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THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING, NOT DOING. A thread.
These are difficult times and we all have to find a way through as best we can. Finding myself up at sparrow fart, thanks to the clocks, I decided to go for a walk as miracle of miracles, the sun was out in HD9.
These are difficult times and we all have to find a way through as best we can. Finding myself up at sparrow fart, thanks to the clocks, I decided to go for a walk as miracle of miracles, the sun was out in HD9.
I was meant to be at the Sculpture Park but having had a rubbish night, decided against the drive. On impulse, I decided to go exploring the woods near where I live. I took a different fork in the path.
As a result, I saw purple mushrooms for the first time (who even knew they were a thing?), a Jay (long missed), found a couple of small waterfalls and happened upon a beautiful reservoir populated with swans, geese and ducks. I âbotheredâ a few dogs (love fussing dogs).
I found a bench beside the water. This was perfect. Sun was still shining. I sat down, got out my flask, opened the book of poetry I had brought along on impulse and started to read.
Now I donât know about you but as an avid reader, Iâve struggled during the pandemic with concentration. I can read a page, mind wanders off, I come back to it and think âwhatâs going on?â So it was lovely to discover that poetry is an antidote to that.
Short enough not to be hard work, loose enough to let your mind join the dots as it chooses, structured enough for your brain to go, âaha, clever form, there.â In short, I had a lovely, enjoyable time.
And then it struck me that for the first time in months, there was no distraction activity, no worrying about things I cannot control, no âwhat ifs?â I was just a human being, BEING.
We arenât human doings, are we? Stop doing. Let it go. Politics and work telling us all the time we should be âproductiveâ and âour best selves.â Well this morning I was. By doing ânothing.â
So thatâs it, really. Do things that arenât jobs, chores, demands. Just for a little while, if you can. This was the book. These were the views. 
Iâll be buying more poetry and turning to it regularly in the long, dark nights (of the soul?) ahead. Think Iâll start with @IMcMillan, @ianduhig and other Yorkshire stuff and branch out from there. If you want to hit me with recommendations, please do.
