comment-250 Diana Mon, 19 May 2008 06:40:53 +0000 http://julesritter.com/?p=369#comment-250 Sorry Jules but where I live all those chance encounters do indeed lead to spontaneous conversation and even friendship. Especially when dogs or children are involved. Sorry Jules but where I live all those chance encounters do indeed lead to spontaneous conversation and even friendship. Especially when dogs or children are involved.

]]> By: Diana http://julesritter.com/2008/05/old-friends/comment-page-1/#comment-249 Diana Mon, 19 May 2008 06:25:18 +0000 http://julesritter.com/?p=369#comment-249 Yes, Martin, that does sum things up nicely. My parents moved to Switzerland when I was a child and I grew up in the Geneva ex-pat community - private schools and very little contact with the Swiss. Nearly 40 (aargh!!!) years down the road, I have now lived in a town in the Jura mountains for over 20 years with Swiss husband and 3 children. Yes, there is a melting pot of ex-pats of all nationalities but the majority of people living here are Swiss. There are no private schools so all the children go to the local schools and mingle and the language is French. The people live and work in the area and there is a great community spirit and I for one was welcomed with open arms when I arrived. This, for me, is Switzerland and these are the true Swiss people. Yes, Martin, that does sum things up nicely. My parents moved to Switzerland when I was a child and I grew up in the Geneva ex-pat community – private schools and very little contact with the Swiss.

Nearly 40 (aargh!!!) years down the road, I have now lived in a town in the Jura mountains for over 20 years with Swiss husband and 3 children. Yes, there is a melting pot of ex-pats of all nationalities but the majority of people living here are Swiss. There are no private schools so all the children go to the local schools and mingle and the language is French. The people live and work in the area and there is a great community spirit and I for one was welcomed with open arms when I arrived. This, for me, is Switzerland and these are the true Swiss people.

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