A campervan morning of pink skies and reflections. A pink haze in the almost cloudless sky and pink aeroplane under belies. Pink is the colour and self care Sunday is the day. Circling calling gulls splashed in orange. A blackbird in the oak and for now the somewhat customary gaggle of Starlings in the ash. There is the usual drone in the air, which seems loud for a Sunday morning. Joined briefly by a single Magpie and darting Robin. The clear sky thickening above me, Sunday is shuffling by and a fine of somewhat chilly stone to sit and be and see what unfolds. Reflecting on a lovely day of drumming and community building, sharing experiences and listening to peoples stories, their existence and their lives. My much quoted and favourite author Rebecca Solnit writes of stories :
“ We tell ourselves stories in order to live, or to justify taking lives, even our own, by violence or by numbness… “
She goes on :
“ Sometimes the story collapses, and it demands that we recognise we’ve been lost, or terrible, or ridiculous, or just stuck; sometimes change arrives like an ambulance or a supply drop. Not a few stories are sinking ships, and many of us go down with these ships even when lifeboats are bobbing all around us”.
I have been reflecting on collapsing stories and being stuck or lost and how they have brought about change. Change in life, career, work, people, community and friends. How many of my stories have allowed me to drown when reaching out and help was there in front of me. Also the stories I have heard or been part of, other peoples stories or experiences. Using stories to define my past, to explain or justify behaviour and attitudes and how sometimes these are not even mine they are some else’s. Self care Sunday so make sure you do something for yourself today. Lovely days people.
“ If you do not tell the truth about yourself you cannot tell it about other people.” Virginia Woolf.
Comments