Farewell.

[Ulf]

I'm leaving both forums, in fact all forums. People can't seem to treat eachother civilly and with a little bit of respect. I know, I can just not read it, but it so often spills out into every crevace of the forum and taints all it touches. I am disgusted by my own participation in it so I will thus withdraw myself completely from it and retreat to my mountain top, like Zarathustra. :) Maybe one day I'll return.

--------------------------------

When Zarathustra was thirty years old, he left his home and the lake of his home, and went into the mountains. There he enjoyed his spirit and his solitude, and for ten years did not weary of it. But at last his heart changed,—and rising one morning with the rosy dawn, he went before the sun, and spake thus unto it:

Thou great star! What would be thy happiness if thou hadst not those for whom thou shinest!

For ten years hast thou climbed hither unto my cave: thou wouldst have wearied of thy light and of the journey, had it not been for me, mine eagle, and my serpent.

But we awaited thee every morning, took from thee thine overflow, and blessed thee for it.

Lo! I am weary of my wisdom, like the bee that hath gathered too much honey; I need hands outstretched to take it.

I would fain bestow and distribute, until the wise have once more become joyous in their folly, and the poor happy in their riches.

Therefore must I descend into the deep: as thou doest in the evening, when thou goest behind the sea, and givest light also to the nether-world, thou exuberant star!

Like thee must I go down, as men say, to whom I shall descend.

Bless me, then, thou tranquil eye, that canst behold even the greatest happiness without envy!

Bless the cup that is about to overflow, that the water may flow golden out of it, and carry everywhere the reflection of thy bliss!

Lo! This cup is again going to empty itself, and Zarathustra is again going to be a man.

Thus began Zarathustra's down-going.

:thumbup

[Aemma]

Ulf!! Please come back soon. Aww shucks just as I was starting to get to know ya a bit too. :(

Happy wanderings and meanderings until then!...Aemma

[Absinthe]

Flee, my friend, into thy solitude! I see thee deafened with the noise of the great men, and stung all over with the stings of the little ones.

Admirably do forest and rock know how to be silent with thee. Resemble again the tree which thou lovest, the broad-branched one--silently and attentively it o'erhangeth the sea.

Where solitude endeth, there beginneth the market-place; and where the market-place beginneth, there beginneth also the noise of the great actors, and the buzzing of the poison-flies.

In the world even the best things are worthless without those who represent them: those representers, the people call great men.

Little do the people understand what is great--that is to say, the creating agency. But they have a taste for all representers and actors of great things.

Around the devisers of new values revolveth the world:--invisibly it revolveth. But around the actors revolve the people and the glory: such is the course of things.

Spirit, hath the actor, but little conscience of the spirit. He believeth always in that wherewith he maketh believe most strongly--in HIMSELF!

Tomorrow he hath a new belief, and the day after, one still newer. Sharp perceptions hath he, like the people, and changeable humours.

To upset--that meaneth with him to prove. To drive mad--that meaneth with him to convince. And blood is counted by him as the best of all arguments.

A truth which only glideth into fine ears, he calleth falsehood and trumpery. Verily, he believeth only in Gods that make a great noise in the world!

Full of clattering buffoons is the market-place,--and the people glory in their great men! These are for them the masters of the hour.

But the hour presseth them; so they press thee. And also from thee they want Yea or Nay. Alas! thou wouldst set thy chair betwixt For and Against?

On account of those absolute and impatient ones, be not jealous, thou lover of truth! Never yet did truth cling to the arm of an absolute one.

On account of those abrupt ones, return into thy security: only in the market-place is one assailed by Yea? or Nay?

Slow is the experience of all deep fountains: long have they to wait until they know WHAT hath fallen into their depths.

Away from the market-place and from fame taketh place all that is great: away from the market-Place and from fame have ever dwelt the devisers of new values.

Flee, my friend, into thy solitude: I see thee stung all over by the poisonous flies. Flee thither, where a rough, strong breeze bloweth!

Flee into thy solitude! Thou hast lived too closely to the small and the pitiable. Flee from their invisible vengeance! Towards thee they have nothing but vengeance.

Raise no longer an arm against them! Innumerable are they, and it is not thy lot to be a fly-flap.

Innumerable are the small and pitiable ones; and of many a proud structure, rain-drops and weeds have been the ruin.

Thou art not stone; but already hast thou become hollow by the numerous drops. Thou wilt yet break and burst by the numerous drops.

Exhausted I see thee, by poisonous flies; bleeding I see thee, and torn at a hundred spots; and thy pride will not even upbraid.

Blood they would have from thee in all innocence; blood their bloodless souls crave for--and they sting, therefore, in all innocence.

But thou, profound one, thou sufferest too profoundly even from small wounds; and ere thou hadst recovered, the same poison-worm crawled over thy hand.

Too proud art thou to kill these sweet-tooths. But take care lest it be thy fate to suffer all their poisonous injustice!

They buzz around thee also with their praise: obtrusiveness, is their praise. They want to be close to thy skin and thy blood.

They flatter thee, as one flattereth a God or devil; they whimper before thee, as before a God or devil. What doth it come to! Flatterers are they, and whimperers, and nothing more.

Often, also, do they show themselves to thee as amiable ones. But that hath ever been the prudence of the cowardly. Yea! the cowardly are wise!

They think much about thee with their circumscribed souls--thou art always suspected by them! Whatever is much thought about is at last thought suspicious.

They punish thee for all thy virtues. They pardon thee in their inmost hearts only--for thine errors.

Because thou art gentle and of upright character, thou sayest: "Blameless are they for their small existence." But their circumscribed souls think: "Blamable is all great existence."

Even when thou art gentle towards them, they still feel themselves despised by thee; and they repay thy beneficence with secret maleficence.

Thy silent pride is always counter to their taste; they rejoice if once thou be humble enough to be frivolous.

What we recognise in a man, we also irritate in him. Therefore be on your guard against the small ones!

In thy presence they feel themselves small, and their baseness gleameth and gloweth against thee in invisible vengeance.

Sawest thou not how often they became dumb when thou approachedst them, and how their energy left them like the smoke of an extinguishing fire?

Yea, my friend, the bad conscience art thou of thy neighbours; for they are unworthy of thee. Therefore they hate thee, and would fain suck thy blood.

Thy neighbours will always be poisonous flies; what is great in thee--that itself must make them more poisonous, and always more fly-like.

Flee, my friend, into thy solitude--and thither, where a rough strong breeze bloweth. It is not thy lot to be a fly-flap.--

Thus spake Zarathustra.

:wink

[Vargtand]

Hmm, a shame to see you go :/ Farewell I suppose.

[HawkR]

Fathewell then:(, hope to see you soon...

[Vulpix]

The humanity :(... Hope to see you again soon, your posts are appreciated by many.

Take care

[Groenewolf]

Good people leaving is always a sad thing.

[Lady L]

Don't go Ulf ....:(

I think he will be back...:)

[Loki]

Ulf, I was just starting to get used to your excellent posts over here. :)

Forums will always contain some bits of bad karma, but the more positive contributions we interject, the more positive it will become. So, the idea is not to smother all dissent, but to debate through it until people have reached some sort of understanding.

I do hope you will be back, both here and on Skadi. :)

[Treffie]

I haven't been here long but I already like Ulf, please don't go, good forum members are hard to find these days!:cry2

[Oresai]

That is sad. I do hope Ulf returns soon. I like him. :)

[Ulf]

After letting my wife read some of what you kind people wrote she insisted that I not leave the company of such good people. I like to think my self a smart man, so I will listen to my wife. ;)

I'm returning, feeling a little better, but I probably won't be as active as I was previously. As I've told another I did not leave solely because of the very recent trouble encountered here, it was merely the final wave to break my already downtrodden ship.


XII. The Flies in the Market-place.
Shortly after I read this I've put TSZ onto my listen of books to be (re)read. It's right after Moby Dick and Walden. It's been too long since I've opened it.

Thank you all for your kindness, it feels good to know my posting is appreciated and I assure you the feeling is mutual. :thumbs up

[Loki]

Welcome back Ulf!!! :D

Things have calmed down quite a bit around here. We're all fluffy and happy now, except for some avatar issues. :p

[Oresai]

Yay! :D

[Aemma]

Yes it is indeed good to have you back Ulf! :) :thumb001:

Don't break my heart like that again, ya hear? ;) And gods bless your wife! :D

Cheers for now!...Aemma

[Vulpix]

Welcome back Ulf :)!!

:clap::cheer_icoon::joy:tea:

[Ulf]

Welcome back Ulf :)!!

:clap::cheer_icoon::joy:tea:

O stop... uz makin me blush.

:p :D

[Ulf]

"Don't be dismayed at goodbyes, a farewell is necessary before you can meet again and meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends."

"No distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the friendship of those who are thoroughly persuaded of each other's worth."

:yo:

[Loki]

What an intriguing man you are Oulf! A model Apricitian. :thumbs up We are a bunch of fascinating and unique people.

I wish you the best with your struggles and journeys. Enlighten us on your experiences when you return ... even if it's tomorrow morning with a headache! ;)

[Maelstrom]

I'm sure he just likes drawing attention to himself with all of these farewells :D

Take care bud and come back whenever you feel the need!

[Baron Samedi]

Ulf, cmon man! I love your sarcastic ass!

[The Lawspeaker]

You better stay with us, mate as we are going to miss you.:(

[Aemma]

Ahh crikey! There you go breaking my heart again. But you pinkie swore me that you and Mrs. Oulfie and Mr. Aemma and I would get together some day, when you next come to Canada, so I know that this goodbye is not forever then.

Now I am holding you to your pinkie swear Oulfie, as a good heathen man of integrity, ya know! ;)

See ya when you return! Must be duck hunting season or something! :)

Cheers!...Aemma

[SwordoftheVistula]

Someone left without dying? Odd

[SPQR]

Damnit all my Americans are leaving! Or "dying"!

[Vulpix]

Come back soon :wave!

[Aemma]

Damnit all my Americans are leaving! Or dying!

I betcha Seuth doesn't even know he's dead! :rolleyes:

[Lady L]

Ulf, must you go..? Where you going..? What time you gonna be back..? When you coming back..? Where'd you go..? How long you gonna be there..? :D

COME BACK SOON

:(

[Treffie]

Why are you leaving Ulf? :( I'm going to miss your caustic wit and barrel rolls.

[HawkR]

And I will forever remember the sudenly-out-of-the-blue:coffee:

[Ulf]

Is it April yet?

:hides

[Loki]

Welcome back Oulfie! :D

[Aemma]

Is it April yet?

:hides


Oulfie Hun!! Nice to see ya back! :D

[Æmeric]

You missed all the drama. All of the Dutch members left. And Barack Obama was banned.

[Beorn]

And Barack Obama was banned.

I sent him packing back to Æmerica! :thumb001:

[Ulf]

I sent him packing back to Æmerica! :thumb001:

That's the America Barack doesn't want to go to. :aufsmaul_2:

[Vulpix]

Is it April yet?

:hides

What's that, a Oulfie I see :D?

Nice to see you back :thumb001:!

[Groenewolf]

You missed all the drama. All of the Dutch members left. And Barack Obama was banned.

What am I then?

[Aemma]

What am I then?

We made you an honorary Frenchie Groenewolf! You're in 'the club' now, my friend! :thumb001: :cool: :p

Hehehe....

:D...Aemma

P.S. We're very glad that you're here. :)