Category Archives: a musing

My baby teeth must have been stubborn and I remember my Mum taking me to the health clinic on the Bath Road, Hounslow for one to be extracted under anaesthetic.

The strong memory of that day, some 50 years ago, is the weird dream I had after the mask was placed over my face to knock me out with gas: I was watching myself being dragged down an underground tunnel in a scene mixing our Snakes and Ladders game board with Alice in Wonderland.

This disturbing image remains with me and, over my teenage and adult years, after surfacing from anaesthetic for a number of different operations – it’s not a hobby, honestly – I have often wondered whether these were glimpses of insanity. In fact, I used to fear going mad.

I don’t fear insanity any more, not for myself.

However, I wonder whether I see insanity around me.

I see people who I thought were reasonable and well-balanced tearing themselves apart with their hatred for others, simply because other people hold a different view.

It is dangerous to assume that people with other views do not want to reach the same results that we want.

It is even more dangerous to lump together all people who have a certain belief or thought into a single evil stereotype.

Disappointment, frustration and anger are both reasonable and necessary.

Hatred is not: it is insanity.

At Junior School, I used to write the date at the top of the page in my diary before writing about what I’d done over the weekend just passed.

Being the 1960s, I liked writing 196- and was quite concerned at the end of 1969 when I realised that the 6 would change to 7, not even thinking of 8 and 9 to follow or the change from 19 to 20.

Many years, weekends and days have passed and now seem to be passing even faster.

I enjoy all times of year, but April and May do always bring special cheer to me as everything wakes up in England and the days grow longer, brighter and warmer.

This year I made a special effort to enjoy each day so that these months did not fly past without me realising.

And now we are at the 60th of the 61 days which will soon be a memory. I felt a little sad this morning before going out for the first walk of the day.

Then the sun came out and I exchanged greetings with nine people and I realised that here was another lovely day to enjoy, just like yesterday and tomorrow.

I chose three words to focus on in 2016: irreverent, kind, treasure.

How did I do? I was still far too serious, have more work to do on being kind, but certainly do treasure everything in my life more than I ever have.

How and why have I chosen my three words for 2017?

Face

For many people 2016 has been a year for hiding: among groups and factions, behind symbols and flags, and covering insecurity by mercilessly mocking anyone with an opposing point of view.

Yes, it has been a traumatic year and there are many reasons for being unsure or afraid, as across the world faction confronts faction in battles that no one can win.

I feel that, more than ever, I must show my face.

On my personal social media profiles you will always see my face.

The more we show our faces, speak our own thoughts and shares our real feelings, the more we can truly connect with other people, irrespective of nationality, culture or religion.

I believe showing and seeing faces helps us face up to reality, which often presents countless shades of grey rather than the sharp division of yes, no; right, wrong; right, left; or other convenient but unrealistic choices.

As we feel more confidence in our own thoughts and feelings, we can start to put aside dogma and the deception of slogans accepted as truth after endless parroting, and take part in real discussion, where arguments from all sides are considered and debated seriously rather than rejected simply because of their origins.

It does not mean we will agree with everyone or like everyone or that everyone will agree with or like us: that is impossible. But if we want to improve our world, perhaps we can focus on progress rather than dissent.

We do not need to like everyone, but we do not need to fight them.

Nor will we like everything that we have to face, whether involving politics, lifestyle, diet, behaviour or anything else.

But we must face it.

Laugh

Is now a time to laugh?

Some of the events we read about and see in the news say no, but what is a world without laughter?

Laughing lifts my spirits. It doesn’t make my problems go away, but it does make them more bearable.

Sometimes a laugh is necessary in the darkest moments to remind us that we are human and that there is always hope.

Laughing refreshes me, giving new energy to face difficulties ahead.

I need to laugh.

Breathe

Over the past couple of years, I have become increasingly overwhelmed by things, ordinary things. It was almost a feeling of breathlessness, as things seemed to be filling every space, displacing the air.

I am grateful that in my house we no longer buy Christmas presents. We don’t need more things. In fact, over the Christmas holidays I have sorted out more things that I don’t need.

The less I have, the more space I have to breathe.

Being outside, in the wide open, with nothing but myself, is exhilarating.

I don’t need anything to stop and stand and appreciate the world around me . . . and breathe.

Ready, steady, go

Those are my three words and I’m working on them already.

Do you have any words for the year ahead? Good luck with your chosen focus.