酒裡乾坤大

酒裡乾坤大
親戚從故鄉來，為我們帶來了金門陳年高粱酒，還有陶瓷廠出品的配套一口小杯。一口一杯的意思，據說喝的時候要「蓮花指，輕舉杯，深入喉，舒展眉，重扣杯，讚：好酒！」喝酒的講究多，有喝酒雅興的人也不少。
飲一杯的理由有千百種，高興的時候要喝酒，李白豪邁的「人生得意須盡歡，莫使金樽空對月。」交朋友要喝酒，台語歌唱著：「有緣沒緣，大家來做伙，燒酒喝一杯，乎乾啦乎乾啦。」酒逢知己千杯少，「相聚都是知心友，同端共飲舒心酒」。愁苦不得志的時候要喝酒，一醉方解萬古愁，落魄江湖載酒行。做買賣要喝酒，生意靠酒墊底。看破人生的時候也要喝酒，曹孟德的人生幾何對酒當歌，煮酒可以論英雄。請客的時候無酒不成席，「客人喝酒就得醉，要不主人多慚愧」。健康的原因也要小酌，「酒是糧食精，越喝越年輕。酒是長江水，越喝越貌美。」做詩的時候更要喝酒，詩仙酒仙李白斗酒詩百篇，就著酒寫了一百七十多首名傳千古的詩，更肯定飲者的價值，「古來聖賢皆寂寞，唯有飲者留其名」。
愛喝兩杯的人豪邁不拘，喜歡好東西和朋友分享，李白在沒有伴的情況下也能模擬酒友，「花間一壺酒，獨酌無相親，舉杯邀明月，對飲成三人」。其實中國人一直有勸酒的習慣，急於把酒的美妙由獨樂樂轉換成眾樂樂，誠意熱情的要「勸君更進一杯酒」，說是「感情深一口悶，感情淺舔一舔」，想盡各種方法要人喝。「屁股一抬，喝了重來」，喝不下的用「只要感情有，喝什都是酒」，「只要感情好，大口小口都不少。」擋酒，能不能過關還有一陣子爭執，有的仗義執言，願意代喝，說是：「危難之處顯身手，兄弟替哥喝杯酒」，說人在江湖走，哪能不喝酒。
古時文人雅士詩酒酬唱，王羲之曲水流觴，陶淵明酒歌行吟，龔自珍醉看落紅，傳為美談。現代人卻喜歡豪飲拚酒，原本是慢慢品的XO被中國人當水喝，說什麼「東風吹，戰鼓擂，如今喝酒誰怕誰，你一杯，我一杯，如今喝酒誰怕誰，寧可讓胃喝出個洞洞，不讓感情留一個縫縫。」關於喝醉酒的形容，也有順口溜：「一杯兩杯大步走，三杯四杯扶牆走，五杯六杯牆走我不走，喝上一斤妹妹抱我走。」微醺時候還會調侃自己：「你不喝醉，我不喝醉，這麼寬的馬路誰來睡。」真是酒裡乾坤大，壺中日月長。（吳玲瑤 寄自加州）

He who knows contentment has happiness

It is true that by pursuing material wealth and social status we can earn the rewards offered by our biological incentive system, but it is unlikely that these rewards will fully compensate us for the trouble involved in pursuing them - particularly when we recall how fleeting the rewards are likely to be. Is our goal in life to be rich? Then we would do well to take to heart the Taoist proverb, repeated in many cultures, that "he who knows contentment is rich." Lao Tzu was right, I think, when he claimed that "there is no disaster greater than not being content."
---On Desire, by William B Irvine

Thoreau's nightmare

It will come time to die, and you will realize that you never lived.

God said NO

I asked God to take away my habit.God said, No.It is not for me to take away, but for you to give it up.I asked God to grant me patienceGod said, No.Patience is a byproduct of tribulations;it isn't granted, it is learned.I asked God to give me happiness.God said, No.I give you blessings; Happiness is up to you.I asked God to spare me pain.God said, No. Suffering draws you apart from worldly caresand brings you closer to me.I asked God to make my spirit grow.God said, No.You must grow on your own! ,but I will prune you to make you fruitful.I asked God for all things that I might enjoy life.God said, No.I will give you life, so that you may enjoy all things.I asked God to help me LOVE others, as much as He loves me.God said...Ahhhh, finally you have the idea.