Change the world
Watching a concert well I sound old already, it was or is,
as I’m still watching it on the TV, Glastonbury music festival. It’s huge in
the UK. They have the best now and upcoming artists. So, Stormzy did his
brilliant music, with amazing choirs backing sounds crowd intervention and the
best wrap in the world, apart from one thing. The words. Do these musicians
realise how much they influence people especially young people? Do they know
that they can change the world? Forget politicians put a side all the do
gooders. It’s artists out there that say what they say and who kids and adults
take notice of. Stormzy is so clever. So talented but why, why, does he have to
use such awful language? What we call bad language. Swearing. What people of
his age some older and loads younger call expression? It’s not bad in their
minds. But to me it sounds so awful and so angry. Let’s have some peace please?
Calm, nice, kindness. Now Stormzy is a really nice bloke, I have seen him in
many interviews, but if I could talk to him face to face, I would tell him, if
he left out the bad language and replaced it with nice words. He would reply I’m
sure kids wouldn’t buy his music. But kids like that kind of stuff because they
have been programmed to do so. It wouldn’t take long to make it fashionable to
be nice sing about a good world not an angry selfish world where you are going
to disrespect the Police and other people.
Take for example, George Ezra, now there’s a perfect example of a
wonderful man. Kind and talented. Being nice is possible. Stormzy, just in case
you are reading this, haha, you never know, please help to change the world to
change our young people to believe in themselves that they can be good
successful caring people. We don’t need knives, guns and horrible vicious
words.
Chill time
Did you know that breathing deeply helps to release tension
in your body reduce heart rate and regulate your brains levels of serotonin-the
transmitter to happiness and wellbeing?
Breathe in through your nose for five seconds. Then hold for
five seconds then breathe out through your mouth making a sighing sound.
Use your
abdominal muscles to gently and completely empty your lungs.
House plants can make you feel calm as they require patience
so you have to be calm around them they are also perfect for improving the
quality of the air in your house but take care in picking the pots you put them
in and place them in a perfect place where you will be able to be near without
having to hurdle over your sofa to get to them. So, what plants to buy for your
house?
Aloe Vera, purifies
the air and can be used as a natural remedy to soothe burns and other skin
conditions. Rubber plants, super low maintenance and perfect for cooler climates. Snake plants. Scientists at NASA found that
having one of these easy to care for plants, lowers toxins in the Aire as well
as well as reduces anxiety. Bamboo palm also cleans the air, but looks great
too. Palm like leaves I guess reminds of being somewhere hot like our holidays.
If you are fortunate to go on a walk on your own with your thoughts and nature,
you will return home feeling so different breathing in the fresh air when you
are out and appreciate that you can do this as not everyone can go for a walk.
Turn off your mobile whenever you can. Escape from all tech.
your world will not end if you can’t be contacted for half an hour each day. And,
don’t worry about people trying to contact you. I mean what did we all do years
ago?
To your muscles a stretch is as good as a massage. A stretch releases tension. And if you can do
that and then touch your toes, even better. It’s written that stretching also
can improve your sleeping.
Talking of sleeping, get your clothes ready and all you need
for the next day before bed. Then you won’t lay awake worrying if you can find
everything you need. And you won’t start your day stressed. If you have food to
prepare for the next days lunch again do it the night before.
Now this is a funny thing to write, read and do, if you take
time to blow on your thumb, you read this right, four seconds blowing on your thumb
will calm your heart rate down. Remember your thumb has a pulse. So, if your
heart is fast, blow slowing your pulse down, intern it will help you, to calm
down. And finally, forgive yourself leave the guilt behind for half an hour per
day. Forget your office your house, your shopping your car everything, forget
your problems. Escape into your world. For you, give your body a treat, it
works hard, and needs a break to keep working for you. We all take our body for
granted. Oh, it will be fine. Why will it be fine if we don’t care for it. People
say our bodies are like cars we need to fine tune our engines.
Now, I say this, let me practice it. Join me and let me know
how you have got on? X
Selling your house
It’s that time of year when a lot of people are thinking
about putting their houses on the market. September is coming and the new
schools are around the corner. Some people think it’s the best time of year to
sell. As the garden may look it’s best and people are happier in summer than
winter. So, how to make your house have that attraction appeal? Well I have read
a lot on this subject and this is what I have either learned or knew already by
past experience.
Most people know that when you are selling your house,
people first see the outside. So, make sure your garden and drive are both
tidy. Make your drive look as big as possible by removing everything but your
car. Keep your grass short and the edges neat. People think if your garden is
tidy your house will be too but if you have a messy garden, then a lot of
people will drive off. Now in my experience, I have known two people who had
the most perfect gardens, but their houses were seriously lacking paint and a
duster. But still they say that people will look further if the outside looks
nice. This includes your front door. If the paint is coming off or looking old,
then think about repainting it. And think of the colour you are putting on it…
a bright blue, green or yellow may not look as classy as boring white or a dark
red for example.
Give your door new dresswear like a handle, letter box or
door bell.
If your garage door and windows are all white then you can
put a contrast colour on your doors. But if your windows are white, your garage
door is another colour, personally I would match the door with the garage door.
Overflowing gutters check them out and your roof. Keep it
clean.
Your drive is important. Keep the weeds down and if there
are any parts that need tidying, then try to do so.
If you don’t have a drive but a small pathway leading to
your front door, try fitting different coloured outdoor tiles to make a
statement.
If you live in a Victorian property, you can look for
designs that were around in that era, such as black and white geometric tiles
laid in a diamond formation. If you are on a budget, then coloured gravel or slate
is nice. Remember though to edge the pathway with wood to keep it in place also
an underlay sheet to prevent most weeds from coming through the gravel/slate.
And if you have a gate, same as the door and garage door. Keep
it nice. You can get rust treatment if you have a metal gate too. Just by doing
this you would feel happy too when you come home. You can add lights so that
when it’s getting dark, there is a lovely welcoming pathway of lights to your
door and remember that important tidy doormat, so, if your door mat is looking
like it’s had too many feet trampling over it, then time for a change.
And then inside. Tidy cushions on your chairs and sofas. Don’t
leave newspapers laying around. From your kitchen remember to empty the bin and
any old take away boxes from the night before. Don’t have a load of dishes in
the sink and as for your bedroom, make sure your bed is made. I know you may think
what? but I do know people who have shown me around their house when I was
looking to buy and they hadn’t made their bed not only that, but they had dirty
clothes laying around. And on radiators. Socks and worse… so, it does happen.
Try to have your ornaments and pictures put away in boxes in
your garage or storage just this makes the house look less personal, to you. Some
people just don’t have any imagination so they can’t think of your house the
way it is, empty or with their stuff in it.
Don’t have the TV blasting, fine for quiet background sound
but again, I have been in someone’s house where the wife has shown me around
and the Husband has been laying on the sofa with the football blasting out of
the TV.
I have also been in a house where they had coffee going on. Well
that smell is meant to be homely and it is lovely, but not everyone likes the
smell and when I went to a house like that, I did smile thinking you have been
reading how to sell your house…. I have also been into a house where the smell
of freshly baked bread has come from the kitchen, again another tip, but again,
a little obvious. I also hate freshly sprayed air freshener. I immediately think.
What smell are they trying to hide?
And if you are looking to buy. Visit the property you ar
interested in, at night time as that is
when you will learn if you go early in the evening especially if its light
nights, if children are playing near your house and what kind of children they
are but if you live not too far away, and you visit later, you will see what undesirables are hanging around too.
When I picked this house where we live now, I just felt at
peace. And I felt the friendliness of our street. And I haven’t been wrong when
it comes to the friendliness, and it is peaceful out the front, but oh, boy the
back? It was raining so I didn’t stay out the back long. But if I had come back,
I would have seen it was very noisy.
Happy house hunting and selling.
THE BIRD SONG OF MOMBAI
I was reading a lovely story today about a couple who have
grown up children who have left home with their busy lives leaving behind their
parents who also had busy lives but because their lives had been longer, they
had become bored and miserable, not only with their jobs, but with each other.
One day he proudly showed her an ugly contraption he had
bought on line. Sturdy plastic it was at first, she wasn’t sure what it was,
but he told her it was to feed the birds. She replied. “we live in Mumbai,
where there are no birds and people are starving so how can we feel good about
feeding birds?” he said the birds belong to the world and they will come. It’s
up to the world to feed them.
On their tiny balcony of their apartment, he fitted the bird
feeder. Filled it with bird food and waited. Nothing for a couple of days but
then one morning he quietly whispered to his wife. Look, pointing to the balcony
where to her surprise there was the brightest green parrot sitting near the
feeder staring into the window and with caution, he placed his beak into the
food and enjoyed a lovely breakfast.
The lady was shocked. The husband was delighted, fuelling
his desire to learn as much as possible about birds, what to feed them
different kinds and so on.
Over the weeks they had songbirds who they learned they sing
up to 2000 times per day and other kinds of birds. Then one day, the birds
stopped coming. Her husband became very depressed again. No purpose in life.
every day was the same. Working hard at the same old job. He had got used to
chatting over breakfast to his wife again like they used to when they had not
learned about forgetting about how to communicate with each other. Before life
got in their way.
One day through tears, she was writing at her desk. Trying to
beat the deadline whilst worrying about her ailing father. Her husband was
working long hours as always. Then suddenly she saw something out of the corner
of her eye. It was the green parrot back for food. He looked into her soul as
if to speak with her. She tried to get close to him. He looked as if to say,
come any further lady, and I’m gone…
Her husband came home from work they went to bed and she
reached out for his hand. He asked what was the matter, she told him of their
friend who visited. He was so happy. So proud. He once again had a purpose in
life. he and his wife continued to learn about birds and enjoyed their new
study, their old conversations! Something happened between them. A new spark
was ignited.
I don’t think this story is as simplistic as it seems. I think
the moral of it is a distraction away from every day life can be a good thing. You
just have to open your mind and heart and do something you have never done
before. What did that parrot say to the lady that day?
27 June 2019
Blind drivers?
Self-driving cars may sound like something from a sci fi
futuristic movie, but could they happen in our lifetime? As in my life time?
How long have I got left? God knows but I would guess I could have up to another
forty years. I have to say I am rather scared of them and how many children
will just get in their parents’ cars and drive off? How many people who have no
vision will be on the roads and is that a bad thing? No, but scary. Or people who
seriously take it as a joke?
My Husband is really wanting one of these. You may know unless
you are new readers, we are both blind. But the thought of just being able to
pack up a picnic and go for a drive, pull up somewhere and just chill or get to
that important meeting or just go shopping or even to visit our friends who are
spread all over the country. Right now, some would say we are almost like
prisoners. We are fortunate to get out with our dogs but they have limitations.
And they normally involve some kind of public transport and that has to be
planned. What if we just fancy a drive a random drive just as those with sight
and what if we want something at our big shop, to get to it by foot is so
dangerous and to get there by bus will take longer than it would by walking but
if we could just jump in our car and drive there, oh, wow, it would be amazing.
Though I’m still scared of doing so. As my Husband says, we already get into a
self-drive car every time we get in a vehicle. How? Well we have no say we sit
there and are driven, but that is by a human who we kind of do have some sort
of control over as in asking them to stop for example what if one day the car
just takes charge? One day I do believe that robots will take over humanity.
These cars will be really great to stop anyone who lives
with isolation and combat loneliness. As it is, we connect to the internet in
our cars and our vehicles already perform emergency stops and adapted cruise
control to increase fuel efficiency.
In the UK, our Government have committed to spending over £200million
on research and infrastructure to accelerate the delivery of safe and secure
automated vehicles.
development.
The market for
self-driving vehicles is predicted to be worth 52 billion in the UK by 2035!
Just think about this. Not all friends are on a bus route.
And how many people with sight, pick up their friends and all car share for a
day out? Well it would be great if we could pick up our other friends who also
are blind and do something just like you. And right now, our sighted friends do
all the driving for us. We as in my Husband and myself feel bad about this and
wish we could take part in some of the responsibility. One company in the UK
who are working with D/V, are called Flourish. Let’s see what happens with
driverless cars!
What to do about it?
Last night Hub and I were watching a program about crime in
the UK. We could only watch half as it really is disturbing just how much we
have changed over the years. With regards to respect. So many kids today and
even people in their twenties, are so disgraceful and have no morals or decency
at all. Especially when it comes to our Police and other emergency services.
With regards gangs of youths. A policeman made a valid point
that I haven’t analysed in great detail before but he said at one time we would
go out to get friends by knocking on their door. So, if we wanted to get with
ten pals, we would have to knock on ten doors and then get past the parents as
even when I was young, I can’t remember us as kids answering the door, it was the
job of our parents.
Now days it takes one text. And kids have so much more freedom
especially if parents are out at work. It used to shock me with my Sons
friends. When he was small, how many children were just left in holidays and
other days when the children were off school for whatever reason. They lived on
junk food so not getting the right vitamins and they were allowed to go
wherever they wanted. Okay, parents used to say before they left for work, or
the night before in most cases, don’t leave the street, but who was there to
make sure that happened?
Unless people get a grip, I dread what the next generation
are going to be like!
18 June 2019
The right Jewellery
Have you ever been in a situation where you have your dress
sorted for a special occasion, you don’t need to buy jewellery because in your
box at home, you have loads, but when the time comes, everything even your
underwear is perfectly picked to pair up with your footwear, but then it comes
to the part you thought would be the easiest. Jewellery. Hmm. What goes with
what?
Just because jewellery is expensive, doesn’t mean it will
compliment every outfit. You can decorate yourself in jewels with the plainest
dress and it will look good or you can spoil a perfectly beautiful dress by
wearing the wrong jewellery.
It’s said that if you have an oval face, you should pick
triangular earrings. If you have a heart shaped face then drop earrings without
dangly bits on the end, just a simple drop.
For a plain look that can be classy, wear one or two rings
and if you have a plain outfit, then you can jazz up with your statement rings.
A blain black V neck dress for example can look really sophisticated with drop
different coloured jewel earrings and multi coloured rings. But if you are
wearing dots or patterns, then I would go for more simple rings either plain
silver or gold.
Rubies on top of a dark blue like a navy outfit, would look
so lovely, imagine that navy blue with the reds. If you are stuck on what
jewels to buy, stick with diamonds. You can’t go wrong with them and they look
amazing with a T/shirt and jeans, or a party dress. Your office suit or even a
bathing costume. Diamonds really are a girl’s best friend and I think men look
great in them too.
Personally, I like pearls on other people rather than me. I
feel too pail skinned for them but what I do like to see, in my head of course,
is pearls with aqua or blues so the colours of the sea.
Buying other people jewellery is really a challenge I find.
As jewellery is so personal. So, I do try to avoid that and I really don’t like
receiving jewellery from friends/family, though I do have to say my Son and
Husband buy the loveliest jewellery for me. But I guess that is because they
know what I like. And that is small jewels by the way, I don’t like huge
stones, I like very delicate stones. And I’m tall and look like I have had a
feast or seven too many, but still small jewels I prefer.
If you are very small in height, then personally I would
wear small jewellery as I would imagine that large stones would make you look
smaller. For me personally less is best. And my favourite stone is a diamond. I
love them. I don’t like wearing yellow gold as I’m so fair skinned, so silver
or platinum I prefer. People with dark skin are fortunate as they look great in
all kinds of jewellery I feel.
I love men in jewellery. In fact, it was me who persuaded my
Son to get his ear pierced when he was about 13. To my Husbands horror. My
Husband has dark hair and skin he has a Spanish look about him so he looks
lovely in all coloured jewellery but sadly he hardly wears it. He has a couple
of rings including his wedding ring, and some watches. He would like a chain,
but we haven’t yet found one suitable as he wants a really thick one and they
are so expensive. And the ones I have seen are so boring!
I wonder why we feel like we need things around our neck,
wrists, fingers and ankles? Around 15 BC, Greek people started to make
jewellery by winding wires, and beads shaped like animals were used too and
shells to make necklaces etc. and in 1600 Greek people started using gems and
golds. But wearing jewellery started long before that with the Neanderthals who wore ostrich eggs made into beads,
from a huge 40,000 years ago.
There are still places in the world where people wear
jewellery rather than clothing. Personally,
I think I shall stick with wearing clothes and possibly jewels to decorate
them.
For everyone’s best
interest.
Shoes
Most of us are fortunate enough to have feet. So, we need shoes. Need. That word says a
lot. I’m really showing my age in my latest words. Where as when we are babies,
we are given booties, when we are children, we are told what to wear and when
we are heading towards adulthood, we wear coverings on our feet that look good,
no matter how much they hurt or how impractical they are.
I remember forcing my feet into the pointiest of burgundy
leather boots with tassels down the sides. They had zips on the inside and they
were knee high. Oh, the heels, they were as thin as a pencil and a huge 5
inches long. Yes, I walked with grace I must say, on stilts of 5 inches which
is about 12.7 cm. how did I even do it? Considering now just to go up or down a
step I get vertigo!
I would put on my most beautiful shoes I had them of every
colour all high heels. I was tall from the age of about 12, so didn’t really
need heels other than I thought they looked great. But as I put them on each
morning, that day would be different. For whatever reason, my feet wouldn’t
hurt that day. Why, when they did every other day?
Half way through the day, oh, boy, the elastic bands were
getting tighter. By evening, early evening, I couldn’t wait to take them off.
By the end of the night, let me at my shoes… oh few. Wow, as tears fell from my
eyes of pure pain relief and pleasure, possibly the best feeling I could
imagine for a short while, until I put them on again on another day, of course
and went through it all that same night.
Why do we ladies go through that? We are so vane. I used to
love matching my shoes with my bag and even in the 80’s matching bangles and
beads. Oh, I thought I was it…. Now? I wear semi practical shoes. My friends
are always telling me off because I don’t wear appropriate footwear. But I’m
much better than I was last year and miles better than I was twenty years ago,
that’s for sure.
Some people pay thousands for footwear. I am sure shoes are
not worth thousands. They are covered in jewels. Well, stones but why? Go out
and buy a necklace? We can get jewels on
our shoe’s bags and gloves now. and I’m sure they look stunning. But when you
pay the same for footwear as a car, it’s a crazy thought. And when will you get
bored of them? Once all your friends have seen them, aren’t they old hat? Or,
old shoes?
If we were meant to wear really high heels or even any kind
of heel, we would have been born with different feet, surely? And can you even
imagine what it was like for our predecessors in life? no shoes at all. Ouch.
How on earth did they walk without cutting themselves? And how did they keep
warm?
How many pairs of shoes do you own? In my prime of life,
haha, I guess I owned about thirty pares. That’s not too bad. People have
dedicated rooms just for their shoes. Now, I think I have about ten pares. And
they are all flat and boring. And most of them kill me. I have one pare that
lovely Pip talked me into buying. Oh, I fought with her no way I was buying
granny shoes. I hated them. They were the most unattractive shoes on this
earth. They were for very very old people. I would cringe even going into the
make of this shop.
Well I went in. Hub said. Just try them on, you don’t have
to buy them. So just to shut him and Pip up, I put them on.
Oh
Gosh
Wow
Em, well, I bought them. They were heavenly. I hurried to
the till, paid for them wanting to tell the people behind serving that they
were not for me but an elderly relative. But I think they saw the fuss we were
causing and the acceptance that they were right and I was wrong. Of course, I
never admitted they were right I needed comfort at last, I just told them to
keep them off my back, I would buy them. As the man handed me my bag, I hurried
back to Hub and the three of us came out of the shop, I hoped people would
think I was a kind friend carrying the bag for my older friend…. If I could
have seen, I would have looked left and right just before leaving the shop,
just in case anyone saw me who I knew.
Now I have worn them. Three times. And wow, yes, they are
amazing. But oh gosh, they still look hideous.
16 June 2019
Dads art
I have always wanted to paint. Even when I could see, I
loved drawing though I wasn’t really any good. But in my mind, I paint. I have
beautiful art all around the walls of my mind but then there is a corner of
what can only be described as modern art, well, that is the kind words for it.
Imagine for people who are blind, if they could put their
pictures into words. Obviously, we can’t see art, but we can write it? My weird
painting the other day was as follows.
A face but not necessarily human, kind of mystical, alien. Peering
through what could be interpreted into long thin petals from flowers. In my
head they were Japanese. And I don’t even know why I say that as I don’t know
what any Japanese flowers look like. But these were really elongated abstract as
they were abnormally long. Really thin. Different shades of reds and orange.
The face could be seen in the gaps of the petals but the petals if you look at
them in another way, could represent flames from the fire.
Most of the painting was taken up by the red flickers of
petals. Now, where on earth did that come from? And who would want that on
their wall? Not me that’s for sure an yet day three I am still seeing that
painting.
Most of my mind paintings are of white horses running along
the sandy beach just next to the edge of the water with its white frothy waves
and salt spraying backwards as the horse gallops along. It’s main and tail is
floating back away from the wind!
I have other horse paintings and angels as well as fairy
pictures. And another one I love is a long wide river with edged greenery and
in the distance just under a bridge, there is a fisherman. Now I’m a vegetarian
and I don’t like people who kill any kind of creatures, so, why on earth would
I have a fisherman?
I could go on forever to tell you about what pictures I have
painted in my mind. But I wondered if anyone else has done this? May be people
who used to be artists and now are blind? Or just maybe I have an overactive
mind and deep down, I’m trying to keep alive images in my mind. But then why
would I have this vivid piece of art with the floral flames?
Just weird.
Some people are very exact when they describe photographs or
even in their writing. What if they put their words out there as in some kind
of art work? So, people who are blind can sit and imagine a beautiful picture?
Some very kind readers tell me I have written something that
makes them feel as if they were there at the same time as me. I love that as
that is what I want. I want you to escape with me. Some people can read
something like a book, and get into that world. So, why can’t they also get
into a picture? There are so many writers out there who never get published.
You don’t have to have books out there to be a good writer.
What is art? It’s normally a visual thing. But for those who
don’t have the gift of sight, what do they do for art?
If you are blind, do you have pictures on your walls at
home? It’s something I haven’t asked my friends who are blind. But I have
pictures/paintings. Would I have. Had if I had been born blind? I couldn’t
answer that as how would I know? I am sure my Husband wouldn’t have pictures on
the wall, though we went on holiday some years ago and he bought me the most
beautiful painting in the most exquisite frame.
But that was because he knew I love pictures. In my sitting room it
hangs on the wall. It’s a really thick piano black frame that is slightly shaped.
It features the head of the most stunning. (In my imagination) white tiger. She
is a tiger from a safari park in the UK. She has the brightest blue eyes. Obviously,
I don’t know what she really looks like, but she is beautiful inside of my
head.
I love this because I know she is a real animal.
I have many paintings in my sitting room, but this one is
the only really good one. The rest are not at all expensive and are painted by
a local man to where I used to live. They are all the castles of my beautiful
homeland of Northumberland. We have a large lovely canvas picture of our
wedding day and a couple of chunky wooden things like a Braille barometer and a
log with a carving of a chalet from Austria. I have a small canvas of my Son
when he was little too. On my landing, and at the bottom of our stairs, I have
the loveliest silver thick carved frames with paintings of angels on canvas. And I have some plates too mainly with horses
and dogs on. And finally, a picture of my Dad and myself which I treasure as
it’s the only picture I have of him.
When the picture of me and my Dad was taken, I could see.
So, I remember the picture really well, I have to keep thinking about it as
when you don’t see something for so long, your memory forgets. And it’s been
over twenty years since I saw that photograph, so it’s getting more faded as
the years go by, but I hope I will never forget it totally. Last year I went to
my Dads picture. It was his birthday. I always go to his photograph and say
some words. As I don’t have a grave stone to attend. And I was heartbroken as I
couldn’t remember which side of the picture my Dad was, and which side I was
on? That was awful. And that memory never came back to me. But I know it’s the
two of us and I know what I was wearing as I remember what my Dad had on. It’s
a close up of the two of us. But which side is Dad on?
15 June 2019
WHAT WE BECOME
Something I read today.
“What we think about most, is what we become!””
Well I’m not too sure that to be true, are you? I guess some
people are fortunate to have dreams and their dreams do come true. So, we all
grow up thinking what we will be when we get older. But what is the miracle
that makes some people be able to follow their dreams, for their wishes to
actually come true? Is it determination? Is its positive thinking? Is it push
in life or is it what I have touched on before, up to us to pick the right path
and keep going but stopping when the time is right? Or is it just our lives are
mapped out for us and we are guided by something to which we have not learned
about just yet and we may never learn who is guiding us.
If you are lucky enough to have sight, you can look in the
mirror. What do you see? I have not been able to see myself for twenty years or
more now. even that hellish time is passing by now at some kind of crazy speed.
I don’t have the gift of being able to look in the mirror. To find solace in
blaming the bad lighting for what I am looking at, for whom is staring back at
me. Aging eyes and skin. Not the person in my head that I think I am. Who is
that person? Who have I become? You as a sighted person have seen yourself over
the years growing older slowly, if I was to be given my vision back now, I
think I would get a shock. Who will I see? I don’t have anyone in my life I
remember that was or is older than me. I don’t have anyone who belongs to me
who is older so I can’t say, oh goodness, I’m starting to look like Aunt Mary
or my Mum. Being adopted removed that pleasure, that ability to run to an image
to get some kind of acceptance from a mentor or elder.
I can imagine if I am blessed in my life to ever have my
sight restored, I can only conclude that
it will be like someone being in some kind of horrific accident and
having to have years of surgery to totally restore their features and what they
will end up with may be someone else’s face. It won’t be the same as I knew
when I was a young lady. It won’t be that pretty young thing that had floorless
skin and beautiful big blue eyes with a fresh smile and the gift of youth. But
a middle or more than middle aged woman who I have never seen before.
I guess there will be glimpses of what I remembered in
myself. May be the shape of my lips or my smile. As it’s my smile most people
comment on. Can you imagine that? I went blind many years ago. 21 in fact,
almost to the day, and tomorrow I wake up and for whatever reason, I can see?
What would I do and what would I say? Well I would think I had died and this
was heaven.
I would think I was dreaming and try to wake myself up.
I would grab my chest holding on tight as I am sure my heart
would try to burst through my skin. I would sit up in bed and then frees. Would
I dare ever close my eyes? I think I would keep them open as long as possible
and when my eyes are so saw, I would physically hold them open with my
fingertips as if I closed them, I would be so afraid I would never be able to
see when they reopened.
If I could get to my feet, I would go to the bathroom. I
would go to our mirror, as my Husband and I are both blind, but we still have
mirrors in our house.
Would I look? Would I dare take a look at the person
standing staring back at me?
What if I didn’t like what I was seeing? How could I not
like what was looking back at me, how could I ever again dislike anything in
life. if I were given my sight, I would never be unhappy about anything.
Surely?
I would stare at this person. I would stair right into her
eyes. I would place my fingertips on my cheeks and slowly move them about my
face as if to point out the lines of time. But I would love every single fault.
Every imperfection. Because I could see. I was free. For the first time in over
twenty years. My chains were gone and my legs were free to go wherever I
wanted. No longer a prisoner to a sin, a crime I must have committed to deserve
the pain I have felt with sight loss.
Of course, being blind has brought me some positives. I have
met and got to know some people who will be forever in my life. I have had two
beautiful guide dogs. I understand life so much more than what I would have
done if I was always with vision. I am more compassionate. Understanding of
other people’s troubles. But to be honest, I think I was more than half way
there by the age of 10. I don’t need to learn any more just if my maker and decision
maker is reading this.
I have been through the times of life and witnessed every
single face looking back at me if not visually, certainly in my mind heart and
soul. I can see right through people you don’t need vision to do that.
THE MIRROR OF LIFE
Something beautiful I read today.
“movement is birthed in the soul and lived in the actions of
life. the ocean calls us with the steadiness of its tide and the dance of the
waves. A reminder to never stop moving, even though we do pause each day to
reflect and remember why we are moving in the first place.”
Now I’m sure I haven’t written that down exactly how it was
written, but you get the general idea, I hope?
Writing is so like art; you read it and translate into
whatever you wish. That is what I love about words. People paint their own
pictures from your art. And sometimes the readers are transformed into another wonderful
world or a world they may never wish to go, perhaps they are grateful that they
have never been to your place or they may want to read on to find out where the
location is so they too can visit?
Maybe they are left confused with words written by a mind
that is as far away from reality on those pages at that time than even they
realise.
Reflections, directions, are words that we all do and
experience. We all go in our own directions sometimes we head the same way and
realise we have so much in common and other times we travel along our own
pathway in life and meet in the middle with those we were born to meet either
in this world or, another before ours!
Reflection on time today, I can’t believe where the past
three years have gone. Why three years? Why that particular number? Not sure to
be honest but it started a few days ago. It was my friend’s wedding anniversary
and she had been married three years. No, not a chance I thought, it’s been a
year, surely? I spoke with her and my reminder was correct. Three years. Oh, it
scared me. I felt as if I had a hole in life and somehow, I had gone down it
and was swallowed up by the God of time. Seriously, I really truly believed it
was last year, not 2016!
How can that happen? I mean we all say, no, it’s never been
ten years? Or fifteen years, but I have never before been shocked that three
years, such a short number has gone by without me taking time out to recognise
that time that I have lost or that is going by so fast and what has happened in
between to my mind?
Is it a sign of getting older? Will it be months soon then
weeks then days that will turn into hours?
Perhaps the universe is an empty mirror. It goes on forever
and the older we get the mirror becomes more distant but we understand that sheet
of glass disguised as the mirror of life.
Directions of life. which route will we take? Will it be the
right one? We are meant to guide our children to the right road, we are not
meant to build it for them. And then they must take their own pathway even if
we see them going the wrong way. The wrong direction. It’s the most difficult
thing of being a parent. Even if there are flames ahead, we have to let them
burn. How can we love our children but allow them to take that dangerous path
in life?
We may discover a philosophical way of living by
encountering a world by collecting all knowledge from every resource we can
take in as much information our brains can store, but at the end of the day, we
have to move and make our own decisions right or wrong. But thinking reverently
about life.
Why are we hear? Why were we put on earth? For whom were we
born? And who is guiding us? That mirror, we look into it, see nothing but our
own reflection. What happens if we no longer see our reflection? Is it more
difficult for those who are blind to know which path to take in life without
some kind of intervention from a higher body? How do we as people who are blind
see the road ahead? How do we see the turns to take in life!
715 words
14 June 2019
FLOODS
As we watch our news it’s scary to see or hear the floods
around England. What is happening to our country? This kind of thing never
happened an yet now it’s every year. Global warming is really happening. it
doesn’t mean the world is getting warmer only, it means the weather is totally
messed up. All over the world we are witnessing weather conditions that we have
never experienced before. Whether it’s record heat, floods or tornadoes. So
many natural disasters. We have seen fires in the UK more over the past couple
of years, than I have ever known in my past.
In England, we had the hottest February on record. It was
warmer than what we normally get in July. February we normally have snow.
We are concentrating on electric cars when we should be
looking into cars that can float. Seriously.
I wonder what inventions will be coming up for us all in the
near future? I wish they would bring out a gas that is released in the air to
make everyone loving and happy, peaceful and kind. I wish our genetics could be
adapted so there is no such thing as feelings of hate, anger or sadness. A
world that we can all feel so safe. No one gets killed nothing gets murdered in
fact. All animals and people live as one.
This has never been in our makeup, has it. Since life began,
we have always had fighting wars and terror. Hurt and pain go hand in hand with
humanity. But why is this?
