Perceptions and Paralysis.

A bright hazy campervan morning this morning. Camped in the trees, surrounded by Oak, Maple and Fir. Church bells sound the hour in the distance, men at work in the wood, trimming and clearing, birdsong which I think is blackbird, however some I am sadly unable to identify. The sun is up, sky blue again, though, as I say, a wee bit hazy and thin clouds sit above a far off range of hills. A much needed and quieter yesterday, day 15 of part two of our Shetland to Tuscany experience. We have been on the road now for 45 days, with a short refresh in the middle and felt it was time for a wee break, wash and catch up with ourselves. So yesterday was about stopping, clearing, cleaning, sitting, reading, people watching, views and a decision to stay put for a few days. So no where to be or anything specific to do, except square away for the next 15 days or so. Trying not to fill time with stuff, sit and be with the down time, rather than planning ahead, checking routes, looking for overnight spots, finding water, toilet emptying, shopping and making sure you try and soak up the experience. So a pleasant break from all of that. The unseen mundane stuff, behind the meeting of amazing people, sights, sounds and sharing experiences the leg work so to speak. The reality of travel in a campervan, not what we sometimes anticipate that our journey entails when we set off. Also a chance to reflect on the experiences so far, a cheeky red or two, have a think about what’s ahead and what’s gone before, a few walks and see what manifests over the day. The richness and diversity of experiences, the shifts in perspectives that encounters and travel bring. My sometimes go to muse John O’Donohue in his fabulous book ‘Anam Cara ‘ writes that your perception :

“ Determines the way that things will behave for you and toward you “

He talks of almost being a slave to your perceptions, that they can paralyse us, rather than using it as a tool to open up the difficult and the unusual. So trying to use these quieter days to look at a few perceptions and challenges and readdress the way that I look at them. Instead of using them to limit, readdress them, see them as my own constructs and use them as opportunities. To check the paralysis so to speak. Lovely days people.

“ We are partly responsible for the construction of our own images and completely responsible for how we use them “ John O’Donohue.