It’s been a year!
A lot’s been learned about the nature of people and their passions, and also their poison. Together with a lot of you, we had a great ‘Goodbye to 2016’ in November. Thanks to all again, true friends are people that are just there sharing the same old shift! Hopefully, we can all have some jolly good highs to counteract the inevitable golly jood lows… we’re in this together in the end.
People, sharing the same stuff, perhaps that what’s it’s about. The old idea of community, where people commune together “to live, together, sharing ‘stuff’ and responsibilities…” Where people really commune-icate; share or exchange information, news, or ideas…
Community? That’s everyone we share space with (both real & cyber). I meet a good few people daily on my bike commute, and we say ‘hi’ and pass the time of day. To name two; there’s the old lady with her two collie dogs, who says hi with a hearty smile every morning, and the quite Irish guy pushing(?) his bike who says ‘morning’ usually with just a nod. I meet a big bunch of ‘teachers’ in my role of ‘repro guy’ at school, again it’s good, in a relatively neutral space, to ‘pass the time of day’. But also, it’s the people we take for granted that we share stuff with routinely – we are alive now, we only breathe now, make the most of now, make the most of the time of day… “Time present and time past, Are both perhaps present in time future, And time future contained in time past”
“Pass the time of day”? It’s hard to look outside of our perspective, outside of our habitual field of view, outside of our routine. I am the worst being an addict to routine – When I have taken the car to work (bike in for a service), my comfortable habit is broken and the day is often more disjunctive. When I need to do something that interrupts my plans it’s frustrating. But alas we live with our constructs around us, making us feel comfortable in our role, making us who we are, or who we think we are!
Personally, I find that the real “time of day” might often be swamped in thoughts of where I am supposed to be, what I need to do… what have I forgotten, busy, busy, next, next, tomorrow, what if… but hey! Stop… pause, breathe, relax, smile… the time of day is right now. It’s not so easy but when we really pause, breathe, relax, smile, we can be found in the now… your breath is what makes you you, your spirit is what makes you you, where your treasure is there is your heart also.
And so, next time we have a chance to ‘pass the time of day’, let’s share it! No bells, no whistles, no pretense, no prejudice, no fear, less me and more of you… As I say, it’s not easy, but perhaps it is simple. Easier said than done?
Anyway, we live and learn.
Happy Christmas and a Big Best New Year to you…
Jules P Richards 