Gloomily introspective and yet, at the same time, I like to think, glamourously interesting
This week’s challenge started out a little introspective, because that is how I am feeling. Recently I have been suffering from a severe case of expatitis, which, if you check in the Spanish/English Family Medical Encyclopedia, is an inflamation of the internal homing device otherwise known as the heart. ¡Vale ya! Bastante lástima de mi mismo. Ok. Enough self pity already.
In the end I decided to cut short my maudlin introspection (saving that post for a rainy day). There is only so much monólogo interior melancólico gloomy stream of consciousness that I can reasonably expect you to endure before you unsubscribe.
I was, however, as much as one can be, inspired by mi tristeza, otherwise known as my sadness (perfectly illustrated here in painting by Jeremy Lipking), to write a 7 Word Challenge post around it. It was once one of the Deadly Sins you see. Sadly, the unholy threesome of sorrow, despondency and despair, lost some of their celebrity back in AD 590 when they were ‘folded’ (how polite) into Sloth by Pope Gregory I (how f*cking rude!).
Ha ha. Am I not the biggest Wikipedia whore you have ever did come across?
Anyway, onwards with the sins. Here is the preferred list of Pope Gregory and Dante. Erm, in Latin (‘cos sometimes it really is interesting), English (obvs) and Spanish (natch) and with some words from me on each which can be construed as an effort to appear both interested and interesting.
Los Siete Pecados Capitales ¿cómo se declara? – ¿culpable o inocente?
- luxuria (lechery/lust) lujuria
Ha ha. Not guilty m’lud. On the night in question I was reading an entire book of fairy tales to my two year old who can account for my whereabouts. Although, when questioned, she is likely to answer “Nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnoooo!”
- gula (gluttony) glotonería
What? El consumo excesivo de comida y bebida? Me? Sí, sí, soy glotón I am thinking of Cava and chocolate. What are you thinking of?
- avaritia (avarice/greed) avaricia
Subtly different from gluttony isn’t it? Es otro pecado de exceso in my case an excessive love of shoes, none of which are suitable for life here in rural Spain.
- acedia (sloth) pereza o indolencia
… into which mi tristeza was so rudely folded. Yes, Yes! Guilty as charged. Next!
- ira (wrath) ira o enfado
Oh yikes. ¿Cuántas veces hablo con ira? Yup, since having a child you could say me enfado con facilidad. These days I guess that you could say I have a wafer thin patience but this is nothing that a few more hours in the day, and some servants/a wife, wouldn’t sort out though. - invidia (envy) envidia
Oh dear, to feel sorrow for another’s good is bad, right? Envy involves coveting I think, and maybe a pinch of Schadenfreude. I will let Schopenhauer elucidate: Sentir envidia es humano, gozar de la Schadenfreude, demoníaco. To feel envy is human, to enjoy Schadenfreude, demonic. Nice. I bet that you are as pleased as I am to get that little philosophical question sorted out. - superbia (pride) soberbia o orgullo
el original y más serio de los pecados capitales This is a pretty serious one I find after further research. It refers to the excessive love of oneself equating to contempt of others. I think that I would like to say that this is not me. But actually who can truly say that they have never felt superior or looked down on others?
To recap: I used to take pride in my appearance and then I had a baby *shuffles to fridge in pyjamas. does not pass mirror. pours excessively large glass of cava while grabbing fistful of Banoffee Pie. briefly glances at FaceBook, Twitter and Pinterest for an hour or so, while experiencing alternating feelings of Schadenfreude and envy, as rifles through the personal lives and preferences of people far far away from my mountain in Spain*
This week’s 7 Word Challenge was brought to you by the famous 7 Deadly Sins. Want to join in? Got anything that you would like to confess? What’s your signature sin? Add your pecados below por favor.
Image Credit: Jeremy Lipking. Please click on image for more.
