Outdoor Discoveries

Why write?

Over the last few weeks, it may have been that I found the act of writing a piece cathartic. Admittedly, it helps if you are recalling a different time, as I am doing on my transport website at the moment. Then, there are the things that I have been adding to my technology website as well.

There are plenty of reasons for needing an escape. It appears that life is full of industrial relations disputes at the moment, with rail, airport, postal and healthcare staff all being in dispute with their employers regarding pay increases and other working conditions. It also has been a change of commencing a dramatic changeover in my Irish business holdings. Because others are involved, that weighs on my mind too.

A few of the these mean that I am fatigued, so outdoor outings are less likely, and the weather has not been that promising either, even if it is sunny outside at the moment while others worry about heating and other costs of living. It all means that I am looking forward to an end of year break lasting several weeks that allows me to recharge myself. Like the last few years, this will be a staycation at home, with possible day outings that have not come to mind yet. Transport strikes will constrain getaways for me anyway.

There also is a long backlog of trip reports that I can add here as well. A lot of these convey my mind to different and happier times, which also helps. Some are pre-pandemic, while others take me to other parts of the world. After those, there are photos to add from recent trips to Ireland.

All this activity gets me away from the current times for a while, and allows any troubling feelings and thoughts to fade away. This kind of apparent escapism may be frowned upon in Buddhism, since it might take one away from full presence in the here and now, but mindfulness offers its own forms of refuge. Christianity has its refuges as well, and they are much needed right now. Brighter times will arrive; for now, we need to have patience and forbearance. Things need to flow; and a gentler flow of recollections is better than a torrent of worries.