A magical morning - 2

We ended-up continuing along the path I was first reluctant to follow. I was brought to the B&B and introduced to the loveliest bunch of people from Ireland and other parts of the world! They were all really intrigued and wondering where I had sprung from! “Winnie (which is this special ladys’ name) goes for a walk and suddenly she comes back with this girl, who has obviously just gotten up out of bed - judging by how untidily she has her hair tied back into 4 little buns - and is also a local but sounds strangely foreign, how odd!” Anyhow, the group of 20 welcomed me and they were happy for me to sit in with the service they had planned. But first, Winnie and I had time to kill, or actually, the clock was ticking way too fast and we only had an hour to continue this extremely interesting conversation.

Well, never before have I met an African woman who I’ve gotten so closely acquainted with in such a short space of time. Never before have I been offered an insight into the harsh life of crime, injustice, struggle and poverty that is their natural way of African life. Never before has a 5 minute walk on a Sunday morning in late October blown me away so much due to the randomness in meeting such a gentle woman who looks amazing yet seems to have lived 9 lives! Never before have I been asked to write a book on her tales! Which is what she did. Who knows what lies ahead…

The service took place in a sunroom and it was like we were in this huge glass cabinet that hung above a view that was out of this world! But I was only 5 minutes away from home!! These words were constantly screaming in my ears! These people felt so lucky to be staying in such a place……… and I LIVED JUST DOWN THE ROAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well, I questioned who exactly was the lucky one. I felt it was me!

I sat and listened to the service. Some of them gave talks on life situations, lessons and growth. A lady from Dublin, a guy from Korea and a lady from South Africa. I related to them but had these fleeting moments of being unable to grasp how I had landed myself in this glass cabinet with 20 people who were so welcoming and open. I was sitting beside a lady who I had only met 2 hours ago, who was so warm and cosy, so wise and yet still questioning her past, her present and her future - she was 20 years my senior and still on a journey to find out what the purpose of her suffering was. Does it ever end? Will we forever be searching for our faith and questioning our beliefs with every circumstance life presents us with? A question that has answers without end..

So there I was, in Arklow, my hometown. I was looking out over the Irish sea, the bright blue sky, the green hills, the cows in the field, the heat of the sun coming through the glass ceiling. I was surrounded by people who didn’t question my faith, who didn’t judge my beliefs, who didn’t preach me to take on theirs. I couldn’t help but question religion, beliefs, Christianity, spirituality, diversity, unity, journey‘s of life.. And so many others things. Did I agree with everything I heard? No I didn’t. Did I feel like a hypocrite for being there even though I don’t believe? No, which I actually thought I would. Did I feel out of place? No, because I didn’t even feel to experiencing this, it was too random! And so, when you don’t feel to be in a certain place, you don’t feel to “out of a certain place” either!

What a morning this turned out to be! It was 1pm by the time the service ended. Winnie brought me back to that spot where she had so magically appeared out of the shadows. We wandered that same path again. She said she approached me because I too seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. This was a meeting that happened for some strange reason. And I was already becoming aware of them. Just on my doorstep here in Ireland, there lies so much magic. Do we have to go the ends of the earth to find that magic and to have such experiences? Some people wander their whole lives and this whole earth, in search of just such moments that will offer a spark to brighten their days. And, I was offered it without straying more than 5 minutes from my desk on a bright Sunday morning in Arklow. On your doorstep there can be just as much magic as there can be anywhere in the world. All you need to do is open your eyes, open your front door and become aware.. Because it really is all there!

A magical morning - 1

The morning on which this random meeting took place, was last Sunday the 24th of October. I got up bright and early, full of the joys of Spring, even though it’s the middle of Autumn. But it didn’t look like Autumn when I was gazing out the bedroom window as I sat down to start writing. Spring was in the air and also in my step and I had to let it bounce! The weather was way too nice, so I set-off for a short walk before diving into the writing and I left everyone sleeping. The whole house was having a lie-in, taking advantage of Cian - our bundle of joy and energy in the body of a 1 year old young man - who was acting the role of sleeping beauty!

I walked along this path leading away from the town. It’s a country-road I’ve been down many times before. I like to call it my “playground”. It’s got the most amazing views on a clear day and I always feel to be somewhere else, other than Arklow. This time I followed a path that was leading off the country-road. Usually I’d never head down that particular road, because I figured it was private property. But it’s actually just for everyone to walk along! Yay!

I was so happy. It was cold but it was such a bright morning at the same time and I was high on life! I had literally taken a “leave of absence” from this life here, and I felt like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz.. following the yellow brick road in search of something but I had no clue of what! The difference between my road and Dororthys’, was that this one wasn’t yellow; just plane tarmac! It was winding, twisting and I hadn’t a clue where it would lead me. I didn’t care and I was hopping, skipping, running and jumping in the magic of the moment. I even ventured through fields, climbed over fences, dodged nettles and bushes and ran with my skirt, cardigan, scarf and boots.. Then I felt the “wolly” in me was happy to get back home and start work! A wolly is what others would’ve called me, if they’d witnessed my “shenanigans.. especially as the majority of people my age would be lying in bed with a hangover knocking on their bedroom door at that same moment in time!

So I stopped. I stood for a minute, totally out of breath. I hadn’t ran like that in ages! Man, I’m unfit! I gazed back over the fields and the path I’d just ran along. For a moment I wanted to venture onwards and find out where the path would lead. But I kept standing still, gazing. I looked back over my shoulder and suddenly a woman appeared. She just came walking towards me, from that destination unknown! It was the freakiest thing. I didn’t see her coming out of the shadows. She had a scarf on her head and was walking so calmly. I wondered if we’d get to talking. And, of course we did! She casually started a conversation and turned out to be the nicest woman ever! Within a few minutes we’d already made some kind of a connection. I don’t know why I told her the things I did, within only moments of meeting her. And she did the same. It was so interesting. I was yearning to get back home though! The laptop was waiting! The book needed to be written!

But, where had this woman come from? Originally she came from Zimbabwe, but what was she doing here?? The path I wasn’t planning on venturing down, led to a B&B where she was staying for the weekend with a Christian group. Our talk was so interesting and the way we met was even more striking, so it seemed a shame for me to break away. She asked if I wanted to attend a service they had planned at 11am (at this stage it was 9.30). I hesitated for a short moment because my laptop was calling me and I wasn’t too sure how the service and the group would “fit” with me or how I would “fit” with them. For religious reasons that is. I’ve been raised Catholic. But that’s it. I don’t practise the religion and I have my own beliefs. Hestiations. Humm.. What to do? But I figured, this lady is accepting of me. She wants to get to know me and I want to get to know her too. This meeting is too random to let religious beliefs stop me from seeing what’s in store! I was curious to find out more about this special lady from Zimbabwe!

Goal setting

The flow of a book. I’ve questioned how long it would take to complete it. I’ve wondered if I’ve been devoting enough hours to it each day. I’ve set myself target dates. And even wondered if this would benefit the process or not. Setting a goal, will it force the process of creating a book and therefore stop it from flowing? Or will it keep the process unfolding at a nice pace to prevent it from suddenly stopping?

Goal-setting has different effects on everybody. Different things work differently for different people. So how does it urge me along? It’s important to not get fixated on the date by which I want the manuscript complete, just like it's important for me to not fixate on the timeline I have in my head. It’s a work of quality and not quantity. Quality isn’t measured by the amount of hours, days, weeks or months that’s been put into “getting something done”. It’s about the enjoyment experienced throughout and the knowledge that it’s reaching it’s fullest potential, no matter how short or long something takes to bring it into the world. And then the question arises: who determines what’s short and what’s long? Only the person who has set the goal; which is also the only one applying some pressure.

Pressure applied to get it done. Why? Because the surrounding world is always in need of someone to experience it, wholeheartedly so she jump around it, bounce on it and set alight a fire on earth by using the already lighting fire that’s burning within her heart. And then, to once again, get to a place where the "world of the book" can be created, by what’s been learnt and experienced in the surrounding world. This is the sole reason for that healthy application of pressure, just on certain points, to keep the energy flowing. It’s almost like acupuncture! A steady flow of energy created by applying needles on certain pressure points to then bring balance into the body leading to better general health. It’s just vital that the right points are found and the sufficient pressure is applied. Then the results will benefit not only that one body, but all those who are open to what the outcome has to offer.

In terms of writing, I’m applying the desired pressure, I’m re-creating balance where needs be, which is making me feel motivated and trusting that this process is working as it should and will take the directions it’s meant to take, leading me to places even I’m not yet aware of.