Monstaville Book III. Chapter 6

6

God, give us grace to accept with serenity

the things that cannot be changed,

Courage to change the things

which should be changed,

and the Wisdom to distinguish

the one from the other.

Living one day at a time,

Enjoying one moment at a time,

Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,

Taking, as Jesus did,

This sinful world as it is,

Not as I would have it,

Trusting that You will make all things right,

If I surrender to Your will,

So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,

And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen.

- Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971).

Robert Elias Najemy on dealing with an intimidator - taking our power back from people who play such roles (from a talk, www.holisticharmony.com).

Regarding an intimidator or accuser, he says, ‘Don’t play their game.’

“The other thing I need to remember when I have an intimidator in front of me is that he is unhappy and that he is fearful that his needs are not going to be fulfilled. And that is why he is threatening me. He has resorted to threatening because he’s afraid that he’s not going to get what he needs. What does he need? He needs affirmation; he needs control, he needs some services from us. What does he need? He needs something and he’s afraid he’s not going to get it and so he starts shouting...

                If I can remember these two things: this person is afraid, this person is unhappy. And whatever he says, I hear only, ‘Look at how unhappy I am.’ When I remember this and when I can remember, ‘I am not in danger,’ then I can face this person in a relaxed and loving way...asking him some questions, helping him and communicate what I’m feeling as an adult.”

Robert Elias Najemy, ‘Creating Our Reality, No.2. How we attract our reality’ (from a talk, www.holisticharmony.com).

“If I have to learn to love without conditions - unconditionally - they will necessarily have negative people around me to learn without conditions. I mean, I cannot learn love without conditions if I don’t have around me people who have conditions which I have difficulty loving.

                Where I have come into this life to learn self-acceptance, it is very natural to me to have people around me who reject me because only then can my self-acceptance depend on my own image of myself and not on what other people think of me. If I have people around me who all love and accept and praise me then my self-acceptance will be dependent on that stimulus.

                If I have come into this life to learn self-dependence then it’s only natural that I won’t be able to find anyone on whom to depend. And then I will be forced to depend on myself.

                ...the question is, ‘What do I need to learn here so as to be happy, healthy, harmonious. These are the feedback messages...which tell us that we’re on the path. When we feel unhappy, when we have negative emotions, it means that, at this point, I am living in illusion; I’m living in ignorance. I’m not recognising the truth. And this event comes to me to force me to recognise the truth of my real nature, the truth of my divine, inner nature, which is always worthy and always secure.

                We feel unhappy when we doubt that worthiness and when we doubt that security. And we seek to find external stimuli to verify that self-worth and to verify that sense of inner security. So, life gives us, continually, that opportunity to internalise our sense of self-worth and our sense of security either through our relationship with our own inner self, or our Higher Self, or our relationship with God, as each person visualises, and feels, that.

                So, the question is, ‘What do I have to learn here? Now, there are some general categories. One category of lesson is to learn to accept what is happening and not fear it and realise that there is no problem. So, one lesson is that what I thought was the problem is not a problem. What I thought was endangering my self-worth and my security and my happiness is not actually endangering those. That’s one category of lesson.

                Another category of lesson is to change what is happening, to find the strength to change myself or to change my environment in an active way. The lesson is not always to accept. Sometimes a lesson is to fight, to confront, but always with love, and always with acceptance for ourselves and for the other person, to become more assertive, perhaps...more sure of ourselves, more self-confident in what we’re seeking to create in our lives. And the third possibility is a combination of both.

                And that brings us to St. Francis’ prayer [1], which is very well-known: ‘Lord, give me the ability to accept what I cannot change, the strength to change that which I can change and the discrimination to know the difference (between the two)...In each case, however, there will necessarily be a transformation of beliefs. We will have to change certain beliefs in order to be able to accept what was, until this moment, unacceptable.

                We’ll have to change certain beliefs in order to find the power to change that which, until this point, we have been unable to change and to create. So, in each case, we need to find the beliefs which I need to change in order to learn the lesson. So, first, we determine what the lesson is...So, in each case we have to go back to the beliefs...ask, ‘What is my lesson here? What is life trying to teach me through this situation?’”

Perhaps the violent man upstairs, the ignorant family next door and the selfish woman upstairs (and the architect’s wife) represent the three types of people I most despise, or am least likely to get on with, and for whom I have the most trouble feeling love.

I confess that I have always had a definite boundary where other people’s behaviour is concerned. Until my late twenties, I was very easygoing and tolerant in most circumstances and it was a very rare event when someone - always a man, in fact - was so aggressive as to cross that line, to push me to the point where I would react in anger. Indeed, I ought to point out that I have Venus rising, which is very gentle and artistic, and that my hidden Mars, my male will to action surfaced as a more conscious part of my personality when three astrological shifts occurred simultaneously: my natal Sun progressed to the Moon (in Conjunction), poised at Capricorn’s entrance, my progressed Ascendant entered Aries and my natal Mars reached my natal Ascendant also by progression. Discovering tai chi during that time through my Aries girlfriend provided me with an opportunity to ground and centre myself through increased vitality. Thus, I am always living on borrowed time and depend on tai chi and meditation on a daily basis to keep life and soul together, spiritual disciplines that I would not otherwise be bothered to practice perhaps. I also underwent a form of hypnotherapy which focussed on going back to birth and witnessing any experiences that came up in each year of life henceforth, then exhaling anything negative that emerged as a consequence. I went through this process twice.  Several interesting things occurred but I mention this because one vision I had was myself as a red and green bird in a cage. The door of the cage had been opened and I was looking out realising that I was now free to fly out if I wanted to and, yet, neither really knowing what to make of the situation not knowing how to, like I was just paralysed, not necessarily by fear, but through psychological conditioning. Habits die hard, perhaps. My soul has since been coaxed out on many occasions only to resist the challenge ultimately. It just feels like this sweet and oversensitive alien creature that finds the (capitalist) world too unbearable, too alienating, or just impossible, to deal with, too cold and hostile, and too dull and boring! We’re not on the same wavelength. So, the cage remains home for the time being; it seems more comfortable and interesting (and the bird is as colourful and exotic as ever!). Besides, everything here in ‘rip-off London’ costs money and my road of interests and opportunities is now more of a country lane.

I have karmic Saturn in perhaps the worse place imaginable, in Pisces and in the First House, and Squaring (an angle of 90 degrees) my Sun which sits majestically high on the Midheaven (directly overhead when I was born) in sagacious Sagittarius. Thus, it can be seen that the will and powerful energies I have customarily used to get on in the world in previous incarnations were stripped from me through my traumatic childhood. I was always too vulnerable and ineffectual out in the world. Indeed, I have barely survived but I have developed inner strength to some degree. It has been a process of ego purification (and purification of my heart), a great test to ensure that my ego could never take the helm. It is there but, feeling so deeply, a painfully humbling experience and, struggling as I do, power is filtered through compassion. Yet, I can feel two distinct sides of myself, the shy mouse and the fiery tiger. The task is to integrate and balance them. The tiger was not always there in this lifetime! It can never be expressed exclusively but I do know how ruthless it could be if given a chance, if it were to pounce without restraint. That will never happen because it is simply one potential within me and my personality is too gentle and self-disciplined now to allow it. My ‘feminine side’ has been established and it both fascinates me and is something I know I need to develop further. I feel very masculine within myself, at my core but not from this lifetime. It is what was there originally, before I was born, poured into my glass of consciousness like fruit juice into water, with nothing new added.

One particular incident awakened all my childhood anger and brought my reactionary ego to the surface. A close friend was going through changes and it seemed to affect me even though I didn’t know it at the time and simply ignored the negative vibes. I have only vague memories of this period. One thing I remembered was what I thought was a wind-up. This, I have since learned, was not ill-intentioned, but a private joke that had not been shared with me and therefore caused slight irritation from time to time. I now realise that I remembered this only because it occurred so frequently and therefore rose to prominence in my memory as myths do. Anyway, whatever tension was slowly brewing was allowed to fester when it would have been wiser to release it at the time and discuss things although, often, we only acknowledge tension when it has put on enough weight to appear more tangible to us. This episode did, however, culminate in a concentrated bout of teasing one day that riled me to my bones, it seems! I listened quietly in disbelief, gentle and self-controlled as always, doing my best to ignore any feelings of resentment. The unconscious anger in me then finally erupted. We were sitting opposite each other at a small table and I suddenly saw and felt myself strangling him! I could feel the intent blindly pulling me. My whole body wanted to attack him. I literally had to hold tightly onto the table to stop myself flying at him and, I don’t know, perhaps even killing the guy! At the same time, I visualised this pane of diagonal green and white-striped light descending slowly and calmly in my mind’s eye and the experience of pure rage faded fairly quickly. The physical barrier of the table bided me some time. I would have had to go round it. I no longer cared about the deliberate attempt to hurt me through the prolonged assault on my emotions but was just thankful that I had not unleashed that violence physically. This friend was the main catalyst that released my suppressed anger although there were other incidents and factors involved too, needling and nudging me to this point, I expect, where my friend had the opportunity to push me over the edge! It was the defining moment of bringing latent power and aggression to the surface, into my body. It was meant to be, like a late adolescence in which the energy of Mars entered my conscious identity, or ego. The ‘wanting-them-dead-past-life’ thing was resurrected when my will was activated in this lifetime. I have been releasing and transforming it slowly through understanding over the past decade [Retrospective note: And then quickly during 2009 with the help of St. Germain!].

Samurai ca. 1860-1880

“The pure warrior energy exists in order that clear boundaries may be defined and protected, particularly at a psychic level. The prime object of the true warrior is not to go out and attack for the sake of attacking, not to create a battlefield full of carnage, not to dissipate the life force of the peoples, but to maintain an agreed integrity. If this integrity comes under heavy threat then the warrior may have to use skill to prevent the menace from intruding. With alertness such incidents are contained with minimum bloodshed. They are perceived before they escalate. The skill of warriorship is spiritual and watchful, subtle and psychic as well as physical and direct. The warrior’s aim is to protect standards and to nurture the people. The true warrior practices regularly the natural skills of defence, but knows that the happiest place for the sharpened sword is in its sheath. Attention to detail will prevent the sword’s being unsheathed except for practice and honouring.” – Gildas (A Message of Love by Ruth White with Gildas, Piatkas, London, U.K., 1994, p.68).

This friend was going through some serious inner changes that then seemed to sabotage his external life. He was like a dark cloud for a while and I evidently did not acknowledge the effect this had on me. I remember feeling a little angry or upset a few times in response to some of the things he said but, again, shrugged it off and did not feel that it should bother me. He seemed to be rebelling against everything, turn his back on it. Perhaps the pressure got to him or perhaps it was simply time for a complete change and a fresh start, which is certainly what happened. I have observed that sometimes it just seems necessary for connections to be terminated in conclusive ways that leave no route back, for however long, whether permanently or not. And that, of necessity, must have a certain ugly character to it. Kind of like a cute little Scottish terrier turning round and shoving its hairy bottom in one's face! Well, he WAS cute a minute ago! Look at his tartan ribbon. After that, it was my turn to wrestle with life. Moving to London was disastrous and all of my unconscious anger with life and my higher self was unleashed which also meant that this equally sensitive friend felt I was being mean to him on the rare occasions that we met afterwards so we lost contact in the end. From my point of view, however, the anger was just causing me to confront issues and acknowledge the conflict between us. The rift could not be healed on my part as long as the truth of its existence was swept under the carpet, not that I knew that consciously at the time! Yet, my friend did not understand what he had done to provoke such fury and criticism. In fact, I didn’t even know he believed I was still angry with him since I thought our last exchanges were harmonious. But, I guess he was guarded and, because I was changing, saw a different person, a more expressive and confrontational person but not necessarily one that was displaying antagonism towards him. It must just have looked that way to him.

If someone has been very warm and kind, and we have grown close to them, it is difficult to acknowledge that their behaviour has changed dramatically. They have used the foundation of familiarity and security to inflict harm on us to unleash their demons on us and give expression to their ego, or ‘pain-body,’ or whatever ails them within. They may not have intended to hurt us in the beginning but when all parties and relaxed and disarmed, the temptation may arise. The other may not be able to resist the temptation for one reason or another. The wolf hidden in granny’s clothing may bear its teeth, feeling no need to show only the bright side of the Moon any more. The ultimate goal, of course, would be to show them the path to light and represent dawn in their hearts. But, that would mean first working on oneself to bring forth the Sun in one’s own heart and banish one’s inner darkness, the demons lurking in one’s own unconscious. At least, we can make a start on this great work of self-illumination that we may then shine equally upon all like the Sun, and like fire wherever it is found, or finds itself. In the mean time, we can but learn through experience and grow in awareness through pain. We may not believe that the person could have changed so radically. We did not see the betrayal coming and we may view it as a temporary problem which they will get over, perhaps with our help. We accept, suppress, endure, thinking it silly to feel affected by such behaviour from someone so close, whom we consider to be essentially well-meaning.

Master Po (Keye Luke): “Evil cannot be conquered in the world. It can only be resisted within oneself.”

                - Kung Fu (Season 2, Episode 7, ‘The Tong,’ 1973).

My sensitive soul went into hiding at a very early age, instinctively locking itself away within me because it was rendered oversensitive and deeply fearful and could not endure the harsh conditions of the external world. I always referred to that part of me as the genie in the lamp. I have Moon opposite Jupiter, so I am also overemotional, but all the joy and magic in me was only ever released when evoked by certain conditions. In contrast to this side of myself which has always escaped within, which can be likened to self-imprisonment, my evolving identity always lived for freedom. The emergence of Mars has stimulated the power of the Sun, providing an ally for the ‘kind’ to work with. Life and consciousness seem to perpetually conspire against this alliance, which means that, although I have become a complete individual and have a strong will and identity, asserting myself, expressing myself confidently and engaging with the world are still fraught with difficulty. I doubt if I will care so much as I become a wise old man, however, and perhaps these two sides of myself will become more integrated.

“...Merlin simply is. He sees the world and allows it to be whatever it is. This isn’t a passive act, however. The basis of everything in the wizard’s world rests upon the insight ‘All this is myself.’ Therefore, in accepting the world as it is, the wizard views everything in the light of self-acceptance, which is the light of love.” - Deepak Chopra (The Way of the Wizard. 20 Spiritual Lessons For Creating The Life You Want. 20 Spiritual Lessons For Creating The Life You Want, London, U.K., Rider, 1995, p.21).

“Through remembering realities in which you embraced the unconditional nature of love which Flows from the fifth dimension and beyond, you can replace your old, protective mechanism with the love and light of the ONE. Unfortunately, most of your spiritual traditions since the ‘Fall’ have had a Heaven, Nirvana, Afterworld, etc., which were actually in the fourth dimension. Since the fourth dimension still holds polarity, even in its highest octaves, there remains a conditionality to love. This conditionality teaches that love is something to be earned or achieved.

It is only through expanding your consciousness into the fifth dimension and beyond that you will be able to fully embrace, and live, the concept of unconditional love. Once your consciousness is filled with unconditional love, you will be able to realise that your old habits and emotional addictions were like training wheels on a child’s bicycle. These training wheels protected you from falling. However, once you realise that you can maintain balance on your own, the training wheels (habits and emotional addictions) slow you down and limit your ability to ‘enjoy the ride.’

On the other hand, once you have released your third dimensional limitations the work really begins. We say the word ‘work,’ for releasing judgement in a world filled with fear, such as your own, takes a tenacity and determination that feels like work. In order to release your old coping mechanism of differentiating between dark/fear (which you move away from) and light/love (which you move towards), you must fully embrace the fact that YOU resonate beyond the reach of either of these options. In other words, you will need to release your habitual perception of your SELF as being your earth vessel and see your SELF as being the ONE who is using that earth vessel as a means to more intimately experience the third dimension.

When the resonance of your consciousness is beyond polarity, unconditional love can rule your every thought, for you KNOW that you are protected at all times. With the knowledge of this protection, you will not need to judge others as a means to protect yourself. Even more importantly, when your consciousness is filled with unconditional love, you can perceive the ‘big picture’ of the small fragment of your SELF who is grounded in the third dimension…

A person whose consciousness resonates primarily to third/fourth dimension will have great difficulty with the instant manifestation of EVERY thought and emotion. The instant manifestation of their fear will not be enjoyable, nor will they like their every thought and emotion being read by others. The many secrets of the lower worlds do not exist in the fifth dimension. Therefore, those who still wish to live in separation from others will not be comfortable in that frequency of Earth.”

– The Arcturians (channelled through Dr. Suzanne Caroll, ‘Arcturian Corridor Part III,’ August 2010, www.multidimensions.com).

Retrospective insert.

"You are such a collection of different personalities; it is no wonder that at times your confrontations end with a falling out. Clearly if you cannot get on together it is sometimes better that you stay clear of each other. However, as you work towards lifting yourself up into the Light, you might consider whether you should re-trace your footsteps and look to repair the damage that has been done. It would be better handled now, as there are not many issues that cannot be sorted out if both parties desire to overcome their differences. You cannot fully progress until you do, and in doing so it would place you another step nearer to being able to express Unconditional Love. When you can achieve success within family circles and with friends, there is no reason why you should not extend that to all souls." - SaLuSa (channelled through Mike Quinsey, www.gfbymikequinsey.blogspot.com).

Excerpts from an email exchange with the friend I mentioned above in 2010 (nothing was resolved, there was nothing to resolve and we did not resume our earlier friendship because he left the table, as it were.

Oh, yeah...the 'strange inner space'...the reason most people take drugs! Not so strange for me. It's been my home since childhood. I find the outside world strange, spooky, scary, stupid, stroppy...sycophantic. I've always had trouble coming out of myself into the world. Major memory/attention problem. The inner 4D world is just as illusory and burdensome as the outer 3D one at the end of the day. I've been fortunate over the past four years to have connected with many like minds on the worldwide web for whom this realm is their natural habitat. However, I have a clearer idea how to get out of the maze now and step into 5D. That's my aim anyway. Weaknesses and bad habits don't help…I've always been an explorer of the mind who needed to find ways to step out of the realm of mind to relay truth in digestible forms. Kind of like a tadpole that finally comes to the realisation that it is an amphibious creature…When I was at college I studied all day every day as I do now and only a fraction of it was directly related to my course. Ah, 'The Nature of God.' Just the fact that I gave that title to my dissertation makes me smile.

And, in actual fact, I remember specifically thanking you for helping to trigger my will and give me a push to where I am now. I guess you thought I was being facetious and didn’t take me seriously [we had had a very brief email exchange in 2008 which didn’t go anywhere either!]. But, honestly, you did me a favour and I guess I know somewhere in myself that all of the challenging situations of my life have contributed to my growth and were destined and arranged for that reason, just as it is with each of us. You know, like I was carrying all that anger around and never really released it. Yes, it’s true you’re the only person I ever came close to killing! Haha. I’m grateful that you had the courage to, and agreed (in spirit) to, act as one of the triggers for bringing that beast to the surface. It could probably only be done that way, winding me up for 6 months or more, because I was always so ridiculously self-controlled [No – in fact you got this wrong. This was not a factor. The wind-up thing was nothing, just because I thought that might have affected me unconsciously. I don’t think it did. Or did it? LOL. Just me trying to fathom what might have led to such outrage in hindsight other than being pushed too far at a time when perhaps I was ready to explode and needed to release some of my anger with life. Too funny!]. So of course I remember what happened to me in that moment when the murderous, savage barbarian suddenly rose right to the surface, flooding my veins, and almost completely taking possession of me. I couldn’t very easily forget it! I had to use all my will power ingenuity to quell it. But, honestly, I just find it quite humorous now.

No one I know has changed as much as me over the years…Perhaps it’s just me who sees the difference but, essentially, I’m much more of a sovereign entity than before. I was a bit of a drifter before, like a leaf in the wind. Looking back, I can’t believe I put up with so much shit from other people when I was younger. It was my own fault. I should just have made the decision to poke you in the eye or get the fuck away from you long before that! Then it would have been over and done with…and then we might have met a few years later and there wouldn’t have been any bitterness or bad memories. [But this is wrong too…there wasn’t so much conflict before – although perhaps enough to affect me without realising it - but I probably did feel like I was being pushed away and lost the connection. He was showing a darker side to his personality for some time for sure. As my memory has faded, I think I have lumped everything that seemed negative together because we never openly discussed the matter. Then, again, perhaps neither of us really knew much except that we were both going through changes]. You had your own shit to deal with of course and dealt with it in your own way…which, ultimately, was equally disgraceful really. Haha. It’s kind of like the soot had to surface for the gold to come out shining fully. After the fire I suppose too.

I don’t know really. I don’t feel I was blaming you for anything or really had such a problem with you even after that. Otherwise I would have broken off contact myself. I was always good at that! But I think we were both in a difficult space in our lives and perhaps rubbed each other up the wrong way a bit, I don’t know. I would be pretty pissed off with you for making me ‘almost’ capable of killing someone. That was helluva scary for me, like a horror film. I don’t even know if I said anything. I just had to focus on regaining control because that unbelievably powerful rage possessed me! Maybe there was more of a problem than I can put my finger on now or maybe it was just that episode that I kept mentioning…You know…as I would because, for me, it had been such a crazy experience! Really, my memory is not that good and this is about as much as I can remember. It’s so long ago man!

[Who knows, perhaps I took on all the anger that others had sent to him psychically in the distant past when he was more of a troublemaker and I managed to stop it dead in its tracks and release it. It could be a combination of all these things].

I’ve come to the conclusion that you obviously just don’t like me! Haha. I rather suspect now that this was the issue all along so I’m thankful to have had this insight now. Perhaps you only ever related to part of me through projection as we humans so often do. Maybe you have strong emotions just as I have had in the past and maybe it all started in another life!

I made quite an effort to go back in time there didn’t I? I seemed to be doing well. I thought so anyway. But the whole point of that exercise, for me, was to lay the past to rest. Now I can’t remember much of it so I’m not really sure if I was just fumbling around in the dark for the most part! Nothing I uncovered affected me. I simply don’t live in the past at all even though I am still burdened by it. I’m interested in now and I know that those who are around me now are a vibrational match whether they came or reappeared from the past or entered my life from a different direction.

“Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But, it ain’t how hard you hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. How much you can take, and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done. Now, if you know what you’re worth, then go out and get what you’re worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hit, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you are because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain’t you. You’re better than that!” - Rocky Balboa (directed by Sylvester Stallone, 2006).

"Loving others means that we seize opportunities in our everyday lives to be more thoughtful, helpful and caring. It means taking the time to consider how someone will feel before we say or do something. Loving others means being sensitive and compassionate to people who have different needs than we do and accepting them without judgement. Love everyone as you love yourself because they literally are you." – Paul Adkins.

“I don't believe in guilt; I believe in living on impulse as long as you never intentionally hurt another person. And don't judge people in your life. I think you should live completely free.” - Angelina Jolie.

“Love is not blind – it sees more, not less. But, because it sees more, it is willing to see less.” – Rabbi Julins Gordo.

Neil (Nigel Planer): Guys, guys, guys, I think I've solved our money problem. I'm writing to my bank manager. See what you think...’Dear Bank Manager.’
Mike (Christopher Ryan): Yeah?
Neil: Well, that's it. I'm quite pleased with it so far, though.
Mike: Oh, well, it's a strong opening, certainly.
Vyvyan (Adrian Edmondson): I don't like the ‘dear.’ Sounds a bit too much like, ‘Will you go to bed with me?’
Mike: Well spoken, Vyvyan. What do you think instead?
Vyvyan: Uh, what about...’darling’?
[Everyone concurs]
Neil: [Writing] ‘Darling Bank Manager...’
Rick (Rik Mayall): No, no, no, no, no, not ‘Bank Manager,’ it's far too crawly bum-lick. Tell it like it is, put ‘Fascist Bullyboy!’
Neil: ‘Darling Fascist Bullyboy...’
Mike: That's nice, yes, so far so good. So what do you want to say?
Neil: Well, basically, I want to ask him if I can have, like, an extension on my overdraft, but I know there must be a better way of putting it than that.
Mike: Well, what about, ‘Give me some more money?’
Vyvyan: ...’You bastard!’
Neil: Don't you think that's a bit strong?
Mike: Ah, Neil, people like that respect strength.
Neil: Yeah, you're right. Uh, ‘Darling Fascist Bullyboy, Give me some more money, you bastard...’ Uh...’Love, Neil.’
Vyvyan: Not ‘Love, Neil’! That sounds far too much like, ‘Come and get it like a bitch-funky sex machine!’
Neil: Yeah, you're right... Uh, what about, ‘Yours sincerely’?
Rick: Oh, come off it, Neil. If you're going to be that sycophantic, why don't you go 'round there now and stick your tongue straight down the back of his trousers?
Neil: Oh, look, I know, I know, why not ‘Boom Shanka’? It means, ‘May the seed of your loin be fruitful in the belly of your woman.’
Mike: He'll never understand ‘Boom Shanka,’ you'll have to write the whole thing out.
Neil: Right, okay, here we go. ‘Darling Fascist Bullyboy, Give me some more money, you bastard. May the seed of your loin be fruitful in the belly of your woman, Neil.’
Rick: Well, if that doesn't work, I don't know what will.

- The Young Ones (Season 2, Episode 2, ‘Cash,’ written by Ben Elton and Rik Mayall, 1984, BBC TV).

Foot note

1. The ‘Serenity Prayer’ is sometimes confused with St. Francis’ ‘Prayer for Peace’ (see Chapter 8).