I wish I could be out in the world of water and wilderness. I am inside with my medicine drum, singing bowls and flute and a range of tech trickery that offers escape to the geography in my thoughts. I’ve sorted my fishing stuff to the point where after years and years I know where it all is. This is some achievement because I leave a rod and bits of gear in other peoples houses who tolerate this old fishing fool.
It’s good to be engaged and to not worry about the things I can’t change. I could think of myself as a prisoner of covid in my own home but I choose to be on a quest, taking a very belated “gap year”, albeit in a small physical space. I don’t have a garden so I tend to the flowers in my digital music recording system while hopefully, digging out the weeds. I’ve chosen to use the time to try to be more positive and creative because of covid. I don’t care what the politicians say I am living by my own rules of survival and have done so since this first began. The best way to win a fight is to not be there if you can’t choose your battlefield and stratagem. So I choose to not be there. I go no where at this time. That’s the down side or one of them. How ever Ive found these strange times can have all sorts of unexpected upsides that offer unique opportunities to invest time in new ways of seeing and doing things differently.
I’m not going to comment on any of the machinations of our leaders or their minions. Now is not the time for me to add to the poisoned feast of things to worry or be depressed about. Today I’m not going to be concerned with the things beyond my control or capacity. The things “I can’t do any thing about” are in “ their box”. There are several “boxes” in my mind. One is “Things to worry about” but it has clear priority over other boxes so that I can act more easily on the things I must and can do some thing about. It’s quite simple until contents spill out and into other boxes. But if I practice managing the system regularly and don’t neglect the necessary rituals involved, then depression and anxiety are knocking at the wrong door. It’s not fool proof and I have to use a variety of acquired tools to make it work. Positive and absorbing distraction is a good friend.
These are very difficult times for many of us and some of us are more affected by worry and depression than others. I don’t want to minimise this or claim there are easy solutions for all. How ever it was astonishing to me to find that I could have much more control over how I respond to a crisis be it small or large.
It’s good to share and ask for help. I find I’m talking on the phone more these days sharing good and bad stuff with my friends and colleagues. We often find small ways to help and support each other. Men are getting better at this but in my experience, generally speaking women are still better at listening and offering reasoned, empathetic input. I’m always grateful for this.
The issue of our mental well being could be said to be trending. It’s a good trend. As a result people might speak up and ask for help and guidance and we should be on the look out for them and also for those who might still suffer in silence. Let’s not be ruled by archaic norms and useless conventions. Time to look after ourselves and each other with ever more care. Time to get used to new thinking as the planet increasingly continues to sign post the changes we all need to make.
Stay strong. Stay safe.
Peace
