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| In Rainbows |
Wearily cycling home from work one afternoon, I spied an eagle gliding over the ploughed field. It was so beautiful and I haven't seen an eagle on my route before. Just watching it swoop around in circles gave me the extra strength I needed to pedal safely home. Another evening upon the brink of sheer exhaustion, two amazing rainbows appeared, one above the other, outside my kitchen door. The lowest one was so vivid I had to double, triple blink to believe it. Multi-coloured streaks of energy rippled through my blood vessels as though I had swallowed a whole sweet shop full of Space Dust Popping Candy.
As you know weekends are precious. Time seems to speed up for two days and then suddenly you are back at work on Monday morning thinking how did that happen? One recent Saturday, I was feeling particularly exhausted and without energy (recurring theme here); I wondered if I was coming down with something. How many Complete Woman vitamins should I gulp down to reap some benefits? It was a beautifully sunny day, so I swung on the swing seat in the back yard; reading, thinking, reading some more, followed by some more thinking. Selfishly, I delight in the silence as soon as the cricketers leave the house.
And relax.
As you also know, timing is everything. So, I left home in plenty of it later on in the afternoon to walk up to the cricket club for The Great Get Together picnic, in memory of the MP Jo Cox. The super second team which Romeo plays in has never seen such a huge crowd of spectators before now! First though, I wanted to drop off some flowers and a card to a lady from church whose husband had died while they were on holiday together. Approaching the village and its three shops (Post Office, Newsagent and Co-op) I met a woman who was leaning against the stone wall, obviously struggling.
'Would you like some help?' I asked her.
'Yes please,' she replied.
We had begun the slow, slow shuffle downhill towards her house when a friendly jogger stopped to help me, help her. It took us thirty minutes to traverse the 30 yards to reach the safety of home. My friendly jogger and I hugged in the street (we are actual friends, she's the one who set up my Blogger account), thanking each other before going our separate ways. After I had dropped by with the flowers (staying for an hour or so and trying hard to listen, the hugging is easy), I was feeling much less sorry for myself when I eventually arrived at the cricket club, and indeed thankful for my lot in life.
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| Dad's wildflower garden |
Re-energised, I attempted to assist behind the very busy bar but got a bit flustered, so was sent outside to collect empty glasses. This took me an age as I had to chat to everyone from the village who I had not yet seen, since arriving home from the desert one year ago. Suddenly, the one and only tray I held was desperately needed to provide drinks for the thirsty cricketers on the pitch. 'Susie, we need the tray now!' Rushing back to the old club house to deliver this solitary piece of servitude, I found myself apologising for my vivacious social skills. Then the powers that be gave me the job of selling raffle tickets; I loathe asking people for money. What kind of otherworldly test was this that I had to endure? I am not of Amazonian descent. However, my partner and I did a pretty good job, so I felt as though I had positively contributed something to this excellent, all age, village event.
After the match had finally finished and the children's Disco came to a natural end, Romeo attempted a solo sing-a-long in the nearly complete, new club house. Then there was some Karaoke and more Disco. It was all very Phoenix Nights and wonderfully so: lovely people, singing, dancing, some crying, drinking, more drinking, being, living.
I must have absorbed some super powers from watching Wonder Woman at the local cinema with a wonderful friend, as I somehow managed to cycle all the way up to the very top of a 16% hill for the first time on Friday after work. I'm still smiling about this achievement, even though a snail would have won if we were racing. Nevertheless, I'm proud of my pedal power. It could have been a delayed sugar rush from the Fruit Pastilles and Minstrels I had consumed throughout the film?
Trusting that you remain strong even in your weakness and that you courageously face whatever is hurled at you in your very own super, natural way.
'It come to me all on a suddn may be I hadnt ben making connexions I shudve ben making. Mos of the time the peopl youwl talk to are the 1s as think the same as you. If youre easy in your mynd you aint all ways counting up how many think the arper sit way.'
From Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban
With Love xx
Read:The Unaccompanied by Simon Armitage
Reading:The Trouble with Goats and Sheep by Joanna Cannon
Listening, singing & dancing to: In Rainbows by Radiohead
Singing: Lights Out by Royal Blood
Watched/watching: All of Glastonbury (dancing on my magic carpet I feel as though I am actually there). Wonder Woman (2017), Housewife, 49 (2006) and The Handmaid's Tale (TV series 2017)
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| My magic carpet |
