A conglomerate of sheep sat drinking red wine’
debating (all be it silently) whether the path was a folly?
One recalled the night of April Fools Day, when he saw
angels in his fright that night, in the shadow of a
mountain grey and black and awesome-ly angry and grim, death & eternity flashed by in a dreamy opera of fear.
Another dreamed of an idle idyllic grassy knoll, acorn
husks and trickling waves, a gap in the wall and a
creature so small that it sparkled with smirks in a
magical glee, a dewdrop inspired place to be.
Another the oldest sheep of all, told of a tale long
and tall, of a cafe called Renoirs and stricklandgate
street, stowell Farm Sherbourne and barbecued meat, a
50th birthday and radio two, a cold chicken sandwich,
the Imperial in Crewe. A tale of people and places
that may not seem true, and answers to questions well
overdue, the reason for speech marks and why the sheep
flocked, why the idea of mint sauce should never be
mocked.
The conglomerate argue and rarely agree, if the path
is a folly we will just wait and see…
It’s a phrase I use frequently. But thought I’d muse on it’s value.
It’s not a question, although it’s said with a questioning tone. It’s an assumption that, at route, there is the essence of “wellness” and a trace of “goodness”. I guess the reason for saying the phrase is for us to remember and celebrate any wellness and goodness that might need kindling.
OK we’re not all well, far from it, and alas we’re not all good!
But we are relatively good and well, aren’t we?
Physically / Chemically:
We are ‘naturally’ balancing good and bad daily. Creating new cells and removing bad cells regularly. Taking in the healthy ‘stuffs’ as well as the less wholesome. Externally, we remove dead cells and encourage new cell turnover daily. Many of the body’s cells are programmed to die at a prescribed time. For example, some red blood cells are programmed to die after 120 days of service, some white blood cells die after only a few days. Dead cells may continue to flow through the body’s bloodstream or collect in various organs. Bad cells also enter the bloodstream after a trauma or infection. However, these may be removed through medical intervention.
Dead cells are eventually eliminated in a number of ways. Healthy input is important. The health and strength of our immune system is key. In various ways our immune system processes the body’s dead cells, parts of which may be reused. Material from dead cells also makes up part of our solid output. (“That’s nice dear”)
Mentally / Spiritually:
We are ‘naturally’ experiencing new images, assumptions and motivations regularly (IAMs).
We perceive and entertain new ideas and ignore other perspectives daily. We forgo things not needed and inbibe others. We ignore and deny seemingly unhelpful notions and seek and collect stimulating experiences. Selective enter/infotainment is worthwhile.
However, some collected new ideas and notions are not so easily assimilated. Ideas seem to build up, sometimes helpfully reinforcing our perspective in a healthy creative way, sometimes unhelpful notions and emotions clog, simmer and are not easily forgotten.
Humm… I wonder what mentally acts as an “immune system” for all the ‘stuff’ we take on board?
Understanding and Faith?
Recognition that there are alternatives to the ways we react to pleasure or pain? Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding. Albert Einstein
Faith must trample under foot all reason, sense, and understanding. Martin Luther
The broader one’s understanding of the human experience, the better design we will have. Steve Jobs
Anger and intolerance are the enemies of correct understanding. Mahatma Gandhi
A matter that becomes clear ceases to concern us. Friedrich Nietzsche
A faith is a necessity to a man. Woe to him who believes in nothing. Victor Hugo
Are we well and good? Depends how you look at it, i guess… ?
It’s been a while since I uttered some nonsense – that could be good be a good sign… then again…
You won’t fly until you truly let go… you’ll not feel the song until you really hear it… you can’t stretch until you truly wake up…
Easier said than done!?
As Keats inferred, unheard melodies are [probably] sweeter…
A while back I commented: “Listen….. can u hear breathing?… ”
A (heard?) tweet recently mentioned: “Breath is the thread that ties creation together” Morihei Ueshiba
Over the period of lent (I’m not getting in to what that should or does mean), I have gone-without, indeed forsaken, the habitual podcasts etc on my commute to and from work. I enjoy taking in ‘cultcha’ as much as most, be it ‘new music’ or ‘old chestnuts’, intellectual debate or documentary etc.
I’ve occasionally felt the pangs to be ear-plugged (or car stereo) into info- and enter-tainment and inbibe some stimulating amusements (as Neil Postman highlighted) or I guess some digital numbing narcotic. But for the last few weeks I’ve gone without.
‘Entertain’ can mean to hold the attention of, to divert, consider, cherish, maintain…
A favourite bible verse of mine has always been “Where your treasure is there is your heart also” Matthew 6:21 – amongst other things, to me, this means; what you cherish is what essentially makes you, you are what you think and feel, and even; all things fade and therefore so will you…
Em & I being driven through the Sahara - he laughed when we asked for seat belts, then drove like a maniac!
Without the distracting opiate of one’s earphones, one of the encounters on my commute now is birdsong. From light field-song of small twittering birds to heavy crowing in the wooded areas. Even in the town, birds are prolific if one can just notice them. The rowan trees at the end of my commute are always a stage for nature of some sort.
When you cycle, you cannot fail to notice the ‘nature’ of traffic, people and yourself. We rush to get there, we must catch the one in front, we are already at our destination not noticing where we actually are, we disregard rules of the road and society. It’s hard to remain objective but it seems the nature of people in traffic amplifies attitudes that are inherent in all of us. It also amplifies perspectives and priorities….
It may be a stage of life, but recently I’ve found myself entertaining the natural world and creation more than previously. The Sun is such a powerful phenomena, we take it for granted but just think how it really effects your life. Drugs like Coffee, Chocolate, Cheese… that’s another thing. As you know, our household has pets; gerbils, a budgie and fish. I hanker for The Beeb’s Spring/Autumn/Winter Watch. Some of Country File and iplayer’s factual science and nature offerings are tonics to the daily routine. Loving Tim Spall’s “…at Sea” at the mo. Seeing wild birds fly, rabbits, grouse, frogs, cats prowling… weather… it’s life.
Listen….. can u hear breathing…?
Again Mr. Keats put it beautifully:
“Beauty is truth, truth beauty: that is all Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.”
Well ‘Shrimpy’ our Armoured Shrimp shed his skin again today, that’s about 4 times in the last 2 years. See it here: Armoured Shrimp Skin
We have an increasing selection of pretty Guppies – if anyone wants some just shout! ‘Eli’ our Fire Eel eats his fair share of newborns but can’t eat um all and the population is blooming!
Here’s a rare photo of ‘Dyson’, our Bristlenose Pleco Ancistrus. He’s usually hiding in his cave until the light goes out:
And here’s a stock check for the record: click name for details
If you could hear this image, what would it sound like?
Well… “Global Harmony” from Melton and “Woven Chords” from Stamford are two world music a cappella choirs – they will be singing together! on March 31st Oakham School Chapel.
The choir is always more than the sum of it’s parts, and this time there’s TWO!
You can hear and see a glimpse of past GH performances here:
Life was somewhat different 12 months ago. 27th Feb 2011. The I had not been on my bike for more than 6 years. Generally I encountered minimal exercise. The prospect of cycling 7 miles each way to work once a week was not an option, it was not gonna happen.
But then one Sunday I just got my old bike out from under the kids trampoline, play pool and nursery boxes and went round the block, about 9 miles.
{GOOGLE MAP}
After a few more weekend jaunts, and then some test rides to work! (what was I thinking?) It’s now been a year since that key decision to get back on my bike.
Now that I cycle, I see good aerobic activity twice a day. The daily endorphin hits are invaluable. The daily experience is arguably also more constructive than a similar trip in a car/bus and cerebrally, thoughts and feelings get a more intense workout. The experience is arguably exhilarating and elevating, depending on your psychological position/attitude in the road-space, social-class struggle – this does need to be kept in check.
At rough tally, I guess I’ve saved 14 miles of fuel a day, that’s ~£1.35×2 for a 7mpl car. That’s ~£54 a month… a nice monthly fuel saving, and extra exercise costs (time & money) not are required.
A nice few hours out on a Sun Mon:
{GOOGLE MAP}
And so, just for the record, since last Feb 27th 2011 through Feb 27th 2012:
Cardio Trainer, recorded: 27 Feb – 4 July = 851.71miles
Endomondo, clocked: 5 July – 22 Dec = 1636.93 miles
3 Jan through 27 Feb 2012 = 563 miles
So that’s = 3051 miles recorded over 12 months… and relax!
There was nowhere to sit, but I sat anyway. I’d been told of the beauty that surrounded me and indeed it was full of wonder (wonderful), all be it xxing wet and cold and raw as rope.
My feet inside my boots were sodden, I could feel my toes squelching as I stood in a stream, the whole hillside was in effect a stream, the weather seemed to be coming from the ground as well as the sky, I had to just let it happen.
The clouds had come in and the only reason l had any hope was I knew where I was heading – North East, and my compass told me that NE was towards the pile of rocks just in view through the foggy rain 50 yards ahead. I ate chocolate in the rain. Salty rain.
That’s how I remember it. A wonderful saturating experience. Saturating in that the cold, the purple, grey and green, the rock, wind and stream, and me and my thoughts were all that there was.
‘‘Railway Station” The man on the table next to me reminded me of this, he was alone, as far as I could see, he was cherishing his slice of ginger-cake and his mug of coffee (‘Caribbean Extra Smooth’ £1.05 to take away) was coming to a satisfying end. The commuters sat between a day’s work and home. At work today we learnt how Ian had passed away. He was a good chap, down to earth, always had a word to say in passing. His lad is about to start college and his wife has just started a new job at the hospital. We’ll never see him again. His aura was somehow in the ginger-cake man and it made me smile. The rain outside melting down the steamy window was making my chocolate seem extravagantly tasty.
“Chocolate in the rain” Lofty hills and misty mountains, frosty veins of rains sooth the mighty old mountains as they sit like old dogs front the hearth, old books sleeping on the shelf as they proudly circus their spines, like God with arms folded and eyes deep with lore. The mountains let me pass through, wind and rain do their best to keep me back and get me down, I’m not turning back. If may be miles ahead but that’s where I’m going. The old guardians let me through and so will you. Not stopping for tyrants, not stopping for lies, not stopping for thieves with money, not stopping for an ugly view, not stopping for badly brewed pleasures, not stopping for insignificant treasures… a cup o’ tea waits for me and a pint of Black Sheep to send me to sleep. Through lofts of mist, past mighty excess, through mists of envy and doubt, past lofty statues to a glorious myth, illuminating the pathway where people sleep through mighty mountains, just a break for chocolate in the rain.
All the discomfort: The lights, the voices, the people and places, children and push chairs and phones and clones all to easily lost in the blur of the day, blinded by the fog. Easy to lose sight of the colours that can be bright and the view that’s clear. Even when the sun seems to shine, it’s easy going, still wonderful yet there’s not much to say about it except thankfully I’m reminded of more or less. I think…
I was given this pamphlet recently by a friend of a friend. It was produced in 1960. It’s the type of thing that could easily Have been lost! I found it a worthwhile short read -but then again I can identify with being brought up in the 70s in the pews of Cornish Methodism.
This account details how at a certain point in history, the church and its activities had a great effect… (?)
Even if you have no spiritual life/faith, Christian ideas have always given practical advice about how to handle failure, dejection and loss… etc.
It may be no accident that the huge increase in the incidence of common mental health issues seems to coincide with the decline of religion in the West and the loss of a whole tradition experienced in dealing with, if not answering, life’s unanswerable questions. There might be extreme misdirection but there might be also valuable insights offered by Christian teaching if you can fend off the theological language and hoopla in which it’s dressed.
Download a scanned copy here – GDRIVE link: Methodism and the Cornish Miner
Jules P Richards 