Jan Kuśmirek

70 plus years of accumulated wisdom, nonsense and opinion. Irreverent humour, historical perspectives and the world of the nose both olfaction and metaphorical. A tumble through ideas in Perfumery and Aromacosmetology blogs and articles. Historical novels of Poland and Britain and, ah yes, Glastonbury the ancient Avalon with its mists and legends. Perhaps the essence of the troubadours? That is for you to say not me.

“Six mistakes mankind keeps making century after century: Believing that personal gain is made by crushing others; Worrying about things that cannot be changed or corrected; Insisting that a thing is impossible because we cannot accomplish it; Refusing to set aside trivial preferences; Neglecting development and refinement of the mind; Attempting to compel others to believe and live as we do.” ~ Marcus Tullius Cicero Sounds just like the neo liberalism of the 21st century

“True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us.” ~ Socrates

“In a state where corruption abounds, laws must be very numerous.” ~ Tacitus Perhaps the European Commission should take note.

“You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist.” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche Now I wonder if you knew what Niettzsche said of himself “I am a pure-blooded Polish nobleman, without a single drop of bad blood, certainly not German blood.” Umm someone should mention this to the Germans.

 "Kto nie pamięta historii, skazany jest na jej ponowne przeżycie." - George’a Santayana  " The one who does not remember History will live through it again" - George Santayana.

Therefore I recall people I never met or saw but to whom I owe my freedom in life and freedom of speech. We should not forget. Nie zapomniałem o moich korzeniach, moim kraju i zachowałem honor.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding stated ‘Had it not been for the magnificent work of the Polish squadrons and their unsurpassed gallantry, I hesitate to say that the outcome of battle would have been the same’. This assessment was echoed by the Secretary of State for the Air Force. During the Battle of Britain, at some of the most desperate points of the battle, the RAF had ‘only 350 pilots to scramble, of which nearly 100 were Poles’.

However Sukces: coś, czego przyjaciele nigdy ci nie wybaczą. “Success is something that your friends will never forgive you for.”

Not being known doesn’t stop the truth from being true. You are led through your lifetime by the inner learning creature, the playful spiritual being that is your real self. What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly. Learning is finding out what we already know. Doing is demonstrating that you know it. Teaching is reminding others that they know just as well as you. You are all learners, doers and teachers. The best way to pay for a lovely moment is to enjoy it. Richard Bach.

“Avalon will always be there for all men to find if they can seek the way thither, throughout all the ages past the ages. If they cannot find the way to Avalon, it is a sign, perhaps, that they are not ready.”
― Marion Zimmer Bradley, The Mists of Avalon

And so, perhaps, the truth winds somewhere between the road to Glastonbury, Isle of the Priests, and the road to Avalon, lost forever in the mists of the Summer Sea. — Marion Zimmer Bradley