I was thinking about the word “authority” so I thought I would look up its meaning.  I was surprised how many forms it takes.  I was thinking of someone being given authority say to rule either by the people or their peers.  But the word actually has many connotations and meanings.
What I was forgetting about was someone being considered an authority on a subject due to their intimate and deep knowledge.  Generally, it would be someone worth listening to and heeding advice from.  Often they have “been there, done that” or can reference enough cases to make a particular course of action to be seen as desirable.
Another form of authority is always mentioned in the plural as “authorities.”  Generally it is those who have been given or taken the role of decision making and government of the people.  When given, a majority agree to it.  When taken it is imposed and can often lead to resentment and rebellion.  Either way it is gained it seems to me the words of Euripides are right “authority is never without hate.”
Why I think that is right is that without exception there is always a diametrically opposite view to the one that prevails. That seems to be the case not only in heady matters of State but in everyday things like food preferences.  It is funny Merril and I always take turns in deciding what we would like to keep.  Things that matter to me may not mean anything to her and the other way.
Authority can be very selectively given.  I used to work for the Great Barrier Reef Authority.  It was set up to govern the reef and determine the roles of various parts (ie no fishing areas, corridors of travel etc.)  Part of its role was to ensure the greatest number of people possible could use the reef without destroying it.  Its decision making was supposed to not necessarily be popular but impartial.
It seems to me in every case authority that is conferred lasts longest.  As opposed to when it is taken.  It seems that that sort of authority lasts a while but resentment of injustice prevails.  Even when an authority taken looks after its constituents it is tolerated at best.
Authority I like is given.  It is an authority with the power to perform and with the compassion to understand and do something - not just for the rich and powerful but also for the everyday person that rightly seeks justice. 

It was good seeing my bro on the Sunshine Coast yesterday.  Normally we visit a bookshop up there before we go to see him.  But this time we did not as last week we went up there despite the lunch being postponed.  We were delivering a couple of items we had sold to him.  We used the occasion to visit the bookshop we normally visit.
One thing that seems hard to believe is the number of new houses appearing next to the highway between Caboolture and Caloundra.  I did ask Merril something while we travelled that I do not believe she took seriously.  I asked why we declare there is a new house going up there and never something more obvious like there is an old house staying there (like in the suburbs).
It’s amazing how I relate everything back to what it was when loved ones were with us.  Many of the houses I now see were not there when my dad or other brother lived with me.  The place is very different to the way they knew it.
My brother had some computer work he wanted assistance with while we were there.  We also visited a mate of his for a signature.  Then after lunch we sent off a form that he was completing.
It seems weird that everything seems to be way harder than it needs to be.  All we wanted to do was send a form.  It insisted we sign into all sort of programs we use every day and do not need to sign in to.
Anyway we got it all done and came home for a rest.  I had friends coming around in the evening so I needed to be back for that.
The day was quieter than we first planned it to be because we had done something already that was to be a part of the day.  I was sort of pleased it was like that.  Sometimes real busy is good and sometimes quieter is good.  In this case quieter was good.

Some things are just not good for me.
Physically that can be fairly obvious.  Too much of anything is not good and recently I was diagnosed with diabetes.  I take such things with a grain of salt (though with diabetes salt may not be recommended.)  But anyway, I have been doing regular blood tests and the first was 9.9 (non-diabetes is under 7). Todays was 8.3.  Better, but it will be interesting to see what I eat that causes it to be so high)
(I eat really well and have done all my life.  But everyone is different. I have seen it before.  Something that is harmless for most can be not right for another.  Maybe that is the case for me)
But it is the nonphysical things I am thinking of.  The things that cause a disquiet within.  Chances are they are not in themselves anything wrong, but for me at this time they can be the wrong thing.
It’s funny but sometimes things are not immediately obvious.  It is one of the reasons that, if I can, I like to sleep on decisions – particularly big, potentially life changing ones.  If after the sleep, I feel a sense of disquiet I will not go there.
I reckon I save myself a lot of angst that way.  As I say it may not be a morally wrong decision I am grappling with, but just a choice of ways to go.  A thing may only spell potential trouble ahead - something that at the very least will cause a distractionfrom the main game for me.
I heard about a couple that were not into dogs but were asked to dog sit some champion dogs.  It meant showing the dogs at an event.  The couple from that point got into dogs in a big way and ended up travelling everywhere and showing them.  They were no longer involved where they were doing others a heap of good.  Showing dogs is not wrong but for them it was a distraction from their main game.
I reckon the same for me.  I love stamp collecting, the garden and music.  There is nothing wrong with any of those things.  But the disquiet comes when those things assume a main game importance to the detriment of other things I know are main things and mine to do.
All the activities mentioned can at any time be a part of the main game but are never the main game itself.  I guess for me so much is a means to an end rather than being an end in itself.