Haven't written for a few days as I was still languishing in the Slough of Despond, but today it feels as if a cloud has lifted, and I'm feeling mildly cheerful- but not tooo much, just a Mona Lisa-smile-kind-of amount. When I feel like this it's useful to make a little list of the 'reasons to be cheerful', or find time to count your blessings, and that usually does the trick. In fact it's a good technique to being happy apparently-focus on the good things rather than the bad. So......here goes with my current list.....
I'm healthy and fit (ish)
I don't have a mortgage (and the house is ours)
I have a big house with lots of space and a wonderfully wild garden
I have a loving and funny husband
I have enough to eat (and can even find a little extra for treats!)
I have clothes (some might say too many)
I have lots of sparkly costumes and the opportunity to wear them and perform in them (happy sigh here)
I have lots of wonderful and amazing friends
I have a great bunch of students
I get to do some exciting things- the radio show, performing as a dancer
I'm self employed and don't have to answer to anyone (that's especially good...LOL!)
It's a sunny summers day with birds tweeting in the trees and I live in a beautiful place.
I think I could add a few more to that but then I'd be just lisitng and not writing an blog...cheating in my book! But of course some of the things on the list might be less important one day to the next and I might also want to add or delete things depending on the circumstances, the time of year, my mood, and the weather! And it's all relative, too. I consider myself lucky compared to the lives some people lead or have to suffer. What we consider difficult here in the west bears no comparison to someone living in Africa or the Middle East right now. But I do believe that we are where we are for a reason, even if it's our choice to be there, and the Universe/God/Goddess makes good where ever we place ourselves, and still manages to give us the lessons we need right here and now. So whether I live in war torn Libya or peaceful Warwickshire I will get the opportunity to learn what I need to. Whether I choose to take up the challenge or not is another matter....! You can tell I'm 'on holiday' can't you? I don't usually have much time to contemplate my navel and get all philosophical, but it's no bad thing. In fact quite a lot of the reasons people love going on holiday is that free from the everyday slog and grind, you actually get the chance to contemplate the things that matter, usually with those you love. For me that helps sort my priorities out and makes me grateful for what I've got, as well as giving me the spiritual boost I need. No wonder everyone loves a holiday! But it does beg the qeustion of why we feel so much better when away? If our lives are so awful and difficult so as to need a holiday in the first place, that suggests that most of the year we are unhappy or dissatisfied. My Dad only ever took one holiday in his life...his honeymoon- and according to my Mum they had to come back after two days as a cow got sick!! But he was a farmer and and loved what he did, so he didn't need a holiday. I do have to admit at this point that he was even more of a control freak than I am , and couldn't trust anyone else to look after the running of the farm, but I suppose my point is that if our lives were less stressful and slower, perhaps we wouldn't feel we needed a holiday. Don't get me wrong, I love visiting new places and discovering new cultures and experiencing the scenery, but it's something to do with the desperate drive to escape off somewhere that doesn't seem right.
Ever heard of the Slow Movement? It's a concept first introduced by an Italian who despaired of the way we were getting addicted to fast food. He is an advocate of Slow Food, which means having long meals in the company of friends and family and really enjoying the experience... and this concept has spread into all sorts of areas of life and has even been taken up by cities all over the world. So there are now Slow Cities, as well as Slow Exercise and....Slow Sex!! So type in Slow Movement into your search engine....and you'll see what I mean! Sid and I have been talking about having a Slow Holiday for a while, as neither of us like flying much and are uneasy about the carbon footprint as well as not wanting to face all the restricitions placed on travellers by the airlines. So we have been considering various options...the long term favourite is to buy a camper van and do a tour of Europe for two or three months, but that's quite a big project that will take some preparing for. But other options include shorter length holidays driving ourselves around Europe, taking public transport like trains and buses, and also taking ferries to different places. But this kind of travel isn't quick, so we are talking about taking your time to enjoy the experience, and make the journey an important part of the holiday. I realise that most people don't have the luxury of taking off a leisurely month or so for a break, but this concept could apply to holidays in this country. There are some wonderful train routes and marvellous scenic roads in this green and pleasant land of ours, if we just took time to stop occaisonally and enjoy smelling the flowers or counting cows.....or something! Hmmmm. Well I've run out of steam (and tea!) so I think it's time to sign off and go do something useful...or nice...or both!!
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