This is part of a mail I sent to a good friend of mine on TIG.

It is an interesting similee, when you say 'I know you too will climb up the ladder...', as nowadays I feel as if I was constantly climbing up on a letter step by step, and the steps are just there as they wouldn't like to end. But it is natural, as there is always something to do, something new to learn, and there are phases in between when you reach something or in special moments when you come to a halt for a moment or two, look behind you in search of finding approval/strength to go on from those things that you already achieved or experienced in every territory of your life. Then you establish that there are still lots of things ahead, and you continue going up... the ladder of your life. I wish you knew, Antony, how hard it was for me to reach that phase in my life when I dare to be myself in front of anybody. Earlier I was so afraid of people refusing who really I am, that I was very silent and I really wished to be someone else. That was a horrible feeling, but after reading a couple of books written for young people who are in search of themselves like I was I became fully aware of myself and now I feel more and more confident. My parents also helped me a lot. It is the worst thing if you are afraid to be yourself. You have to take on your own personality with your feelings, thoughts, talents, mistakes… as well, in a word with everything what you are and then you can improve too because you get to know yourself and can establish true friendships.
I think Shakespeare in Hamlet refers to a similar thing when he says through the mouth of Polonius:

"And this above all, to thine own self be true, and it must follow as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”

Have a nice rest of the week.

By the way, have you read the book ’This above all” by Eric Knight? The writer refers to Shakespeare’s words with the title of the book.

It won’t do any good if more rainy days come. Even if it was sunny and windy today, owing to the rainfalls of the last days people living in flat areas have to prepare with sandbags to prevent rivers and streams from coming out of their beds. In some places the dams themselves has to be mended also, as the last time (not a long ago) when the waters were high they became quite used, although fortunately they did not burst.
Floods are quite frequent here in the Carpathian Basin in autumn and spring months and many settlements, mainly villages are in danger at that time, but not in the usually hot and dry summer season.
In cities like Budapest and Szeged the lower banks of the river are closed for traffic now. I live in a town which is next to the Danube, and the older parts, which are at a lower level are affected, but the higher parts where I live are not.
The flood situation is worst in the northern part of the country.

I have always liked the expression 'It's raining cats and dogs' because it is funny, but not the weather it refers to. We have been experiencing incessant rain here in Hungary all day today and the last couple of days weren't much better either. I just don't like these grey clouds and the wind at the beginning of June, it reminds me one of those sombre videoclips of Depeche Mode. At least I got this feeling. (Note: Otherwise I like the band.) So, the sky is likely to remain Depeche Mode-like tomorrow too, and what’s more, weathermen forecast that the whole summer will be just like this expect 2 or 3 weeks at the end of July or the beginning of August. I really hope that my birthday will be sunny!!! In addition, there was record breaking cold yesterday, and the heating had to be switched on as well as the temperature dropped below 0 ˚C. So please, please just a bit of sunshine !!!!!!