A sunny morning for colouring blank pages
Oh Winmarleigh is a house, and it's almost like a home,
But we share it with 300 kids, so it's not quite our own.
(Song for Winmarleigh)
Monday, 4 July 2016
Winmarleigh by Me
Oh Winmarleigh is a house, and it's almost like a home,
But we share it with 300 kids, so it's not quite our own.
(Song for Winmarleigh)
Friday, 24 June 2016
Referendum Review
Scotland votes in, Wales votes out, Northern Ireland in,
England out (apart from London and a few other places). In, out, in, out, we
shake it all about. The PM says he’ll stand down and that probably means a new
government. The £s go up and down like a yo-yo that the Bank of England are
desperately trying to prevent running out of bounce. Meanwhile everyone else is
trying to get their heads around the slightly surprising result and what it all
means. The only clear thing I can see is that with a 52/48 percent split our
country is not quite as united as we like to say, in fact it’s completely
divided, but I think we knew that already.
What is interesting as one MP said at some point in the
early hours of the morning was that while people usually go with the status quo
if they’re a bit unsure, it seems that this time they didn’t. I wonder how many
people voted out just to stick one to the establishment, and how many didn’t
vote in because they thought it was a foregone conclusion. Hopefully not too
many for either, because those are not good reasons. Still this is the result
and we must go with it. There are potentially exciting times ahead and probably
some challenging ones too, but at this time it’s impossible to say what will
happen at all.
It’s probably too early to start looking back, but I wonder
if people will say in the future that this result had been coming and we were
wrong not to expect it more; that the trend over the past 10 or 15 years was
towards independence. Equally looking forward is difficult, but I hope this
doesn’t point to greater divisions in our country, continent and world. Only
time will tell.
Saturday, 11 June 2016
Ten thousand is a big number!
“One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple.” As said Jack Kerouac.
"Until then I'll just keep putting down whatever comes into my head." Says I.
Thanks everyone for reading my thoughts, my ideas and my little stories. Maybe one day they'll be bigger!
10,000 views is more than I ever could have imagined when I started blogging four and a half years ago!
"Until then I'll just keep putting down whatever comes into my head." Says I.
Thanks everyone for reading my thoughts, my ideas and my little stories. Maybe one day they'll be bigger!
10,000 views is more than I ever could have imagined when I started blogging four and a half years ago!
I took my mouth and silence made
But on the page the words don't fade.
Thursday, 9 June 2016
Living with Wonder
Boredom is the curse of life and wonder is the cure.
Why do I like working with young people? Largely it's their capacity for wonder. Their ability to see possibilities where adults see barriers, and their belief in magic and miracles that don't need to be explained or understood (at least in some scientific way) but are just enjoyed and marvelled at.
Adults, through the extra responsibilities and through the pressures of work, largely lose the wonder they had as a child. Things are explained to them, or if they cannot be explained, then ignored by them. Opportunities for wonder are cut or not taken (there are opportunities all the time and in all places, not just at the weekend, but adults often forget this, especially radio presenters who spend all week counting down to the next weekend on everyone else's behalf). Adults who try to continue exploring the world or have adventures, rather than try to explain and organise and prioritise are often told to 'settle down' and 'get a proper job'. Yet this is often what kills wonder and introduces boredom.
From a place of boredom people try to recapture the fun and exciting parts of life, but generally in the wrong places. We do things in an effort to feel something again, but can end up hurting ourselves more.
To be allowed to wonder and to take time to do so, is really the only cure. Keeping busy can lead to exhaustion, but exploring mysteries can fill the void we often feel.
Here are some things that have filled me with wonder this year:
A terrified child pushing himself off the zip wire
The generosity of a friend
The effects of spring:
This view:
The stories of soldiers on D-Day (especially the story of Pegasus Bridge, which I read recently).
The faith of millions of people throughout history (as I also read about recently) often leading to persecution and sometimes death.
And that I get to live and work here (not for everyone, I know, but perfect for me):
Why do I like working with young people? Largely it's their capacity for wonder. Their ability to see possibilities where adults see barriers, and their belief in magic and miracles that don't need to be explained or understood (at least in some scientific way) but are just enjoyed and marvelled at.
Adults, through the extra responsibilities and through the pressures of work, largely lose the wonder they had as a child. Things are explained to them, or if they cannot be explained, then ignored by them. Opportunities for wonder are cut or not taken (there are opportunities all the time and in all places, not just at the weekend, but adults often forget this, especially radio presenters who spend all week counting down to the next weekend on everyone else's behalf). Adults who try to continue exploring the world or have adventures, rather than try to explain and organise and prioritise are often told to 'settle down' and 'get a proper job'. Yet this is often what kills wonder and introduces boredom.
From a place of boredom people try to recapture the fun and exciting parts of life, but generally in the wrong places. We do things in an effort to feel something again, but can end up hurting ourselves more.
To be allowed to wonder and to take time to do so, is really the only cure. Keeping busy can lead to exhaustion, but exploring mysteries can fill the void we often feel.
Here are some things that have filled me with wonder this year:
A terrified child pushing himself off the zip wire
The generosity of a friend
The effects of spring:
This view:
The faith of millions of people throughout history (as I also read about recently) often leading to persecution and sometimes death.
And that I get to live and work here (not for everyone, I know, but perfect for me):
Don't let boredom bring you down. Keep on being amazed, wondering and enjoying life. (I'm still working on that!)
Thursday, 26 May 2016
The Hunter
I try to find inspiration for writing in as many places as possible. This is an opening I have created based on three randomly selected words from a word association game (Codenames). Can you guess which words they were?
One day, while walking along the shore of Loch Ness, I met a man from Germany. At first, I must admit I had no idea he was from anywhere other than just around the corner. His English was impeccable, and his Scottish accent as flawless as the next Glaswegian. As I passed him I noticed that he was digging in the soft earth beside the Loch, and being in no particular hurry I paused to watch him. After a moment he looked up at me.
"Good morning," I said.
He nodded solemnly in reply.
"Are you digging for anything in particular?" I asked.
He looked at the ground, then back at me and frowned, trying to make up his mind it seemed. Then he said, "A crown."
This was not the answer I expected, although it could have been anything I suppose. Anyway, I must have looked at least a little surprised, because he added, "a real one, but an old one."
He went on to tell me how he had been researching about some ancient ruler in Europe (hence my discovery of his nationality) who had to flee for his life and, this man believed, had come to live on the shores of Loch Ness. Some time later the King was discovered and killed, but his crown was never found. The man continued to tell me at length about his studies and how he had now lived in Scotland for many years and had been hunting for the location of the missing crown, as yet without success.
Eventually we parted, he to his digging and me to my walk. I pondered over everything he had shared with me and I became increasingly impressed by his perseverance over something that could come to nothing. He might never find the crown, and who was really going to care even if he did. The more I thought about it the more amazing it seemed. Gradually, however, I came to wonder if anything he had told me was true at all. Had in fact been led along in an elaborate joke, or was this man covering up something else entirely?
Did you guess the words?
They were: Loch Ness, Crown and Germany
One day, while walking along the shore of Loch Ness, I met a man from Germany. At first, I must admit I had no idea he was from anywhere other than just around the corner. His English was impeccable, and his Scottish accent as flawless as the next Glaswegian. As I passed him I noticed that he was digging in the soft earth beside the Loch, and being in no particular hurry I paused to watch him. After a moment he looked up at me.
"Good morning," I said.
He nodded solemnly in reply.
"Are you digging for anything in particular?" I asked.
He looked at the ground, then back at me and frowned, trying to make up his mind it seemed. Then he said, "A crown."
This was not the answer I expected, although it could have been anything I suppose. Anyway, I must have looked at least a little surprised, because he added, "a real one, but an old one."
He went on to tell me how he had been researching about some ancient ruler in Europe (hence my discovery of his nationality) who had to flee for his life and, this man believed, had come to live on the shores of Loch Ness. Some time later the King was discovered and killed, but his crown was never found. The man continued to tell me at length about his studies and how he had now lived in Scotland for many years and had been hunting for the location of the missing crown, as yet without success.
Eventually we parted, he to his digging and me to my walk. I pondered over everything he had shared with me and I became increasingly impressed by his perseverance over something that could come to nothing. He might never find the crown, and who was really going to care even if he did. The more I thought about it the more amazing it seemed. Gradually, however, I came to wonder if anything he had told me was true at all. Had in fact been led along in an elaborate joke, or was this man covering up something else entirely?
Did you guess the words?
They were: Loch Ness, Crown and Germany
Sunday, 15 May 2016
No Rescue Prevents the Cause
This is a story I heard recently.
It's a lovely sunny day so you and a group of friends decide to go for a picnic down by the river. You get out the blankets and the food, everyone's having fun, when suddenly one of the group spots someone coming down the river. They seem to be struggling and they're being swept along by the strong current. You know that not much further on the river goes over a waterfall; it would be impossible to survive. It is imperative that you act. Holding on to each other you stretch out into the river and catch the person as they come by. You drag them up onto the bank and rap a blanket around them. Everyone's congratulating each other and very thankful that you managed to save the person.
Just as you're sitting back down though, you spot five people coming down the river, splashing and fighting to stay afloat. There's no time to think. You jump into the water and try to catch as many as possible. Everyone is involved in pulling the people out of the water, but when everyone is back on the bank you only count four rescued people and you realise with heartbreak that two people slipped by.
Then someone shouts that there are ten people coming. You're all feeling out of breath, but everyone jumps in again. Five more people are rescued, but five others aren't. By now you're tired, the sun has gone in and the wind is picking up. You're thinking of heading home, when twenty people appear in the river. Everyone musters themselves and you go again, this time rescuing ten people, but losing another ten. You don't know whether to rejoice for the rescued ones or mourn those who have gone.
It occurs to you that this doesn't seem to be stopping and as valiant as your rescue efforts are, at some point someone has to go upstream and find out who is throwing these people into the river in the first place.
This story was used as an analogy of human trafficking. All the time there are people being rescued from horrific situations, but the number of people in slavery around the world continues to grow.
It's a lovely sunny day so you and a group of friends decide to go for a picnic down by the river. You get out the blankets and the food, everyone's having fun, when suddenly one of the group spots someone coming down the river. They seem to be struggling and they're being swept along by the strong current. You know that not much further on the river goes over a waterfall; it would be impossible to survive. It is imperative that you act. Holding on to each other you stretch out into the river and catch the person as they come by. You drag them up onto the bank and rap a blanket around them. Everyone's congratulating each other and very thankful that you managed to save the person.
Just as you're sitting back down though, you spot five people coming down the river, splashing and fighting to stay afloat. There's no time to think. You jump into the water and try to catch as many as possible. Everyone is involved in pulling the people out of the water, but when everyone is back on the bank you only count four rescued people and you realise with heartbreak that two people slipped by.
Then someone shouts that there are ten people coming. You're all feeling out of breath, but everyone jumps in again. Five more people are rescued, but five others aren't. By now you're tired, the sun has gone in and the wind is picking up. You're thinking of heading home, when twenty people appear in the river. Everyone musters themselves and you go again, this time rescuing ten people, but losing another ten. You don't know whether to rejoice for the rescued ones or mourn those who have gone.
It occurs to you that this doesn't seem to be stopping and as valiant as your rescue efforts are, at some point someone has to go upstream and find out who is throwing these people into the river in the first place.
This story was used as an analogy of human trafficking. All the time there are people being rescued from horrific situations, but the number of people in slavery around the world continues to grow.
Monday, 2 May 2016
Fear Misplaced
I've lost count of the number of times I've asked a child, "What are you afraid of?", when they tell me that they're feeling nervous, or scared of the zip wire/climbing wall/abseil tower etc. The answer though is always the same: "Heights".
My response has become equally repetitive. "No, you're afraid of something else." I then get them to figure out what it is that makes them scared, to which the answer is: falling.
I have come to the opinion, and I believe it is the truth, that no one in the world is afraid of heights. We are all, however (and this is proven fact) afraid of falling. It is one of just two fears that we are born with. It's a good thing to be afraid of, because we don't want to fall, falling is bad and our body reacts against that. Sadly, we have come to refer to that fear as being afraid of heights, which is nonsense. Just because you're in a high place does not mean you will fall. Helping kids to understand this is a big part of getting them to give the challenging, high-up, activities, a go.
Thinking about this led me to consider what other fears we have that are misplaced.
Fear of the dark is in fact a fear of what may come out of the dark.
Fear of flying, relates back to the fear of falling/crashing.
Fear of dentists or doctors or needles, is presumably a fear of pain (to the body or the wallet, or both).
Fear of death. I guess this is really a fear of the unknown, of what, or what doesn't lie beyond.
If we could come to see our fears for what they really are, maybe we would be better at overcoming them, or changing our attitude towards them.
(By the way, the other fear we are born with is Loud Noises. Not a fear we easily recognise. But you blink every time someone is hammering a nail!)
My response has become equally repetitive. "No, you're afraid of something else." I then get them to figure out what it is that makes them scared, to which the answer is: falling.
I have come to the opinion, and I believe it is the truth, that no one in the world is afraid of heights. We are all, however (and this is proven fact) afraid of falling. It is one of just two fears that we are born with. It's a good thing to be afraid of, because we don't want to fall, falling is bad and our body reacts against that. Sadly, we have come to refer to that fear as being afraid of heights, which is nonsense. Just because you're in a high place does not mean you will fall. Helping kids to understand this is a big part of getting them to give the challenging, high-up, activities, a go.
Thinking about this led me to consider what other fears we have that are misplaced.
Fear of the dark is in fact a fear of what may come out of the dark.
Fear of flying, relates back to the fear of falling/crashing.
Fear of dentists or doctors or needles, is presumably a fear of pain (to the body or the wallet, or both).
Fear of death. I guess this is really a fear of the unknown, of what, or what doesn't lie beyond.
If we could come to see our fears for what they really are, maybe we would be better at overcoming them, or changing our attitude towards them.
(By the way, the other fear we are born with is Loud Noises. Not a fear we easily recognise. But you blink every time someone is hammering a nail!)
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