大象传媒

From comedian & writer Paul Kerensa:

This week I鈥檓 a godfather, and a best man鈥� The christening was Sunday; the stag do鈥檚 tomorrow. They鈥檙e for two different people, I should add 鈥� who I鈥檓 trying not to confuse. Roast the stag, toast the toddler 鈥� easy.

Browsing online for pithy advice, for stag or鈥�fawn, a certain advice-filled song appeared, by someone here. It鈥檚 not 鈥楧on鈥檛 Stand So Close To Me鈥� but it could be. 鈥楾hings Can Only Get Better鈥�? 鈥業t Wasn鈥檛 Me鈥�? All true, but this was Baz Luhrmann鈥檚 鈥楨verybody鈥檚 Free To Wear Sunscreen鈥�. I鈥檇 gladly hand this entire Pause For Thought to those words: motivational gold, appropriate for all, goddaughter or groom. 鈥淲ear sunscreen鈥︹�� 鈥淒o one thing every day that scares you鈥︹�� 鈥淢aybe you鈥檒l marry鈥︹�� (or we鈥檒l add, Chris: maybe you鈥檒l have twins鈥�)

My favourite? 鈥淒on鈥檛 worry about the future 鈥� or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum.鈥� (Brian Cox can probably do that.) Those words aren鈥檛 far from Jesus鈥� advice in his mount-based sermon: 鈥淏y worrying, can you add a single hour to your life? Let tomorrow worry about itself.鈥� His advice flowed: 鈥淒on鈥檛 judge, or you鈥檒l be judged鈥�, 鈥淟et your yes be yes and your no be no鈥濃�� then down the mountain, they sought shade, due to no sunscreen.

I know a preacher visiting a church, who was jokingly introduced: 鈥淟adies and Gentlemen, our guest will now give the greatest sermon ever鈥�. So he just read the Sermon on the Mount, sat down, then went home. Whatever our beliefs, solid wisdom can be for all.

Because other beliefs are of course available. On this show last Friday, I recalled a planetarium visit, pondering whether the question mark there in Ursa Major, or the full-stop of the North Star, is the more appropriate galactic punctuation鈥�

鈥�I should have waited for Brian 鈥� I was a week early. But as the Sunscreen song reminds, 鈥淪ometimes you鈥檙e ahead, sometimes you鈥檙e behind鈥� The race is long, and in the end, it鈥檚 only with yourself.鈥�

Whatever we believe is at the finish-line, life is a one-person race 鈥� with help along the way, if wanted.

This weekend, whether we鈥檙e running marathons, or running the gauntlet of a stag do on Guildford high street, I鈥檒l pool our advice: Don鈥檛 worry, don鈥檛 judge, stretch, floss, let your soul be your pilot, things can only get better, you are Mr Boombastic鈥� and since the weather鈥檚 nice, wear sunscreen.

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