The Falmouth Outlook gets a new staff member

By Burton W. Cole

I've stumbled into a reflective mood since my sweet wife passed away six months ago. I thought life was all about Coca-Cola and peanut butter-frosted brownies, but now, without Terry, I'm not so sure.

Besides delving deeper into my Bible and prayer, I sought out old — er, longtime — friends for their thoughts and comforts. Among them is my philosophical mentor, Winnie-the-Pooh.

I met Pooh Bear back in 1965 or 1966. He lived in a forest under the name of Sanders — Sanders was the name written on the sign over his door. His author, who lived under the name of A.A. Milne, heavily influenced what would become my writing style, if not my ponderings.

I wandered into the 100 Acre Wood to revisit Pooh and Milne. We sat on a hollow log with Piglet, Tigger and Roo, and my old friends spoke gems of gentle wisdom that I once knew but had misplaced somewhere along the way of growing up.

When I knew these philosophical thoughts as a boy about Christopher Robin's age in 1965, I couldn't know how meaningful they'd become—or how much they would remind me of conversation over the years with the lady I married in 2008.

“You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.”

“When you see someone putting on his Big Boots, you can be pretty sure that an Adventure is going to happen.”

“I knew when I met you an adventure was going to happen.”

“What day is it?” asked Pooh. 

“It’s today,” squeaked Piglet.

“My favorite day,” said Pooh.”

“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.”

“Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?”

“I don't see much sense in that," said Rabbit.

"No," said Pooh humbly, "there isn't. But there was going to be when I began it. It's just that something happened to it along the way.”

“If the person you are talking to doesn't appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.”

“When you are a Bear of Very Little Brain, and you Think of Things, you find sometimes that a Thing which seemed very Thingish inside you is quite different when it gets out into the open and has other people looking at it.”

“Rabbit's clever," said Pooh thoughtfully.

"Yes," said Piglet, "Rabbit's clever."

"And he has Brain."

"Yes," said Piglet, "Rabbit has Brain."

There was a long silence.

"I suppose," said Pooh, "that that's why he never understands anything.”

“One of the advantages of being disorganized is that one is always having surprising discoveries.”

“I'm not lost for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.”

“There's the South Pole,” said Christopher Robin, “and I expect there's an East Pole and a West Pole, though people don't like talking about them.”

“And how are you?" said Winnie-the-Pooh.

Eeyore shook his head from side to side.

"Not very how," he said. "I don't seem to have felt at all how for a long time."

“They're funny things, Accidents. You never have them till you're having them.”

“Some people care too much. I think it's called love.”

“We didn't know we were making memories, we were just having fun.”

With that, I left the Wood with the warmth of Terry inside me, and marched off for further adventures and to make more memories.

Share philosophical thoughts at burton.w.cole @gmail .com or on the Burton W. Cole page on Facebook.