Today I thought I’d carry on my walk further down the alley looking for the allotments I remembered. Well I had no luck. I’m pretty sure I needed to go right somewhere, though where? It’s odd but after likening my walk to an alternate reality yesterday, I had the distinct feeling that the order of things had been rearranged once again. I didn’t meet a soul. I heard and glimpsed flashes of families out in gardens between the cracks of dense wooden fences, but nobody out walking the dog. But then social distancing would have been an issue – if indeed that existed in this reality. One of us would have had to flatten ourselves against brambles and nettles to create the required two metres. Maybe that’s why I was left to enjoy my little world.
It came to me that if we are not directly involved in the events that exist on the news, in the papers, online, it is not actually our reality. We are like bit players in a disaster movie: hired but not used. Of course it would be very different if we had a main part. Certainly the attitude that is healthiest for us is to stay aware and informed yet to live in the present that we actually inhabit. If anything changes then we will act accordingly in a different present. Meanwhile sunshine, fresh air, exercise whilst enjoying the fruits of this particularly radiant gift of a spring, is the best thing for us.
The wild garlic was a surprise. Next time I’ll take a bag collect some leaves and make a wild garlic soup!
