The Pursuit of Happyness

Another day in Salisbury with a long meeting in the afternoon. Sara had a meeting with the new leaders of the HR Dept. in the morning. Sara and I met up with Maxime, our good friend from church, for lunch at Wagamama's opposite Barclay's Bank in Fisherton Street. It is a noodle bar with excellent food. We all had variations on a seafood curry (Thai style) with rice or, in my case, noodles. It was a most enjoyable lunch with much laughter and pleasant discussions. It was good to get out of the office and work chat for a short time. This evening we started our Lent House Group with viewing the wonderful film "The Pursuit of Happyness" starring Will Smith which is the story of Chris Gardner, the financier who struggled as a homeless single parent in San Francisco to qualify as a stockbroker and eventually have his own successful stockbroking firm in the USA. There are so many moral and Christian aspect to this story which include perseverance, the plight of the homeless, trust, faith, and the real question of what is happiness and how and should one pursue it. Is it something that can never to obtained but only pursued and will one recognize it if one gets it? I visited San Francisco during the 1980s and well remember seeing the homeless queueing for a room or food at the Glide Memorial Church on the corner or Ellis and Taylor Streets in San Francisco. We will extend the discussion on the film next week although I will not be there. Klynn stayed behind for his usual glass or four of Bushmill's Irish Whiskey - and yes, Klynn, I did count the glasses even if you were unable to! I loved the joke which Chris Gardner's son made in the film. A man is drowning and a boat pulls along side. Let me help you says the skipper. No, says the drowning man, God will save me. A little later a second boat draws alongside. Again an offer of help is proffered. Again the drowning man refuses saying that God will save him. The man drowns. On reaching Heaven the man asks God - "why didn't you save me?" God replies "I sent two boats you dummy!"