Porch Musings

Even in this terrible heat, our porch gets a lovely breeze.  It’s a little like a warming oven.  Not hot enough to cook in; just warm enough to take the chill off an over-air-conditioned person.

I always take a book with me when I retreat to the porch.  I’ve been reading The Bettencourt Affair by Tom Sanctus.  It has everything one would want for summer escapism: “hidden secrets, divided loyalties, frayed relationships, fractured families.”  All based in France around the world’s richest woman and her cosmetic company.

I skimmed over the historical data.  Why get bogged down in facts when there’s  another juicy scandal just around the corner, on the next page?

One little sentence caught my eye and has stayed with me.

It said:  “Doing good makes no noise; making noise does no good.”

As I read that, I happened to glance up at the river.  I saw a sailboat….lovely, gracious, silent.  And seconds later a super-charged power-boat surging past … .noisy, disturbing, wake-making and dock-rocking.

It was a clear, visual illustration of what I’d just read.

I’ve thought a lot about those words in the past week.  The river situation was an obvious example.

I’m also pretty sure those words have relevance beyond the river.    I’ll think on it a bit more.