Of Unuseful Life

by

There is a lot to do around the house every spring. Spring cleaning and clearing out are on the agenda, and we also have some dear visitors coming in May. Although Kb is getting better every day, he can’t be of much help since he will need a walking frame for a few more weeks. And since Siri and Selma are in a flippant mood, Dina decided that we need a cleaning lady, a window cleaner and a gardener.

Jedes Frühjahr ist viel im Haus zu tun. Frühjahrsputz und Ausmisten liegen an, dazu kommt, dass wir lieben Besuch im Mai bekommen. Obwohl es Kb täglich besser geht, kann er keine rechte Hilfe sein, da er noch ein paar Wochen auf eine Gehhilfe angewisen ist. Und da Siri und Selma flippig drauf sind, beschloss Dina, dass wir eine Putzfrau, einen Fensterputzer und einen Gärtner benötigen.

Oh dear, Dina, Siri and Selma have engaged a gardener, a cleaner and a window cleaner. What’s next?

Instead of springtime lethargy, Kb is suffering from his usual philosophical attacks, against which there is no known cure, in addition to his temporary disability. ‘Cleaning lady, window cleaner and gardener’, he muses, ‘they all do useful work and who actually benefits from what we do?’
The old question Cui Bono, used by the wise judge Lucius Cassius, whom Cicero praised, to identify a culprit. But here it is not about deeds, rather about vain pursuits.

Statt Frühjahrsmüdigkeit hat Kb außer seiner temporären Behinderung gerade seine philosophischen Anfälle, gegen die kein Kraut gewachsen ist. ‘Putzfrau, Fensterputzer und Gärtner‘, sinniert er, ‘die alle Sinnvolles tun und wem nützt eigentlich, was wir tun?’
Die alte Frage Cui Bono, die der weise Richter Lucius Cassius, den Cicero lobend erwähnt, benutzte, um einen Schuldigen zu identifizieren. Aber hier geht es nicht um Taten, eher um eitle Beschäftigungen.

That Dina is a keen photographer – who benefits from that? That Kb is busy writing his little blog posts – who benefits from that? Selma mischievously said, ‘They’ve got to do something. At least it doesn’t hurt anyone.‘ Siri, in her bohemian mood, sees a kind of l’art pour l’art in the photo snapshots and the text babble. ‘They do it for the sake of it and because they think they can. As fun as it is – but it doesn’t clean the stove.‘

Dass Dina als Hobby fleißig fotografiert, wem nützt das? Dass Masterchen emsig seine Textchen für den Blog schreibt, wem nützt das? Schelmisch meinte Selma: ‘Irgendwas müssen sie ja machen. Wenigstens tut es keinem weh.‘ Siri, in ihrer bohemienhaften Laune, die auch sie jedes Frühjahr befällt, sieht in den Fotoknipsis und dem Textgebrabbel eine Art l’art pour l’art. ‘Sie machen es um der Sache willen und weil sie es meinen zu können. Als Spaß an der Sache – aber davon wird der Herd nicht sauber.’

Kb is making progress and has swapped the wheelchair for the walking frame.

We won’t let ourselves be carried away into asking whether everything has to have a meaning. ‘Well,’ Dina protests, ‘certain things have to be done sensibly. But I enjoy taking pictures. Of course, it doesn’t brush the dust off the furniture or mow the lawn. Masterchen’s writing is similar. If he didn’t write, the world would be none the worse for it and he would have more inclination to clean and for gardening. But what’s the point of grudgingly doing something useful when it’s going to give you a bad mood, if not an ulcer?‘

Wir werden uns jetzt nicht hinreißen lassen zu fragen, ob alles einen Sinn haben muss. ‘Naja‘, protestiert Dina, ‘es müssen sinnvoller Weise bestimmte Dinge gemacht werden. Aber mir bringt das Fotografieren Freude. Klar, es verbannt weder Staub noch mäht es den Rasen. Ähnlich verhält es sich doch auch mit Masterchens Schreiben. Würde er nicht schreiben, würde der Welt nichts fehlen und er hätte mehr Lust und Laune zu putzen und zu gärtnern. Aber wem nutzt es, wenn man Sinnvolles zähneknirschend tut, das bringt bestenfalls schlechte Laune, wenn nicht ein Magengeschwür.‘

Kb was not able to join the toad patrol this year. Many frogs and toads have been helped across the roads and we now enjoy the busy activity in Cley Reserve.

‘Probably you live,’ says the clever Siri, ‘in a near future in which robots do useful work and people devote themselves to entertainment and pleasure.’ And to return to the initial question: photography and writing are of no use to anyone except the producers, who, afflicted by the old production virtues, try to perfect themselves. You could call this goal ‘true mastery’, which is always striven for in itself – but not in dirty rooms!

‘Wahrscheinlich lebt ihr‘, meint die kluge Siri, ‘fast schon in einer nahen Zukunft, in der Roboter nützliche Arbeit verrichten und die Menschen sich der Zerstreuung und dem Vergnügen widmen.’ Und um auf die Ausgangsfrage zurückzukommen: Fotografieren und Schreiben nützen niemandem außer dem Produzenten, der, von den alten Produktionstugenden angekränkelt, versucht, sich zu vervollkommnen. Man könnte das Ziel ‘wahre Meisterschaft’ nennen, die immer um ihrer selbst willen angestrebt wird – aber doch nicht in verdreckten Zimmern!

So we enjoy the useless life, which simultaneously despises and yet is enslaved to the attitudes of our performance-oriented society
‘Doesn’t matter!’ says Selma, who always has to have the last word.

So erfreuen wir uns am unnützen Leben, das die Einstellung der Leistungsgesellschaft zugleich verachtet und ihr dennoch verfallen ist
‘Macht nix!’ meint Selma, die immer das letzte Wort haben muss.

Keep well
Alles Gute

The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂


© text and illustrations, Hanne Siebers & Klausbernd Vollmar, Cley next the Sea, 2025

138 thoughts

  3. Haha… nice one Selma! Looking at the dust that surrounds me I know that even if I motivate myself to swing a duster around, it will be back the next day. Keep on enjoying your useless lives as long as you can 😂

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    • Hey Jude

      You are absolutely right. And, anyhow dust isn’t dirt, as Kb says.
      We have to admit we love our useless lives.

      Thanks a lot, your comment is very much appreciated
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

  4. Fab Four of Cley,
    May we always get to do what makes us smile. Klausbernd with is writing, Dina with her photography and Siri & Selma with their reading and Fayrie dust.

    Glad to Kb is improving. May you all stay well.
    GP

    Liked by 5 people

    Reply

    • Thank you very much, our dear friend GP.

      We are quite happy with our life and will not change if we don’t have to.

      Take care and have a happy and healthy week
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

    • Thank you very much, it’s kind to write this. It’s one of the paradoxes of life, on one hand our writing and photographing is useless and on the other hand it makes people happy and think – at least we suppose.

      Thank you for your kind words
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  17. Doing what we can and do is of use to us, making our lives normal and fulfilling and hopefully happy. That is hardly ‘useless’ 🙂 ! Keep on getting better . . . the ides of spring will help 🙂 !

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    • Thank you very much 🙏 🙏

      Yes, we decide to define bringing joy as ‘useful’. Then, we live a very useful life.
      It will be easy and fun with our May visitors.

      Wishing you a happy and ‘useful’ week
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  19. Just think of the joy you bring to anyone who sees your photos (Hanne), blogs, and KB’s writing. Siri and Selma add a valuable contribution too. Being creative is not without value. But I hope that you (KB) hurry up and get better so you can help with the chores around the house.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    • Good afternoon, dear Anneli

      Kb is hurrying up getting better by the minute 🙂 He is very determined to do his exercises.

      Being creative is useful on another level, and we love it. Thank you for liking our contribution 🙏 🙏

      Wishing you a sunny and happy week
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  21. To paraphrase someone, “Usefulness is in the eye of the beholder.” I get enjoyment form other people’s photography and writing (such as what comes form the “FabFour Blog”) so those activities are useful (even if in just a small way) to my daily enjoyment. Best wishes to KB for a continued successful full recovery.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    • Dear David

      We hope we are useful on ‘a higher level’.
      We like your quote “Usefulness is in the eye of the beholder.” Indeed, that makes sense.

      Kb is recovering well. He always acts so casual, but he is very ambitious and does his exercises and more.

      All the best
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Hazel

      robots for housework already exist. We suppose we’ll have some for cleaning, ironing and gardening. Most of our neighbours already have kind of robots who are mowing their lawn.

      I am well recovering and soon I will be able to mow our lawns myself.
      Thanks and love
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

    • It’s so true. They help to make our lives comfortable, too. It’s great for your to mow again. I’m happy that you’ve recovered now, kb.Thank God.

      Liked by 1 person

  25. Of course it is useful what you both do… bringing pleasure to the lives of others! Dina, your photography is simply fabulous. Klausbernd, take care and keep smiling (and eating ice cream?) 😉

    Liked by 5 people

    Reply

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  27. Appreciation of life and exploring its essence is always worthwhile. Engaging with others is never unuseful. You may not be productive in one sense, but the world wouldn’t be the same without you and the Fab Four.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    • Thank you very much, dear Val, for your kind words.

      The word ‘useful’ came into use for human relations with industrialisation and so with alienation in the Marxist sense. That was the case in most Germanic languages.

      We actually like to be unuseful. It’s a privilege of our age and we enjoy it. But, of course, it depends how one defines “useful’.

      Thanks for your kind words
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  28. I already employ a gardener, and I am seriously considering a window cleaner. After a ‘deep clean’ of the bathroom on Saturday, I can hardly walk today. So perhaps a cleaner might also be needed soon. So I do get it, totally. Glad to see KB has progressed to a frame. Small steps to a big recovery! Wonderful photos of course, you never let us down with those.

    Love to you alll from Beetley, Pete. X

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    • Dear Pete

      We immediately need a cleaning person to stop Dina from feeling overworked. Her standard of cleanliness in our house is amazingly high. We are looking forward to the times when all these jobs in the house and on the grounds are done by robots.

      We hope you are recovered now.

      Kb is getting better and better.

      All the best, we hope you’ll find an effective cleaner, we keep our fingers crossed
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  29. Surely beautiful photography and thoughtful writing aren’t completely useless. Might not compete with dusting, but it seems to me that the life of the mind is important, too. As the last election in the United States certainly illustrates, ideas do matter.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

  30. These are such fantastic photos! I hope you are feeling much better by now. Wishing you a swift and complete recovery, and sending you all my best wishes for a speedy return to health and well-being. Thanks for sharing, and have a wonderful day 🙂 Aiva xx

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    • Dear Aiva

      Thank you very much for your kind comment.
      Kb is fast recovering and everything is fine. We found a window cleaner and a gardener

      Kb is well recovering. He can move around better and better now.

      With warm greetings from the cold sea
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

  32. Nutzlos ist das Leben schon, aber machen wir es uns dennoch gemütlich. Z.B. mit kleinen Steckeisen. Die mag ich auch sehr 😉
    Solche Klumpgeräte am Fuß nennt man bei uns “Walker”, habe ich gelernt bei einem Freund.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Na “Walker” ist ja ein Euphemismus. Mit denen kann man nur schwierigst walken.
      Klar doch, nutzlos und gemütlich hängen zusammen. Wo es um den Nutzen geht, wird es schnell ungemütlich.
      Liebe Grüße vom sonnigen Meer
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 3 people

  34. So happy to learn Kb is on the mend (and has ditched that chair!). Being a creative person might seem — to others — as a “waste,” but where would the world be without us dreamers?? As for the cleaners, gardeners, and such, well, they’re getting something out of their tasks, too, aren’t they? Like pay?!!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Hi Debbie

      There are two levels of usefulness. One is directly useful in a materialistic way and one is useful in an idealistic way. Classic for the second is John Lennon’s “Imagine”.

      All the best
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  36. It is good to hear of your progress and recovery and I hope it continues well and quickly. Now, regarding this useless writing and photography…I have checked and note that I have published 951 blog posts while hardly a day passes without a session with my camera – mainly plants whether in our own garden but also in those we visit and wildflowers. And, it may well all be useless but I enjoy both activities very much. I write because I enjoy writing and I take photographs because I also enjoy that activity. However, I have noted that others read my writings and view my photographs, something which comes as a surprise at times as happened last Saturday when I met a couple in a garden we were visiting and was told they enjoy reading my blog while I had no idea they ever read it and generally am not conscious of a readership. There is a presumption that writing about one’s own garden is case of self-promotion – as this is a regular practice among those who wish to promote themselves, attract visitors etc – but we do not open our garden to the public as it is something we don’t enjoy. Perhaps, I do harbour a desire to share the garden but wish to do so on my own terms – you may read what I have to say about it and view it in my photographs. The writing is for my pleasure and when published takes on its own life and will be interpreted by others as they see it. It’s not useless; it’s a pleasant pastime.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear Paddy

      I tend to see my writing for the blog as useless as I earned money with my other writing. I lived most of my life of my writing, writing books, film scripts and articles. Writing for the blog is different; it is just fun and a hobby. There is this freedom because it doesn’t have to be useful. To be unuseful means freedom for me, I don’t have to be successful, it doesn’t matter.

      I suppose, it’s similar with your gardening as well. The joy is intrinsic for us.

      Thanks for your comment.
      Take care
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Ute

      Thank you very much.

      Kb is improving every day. He is a good boy doing his exercises regularly, and he hopes that he can more or less freely move around in a fortnight.

      Thank you for liking our post.
      Keep well
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

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  40. Wem nützt das? Das ist eine Frage, die der Gärtner und die Putzfrau gut beantworten können. Bei der Kunst oder gar bei der Philosophie werden die Dinge schwierig. Was mich betrifft, wem nützt es, dass ich nach mehr als 60 Jahre in meinem Blog meinen Roman übersetze und veröffentliche?

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Lieber Peter

      Es gibt halt Nutzen auf zwei grundsätzlich verschiedenen Ebenen. Einmal ist das die materielle, an der Autoren wie Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi selbst die Kreativität messen, und dann ist da die ideelle Ebene. Man bringt Einsichten, Freude etc. Für mich als Autor war es stets wichtig, die eine mit der anderen Ebene zu verbinden – der Nutzen dieses meines Schreibens war klar materiell, sollte und musste er auch sein. Aber dann gibt es noch das Schreiben ohne ökonomisches Ziel, quasi das nutzlose Schreiben (das der Kreativitätspapst Csikszentmihalyi nicht als kreativ ansieht), wie z.B. das Schreiben für den Blog hier. Imgrunde ist dies das freiheitliche, privilegierte Schreiben, das aber nicht so ernst genommen wird. Und ich sehe auch, dass ich mich mehr beim Schreiben für Geld anstrenge. Beim nutzlosen Schreiben handelt es sich meist um das, was Selbstausbeutung ist.

      Anyway, mit Nutzen und nutzlos ist es nicht so einfach, wie es auf dem ersten Blick erscheinen mag.

      Auf jeden Fall wünsche ich dir viel Freude (nutzlos 😉 ) und Erfolg (Nutzen) mit deinem Roman
      Klausbernd 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Roberta
      Some creativity specialists like Csikszentmihalyi make creativity and usefullness dependent on the value, i.e. the money that the job brings in.
      If one reflects on use, it gets more and more complicated as the definition of useful is complex.
      Today is the first day the walking frame is gone. What a freedom!
      All the very best
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

    • Dear Roberta
      I suppose the big difference is between professional artists and hobby artists.
      I understand and agree with you about non-professional artists. It’s different if one wants to live off one’s art.
      I am going to the hospital today to get my boot reduced. That means the sole will be made thinner, and then it will not be that heavy anymore, and it will be possible to walk with it without any help.
      Have a happy day
      Klausbernd 🙂

      Like

    • You are right. If you are a professional and make your living from your art, value counts very much. I know a few artists who sell their work for a living and, from a distance, it really seems to kill the joy. Just like any other job, I suppose. Great news about the boot. My husband has had one a few times as he has a weak ankle.

      Liked by 1 person

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  43. Vielen Dank! Bei mir ist so. Ob mein Schreiben Erfolg hat oder nicht ist nicht so wichtig. Offensichtlich freue ich, wenn mein Geschreibsel bei einigen Leser Anklang findet. Es ist die Motivierung, das festzuhalten, woran sich meine Kinder und Enkelkinder eines Tages daran erfreuen werden. Das hoffe ich. Nochmals herzlichen Dank, lieber Klausbernd!

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  44. I have just returned from a retreat in Victoria with my sister Sarah, so I have come late to this conversation, which is especially relevant in our cultural setting. I would have loved to be part of the initial discussion! I truly believe that the notion of “uselessness” can be reinterpreted as a profound form of creativity, one that diverges from our culture’s fixation on productivity. In a world where value is often measured by tangible outcomes, the act of creating without a specific purpose or utility can seem frivolous. (Over the years I have had to deal with “benchmarks” that were frivolous and soon antiquated.) I believe that very lack of utility or what we consider “uselessness”invites a deeper, more contemplative engagement with the creative process. I believe that we need to reevaluate our definition of “useful” and look for a more appropriate one that encourages us to explore ideas and emotions without the constraints of expectation, fostering innovation that emerges from introspection. This meditative approach to creativity allows for a richer exploration of the self and the world, suggesting that true artistic expression may thrive not in the realm of productivity but in the space of reflection and thoughtfulness. I LOVE our conversations. Sending much love and many hugs to my dear friends, The Fab Four of Cley.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Liebe Rebecca

      The fact that you weren’t in the comments right away isn’t necessarily a disadvantage. In many of our posts, we observe that a deeper understanding of what is being discussed is developing over time. In this case too, we only realised the complexity of the topic after exchanging ideas with some of the commentators.

      We also think that the question of the producer’s use or benefit destroys creativity. Or we need to define use/benefit differently. As we said in the comments above, there are different levels of being useful. In our society, we immediately think of economic benefit (just like Trump 😉 ). But in addition to the materialistic view, the idealistic view has the same justification. What does it bring the producer in terms of satisfaction and expressiveness and how much does it please the recipient?
      When use is freed from its materialistic understanding, this is a great liberation of creativity.

      You made us aware, if we don’t think about being useful, we rather look inside ourselves, if we want to be useful, we look outwards, i.e. we are more or less externally determined.

      Thanks a lot our dear friend for inspiring us. That’s for us the magic of blogging, it helps to understand.
      With lots of love ❤ ❤ from the sunny sea 🤗 🤗
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Mary

      thank you very much for your kind words 🙏 🙏
      I really enjoy this restful period. I also getting back to normal every day.

      With lots of love, keep well
      Klausbernd 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  46. I suspect you have reached the stage of life where it is your social responsibility to be unuseful. This enables others like your cleaning lady, window cleaner and gardener to earn the income which will enable them to progress to that stage in due course (Unuseful and useless are not the same thing in my mind).

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  47. Hi all. Just “checking in” on KlausBernd…

    One can see some progress… Hang on there.

    Your next objective: to be dancing Rock n’ Roll soon.

    (One for the money, two for the show…)

    Best wishes.

    Brian

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  48. I find your writing and your photography, your thoughts, your images, to be deeply worthwhile. They add to the light and positivity of the universe which can be way too dark at times. Your human creativity is a light that shines on all of us and makes our lives better. I hope your recovery is speedy and complete.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Dear Cindy

      thanks a lot for your kind words, which we were very happy to read.

      Kb is getting better every day. Now he can walk without any help, slowly and not too long distances, but that’s quite a progress. We suppose in two to three weeks he will be able to move like before.

      We wish you an easy weekend
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

  49. A great, unuseful post, Kb and Dina! Glad to see you are improving after the accident – just in time for spring and summer. Go slow and easy though! And I love being relaxed and useless. Now that it’s allowed, I try to allow myself too. Soon there will be less of that, when garden and glass house are revived. But on the other hand, then I also have less time for feeling down and low because of the state of the world.

    Keep well

    Ann-Christine

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Good morning, dear Ann-Christine

      Kb is improving very well. But with improvement comes the work. He is working in the garden, planting pots and containers, cutting and weeding. It’s unusual, but for weeks we have sunny and dry weather. We miss the rain. We need it this time of the year for the garden.

      Thank you for liking our unuseful post.
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Ann-Christine

      The weather forecast is sun from morning to night with no rain in the next week. Nevertheless, we planted a lot of geraniums in all our hanging baskets. One positive effect, we don’t need to mow the lawn that often

      ❤ ❤
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

  50. Hi my dear friends 🙏 A super blog which really made me smile 😃

    Great to see you’re making such good progress dear Klausbernd.

    I’m so happy that you now have help to enable all 4 of you to have more time for yourselves and “the useless life”.

    Hugs from La Palma

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Dear Joan
      It’s great to have a lot of time for our unuseful life.
      Kb is planting flowers in pots we bought yesterday. That’s easy for him, sitting in the sun outside planting Cosmos and African Merrygold. And he looks at all the bulbs we have. Our problem is the permanent sunshine. We have had sunshine for weeks now from morning to night, and not a drop of rain. But hopefully, we’ll get some rain next week – it’s forecast.
      Kb is doing better and better every day and soon he’ll be walking like before – hopefully.
      We wish you a great time in Palma
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

  51. Well, well, such a dubious comment, a fake name and a funny message. But it’s great that you consider us important enough to spread such rubbish. You must be very desperate.

    A retired magician – what a nice idea.
    Happy retiring
    The Fab Four of Cley
    🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

    Like

    Reply

  52. The title of this post I love, and the content was just as perfect. Wonderful to see and read that Klausbernd is healing up and looking good doing what he can (I can relate to how philosophical ponderings can spin a day), and of course, I’m most proud of my kindred spirits Siri and Selma, as there is nothing more free than being a flippant mood 😁! With all of this, Dina chose to find some good help – because the camera and lens in her hands is what the world needs – beautiful photos, as always – capturing the essence of the toads she has made her subjects 🙏🏻😇.

    The Bohemian mood of the Fab Four is such a draw, and your words and feelings from the images project how useful it is to live an unuseful life at times. When nothing has meaning, it can mean everything – especially in the spring. It is good for the soul. I remember my grandparents once telling me when I was young, what is useless for one can be useful to another, and those words opened up my thinking. It is the beauty and paradox of creativity – doing something that may be seen as useless ends up doing the opposite, as it gets people to think. Cheers to healthy and beautiful days ahead!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Good morning, dear Randall

      What a morning that is, bright sunshine, no wind and warm. We just had a tasty breakfast and read your kind comment. Kb is getting better every day, and he gets used to the casual dolce far niente. That is, of course, the best medicine – and without any side effects. He reads a lot, as usual, and then comes back down to earth and works in the garden with Siri and Selma. The garden looks better than it has been for a long time. The harder work there does our gardener, and we plant flowers and cut bushes. Gardening, we experience, is perfect for meditating, it’s inspiring.

      We agree, that what it’s useless for some is useful for others. And we have the feeling being useless is a protest against Trumpism, isn’t it?

      Thank you very much and keep healthy and happy
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

  54. Mir würde schon etwas fehlen, wenn es diesen Blog nicht gäbe. Und jede/r, die/der ihn liest, nimmt etwas davon mit – bewusst oder unbewusst. Und das wird schon auch sein Nützliches haben. Muss man es immer wissen, inwiefern etwas nützlich ist? Kann man nicht einfach darauf vertrauen?

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Liebe Belana Hermine,

      das finde ich eine kluge Idee, einfach darauf zu vertrauen, dass etwas nützlich ist. Es ist nützlich in welchem Sinn auch immer, weil es ist.

      Danke für dein indirektes Lob unseres Blogs
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  55. Es doch das Schönste und Wertvollste das tun zu können, wo die Leidenschaft wurzeln hat. Der Sinn kommt im Glück, das man dadurch findet und an andere weitergeben kann. Klar, alles andere macht sich nicht von allein, dafür hat man aber dann die Kraft die Dinge zu tun oder sich darum zu kümmern, die weniger beglückend sind. So viel dazu. Ich kann nur sagen, weiter so, und nach den Kommentaren nach zu urteilen könnt ihr sicher sehen, dass es doch einen Unterschied macht, ob ihr fotografiert, schreibt oder philosophiert oder es sein lasst. Weiterhin gute Genesung an Kb!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  58. A lot if thinking about the useless. Disability has the potential to make one more philosophical, and certainly has made the writer of this post. I wish you speedy recovery, from disability, but certainly not from useless thinking about life.

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    • Thank you very much, dear Alessandra.
      Kb is more or less recovered, but he is still thinking about ‘all and everything’.
      Wishing you a wonderful weekend
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 :-):-)

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