When the rains come: The last few days has seen the elements in force. The wind blew in, changing the landscape in its wake, and then this morning the rains came. This morning we, me and Link set off. Now I have a choice to make, do I wear my glasses or not. If I wear them I can clearly see what is in front of me, what’s close to hand but the distance is blurred and I have to wait to reach it before it becomes apparent, or do I wear my glasses which means I can see ahead but I have to forever wipe the water off them. Meaning I can see but not perfectly. I chose the first option, sometimes to see clearly you need to remember to look at what’s close to you.

The rain changes so many things, it washes away so much that has been there, stagnant, and stale. It creates movement.

For me, it brings a peace but a peace that comes with a sense of almost sadness. For today I know, years of experience has taught me this, that I will not meet anyone else on my walk. The dog owners will not venture out in this, the fair weather folk are exactly that, fair weather. As soon as the conditions change, and it becomes a little “uncomfortable” for them, they stay firmly in the comfort of their armchairs, taking to social media about how awful this weather is. How it’s worse than it’s even been. Nature has a way of reflecting perfectly the issues with the world around us. Right now the season is changing, times are getting harder, it needs people to stay true, to venture out, to be seen and to be heard, but people are hiding at home, taking to media about how bad the state of the world is, how it’s never been this bad. All behind a keyboard, all silently allowing the story to unfold while they watch from their homes.

Link and I continue on our way. A heart more heavy than I feel I should have to bear, is this a burden? but I’m with the elements, and they remain true, and with their strength behind me, I will too. Stepping out into the field, the ground, despite this rain, is still firm underfoot. The sunflowers not yet woken are waiting for the sun to shine, as it will, yet they stand strong and tall, next to them a fallen tree, the tree hadn’t been so lucky in the winds, the young sunflowers had, through their ability to be moved to sway, to move with the force of the wind, they had survived where the strength of the tree had not, the sunflower teaching the lesson to take blows with grace, this is a strength in itself so they stood there in their original position unharmed.

We explored the fallen tree, our normal path, blocked, we do not stop, we adapt. The tree has not fallen without reason, its next stage of life beings, the space for youth to come through has been created, the lesson that the path is never blocked it’s just moved has been shown to those who venture out to see it, it’s our time to follow a new route, to pave our way, so that’s what Link and I did. The landscape had changed, the path altered but always we step forward on our journey. Always together. It’s hard at times when your heart is full of hope yet your head can see the long walk forward and how few are taking that journey with you.

As we walked on I could make out in front of us some birds, hoping for some guidance I tried to focus on what it could be, a buzzard perhaps with the messages from the universe of “big things” happening, even the crow, talking the talk, I hoped for a sign. As we got nearer the pigeon cooed and went on its way. I smiled to myself. The “mundane” is poetic, I was reminded that the everyday is magical so long as you look for it. There is no such thing as mundane it’s only how you view things. The puddles lay ahead so with smiles on our faces we splashed happily the rest of the way.

For those of us that take the time, for those that continue to be true there will be many puddles and pigeons this winter. You get to chose, you could stay inside in the warmth moaning. Maybe that sounds ideal.

However, it will only get worse until someone, you, does something.

Will you choose to dance in the puddles to pave a new route to take that path less trodden and help shape our futures, or will you sit and watch. Do you join me on this journey and help pave the way for a new generation and a better future?