SLUGS & FUTURE TRENDS
Well, 2020 certainly was not the year we were expecting and, probably much like you, I am tired and ready to stop and recharge a little. More than just setting New Year’s resolutions, it seems that if the experiences of 2020 have taught me anything, it was simply to focus on each day, the here and now, and to celebrate those small wins and things that made me feel good.
Recently planting the vegetable garden for summer was a highlight. Digging in the compost and getting the soil ready, planting and choosing what would go where was nothing major, but it was most enjoyable. As was getting advice to eradicate the slugs in our new vegetable plot by placing a plastic container in the soil and filling it with beer. The next morning, the container full of slugs meant our lettuces and tomatoes were no longer being nibbled away. Sorry slugs, but it was a win.
We have a daily visit from Kevin the Kingfisher, who quite proudly sits on the pool fence and then each morning, swoops down and has a swim in the pool. It’s hilarious to watch as he then fluffs up his feathers, returns to the fence and sits for a while in the sun. If he doesn’t appear, I feel a little bit disappointed that I’m not going to see this daily ritual.
It seems that small, uncomplicated things have a bigger impact and stay with me more during the day than they perhaps once did. Or is it I am now noticing those small things around me more? I certainly have become much more aware of daily life happening around me.
Our house has just had new carpet laid and the entire house freshly painted. The painting is taking much longer than expected and we are surprised at how little we actually need to survive, as pretty much every room has upended furniture and boxes and boxes of stuff everywhere. It’s like living in a permanent bric-a-brac store. What we are realising is there is a lot of stuff we just don’t need any longer and are getting brave enough to throw out. Marie Kondo’s ‘sparking joy’ seems to have become a regular catchcry. “Do we use this, or really need it in our lives?” we ask each other. Having said all this, I also can’t wait to return to having everything back in place, but it will feel quite different.
In lots of ways, the same can be said for the new year ahead. No matter how much fresh paint is applied and new carpet laid, our thinking and how we feel about things in our lives has certainly changed. I miss our older kids who live in different countries, and this frustration is something I can’t change. Learning to live with that and just focussing on the everyday has in lots of ways made me reconsider many things in my life, and what is worth reacting to and what is not. There is no point in getting upset or worrying about those things you can’t change. COVID-19 and lockdowns have stamped their rather unforgettable long-term effect and impacts on all of our lives, which has seen many suffer and others cope and at the same time reshape their lives.
This year’s Future Trends feature, on page 23, has been an interesting bag of thought-provoking stories to pull together. I can’t recall running a feature about democracy before, and yet this year has seen so much that has challenged this system of government around the world, and will continue to do so. What real impact will it have on us here in this part of the world? With exponentially growing numbers of middle-aged women experiencing homelessness, the conversation is well overdue about helping these isolated, often forgotten members of society not only find their feet but long-term support. Issues around climate change, the economy and education are all being impacted in this new COVID world, and so our Future Trends around these themes call for new thinking, particularly from those elected to govern. We need to encourage new ideas and stimulate our local economies, so no-one gets left behind. Now is the time to reshape our thinking; we all have our part to play.
Now seems to be the perfect time to learn more about the possibility of change in the future. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’ story can inspire but also offers hope, and isn’t that what the new year should be all about?
“THERE’S NO POINT GETTING UPSET ABOUT THINGS YOU CAN’T CHANGE.”