Perhaps an odd title for my weekly update this time? The thing about being an optimist is my only possible outlook on life, I can’t comprehend any other way.
We live in changing times and these COVID times are certainly challenging. Our various lockdowns, restrictions and social distancing have been going on so long, it almost feels normal life. Wearing a mask at church, in a shop, all seems strange. Giving people plenty of room as I pass them on the pavement still seems odd. It almost seems as if we are living in a futuristic movie where we are frightened of each other, or at least cautious and wary.
I find myself reflecting on the utter incompetence and arrogance of our Prime Minister. How could he have let the Indian / Delta variant into the country? All that bluster and laid back confidence at the Downing Street briefings, while at the same time our borders remained open and newly arrived visitors were mingling closely with each other in an arrivals hall at Heathrow Airport, undoubtedly sharing the virus with each other.
We are enjoying being able to be a little hospitable with coffee in the garden more these days. A combination of village folk and friends from Dunstable etc dropping in. That’s nice, I like it and long for the time when we can be building those friendships more and more.
And yet throughout all this we have our faith; our faith which constantly reminds us how we ultimately have nothing to fear. We are loved so much, we have so much to be thankful for. This can never be snatched away by a virus or anything else. That’s true faith, that’s possibly where my natural optimism comes from!
Talking of optimism, things are looking up with running. You’ll know I have struggled for several months one way or another. Sometimes I have felt so ‘wiped out’ for weeks on end. What might have been a concerning symptom seems to have melted away (this was feeling or being sick during or after a run). Now I seem to have a spring in my step! On Monday I went for a run – on my own – retracing the route of a previously aborted run. Although only 3 miles and my time of 10mins/mile was rather slow, I did it and, more to the point, felt pretty good afterwards.
So then it was straight onto my friend Jon and we agreed to meet for another run together. This was over the same terrain (Dunstable Downs) and we went a little further and a little faster. I did, however, need to walk up a couple of ‘slopes’ but nevertheless I felt so flipping good afterwards!!!!
Maybe I’ve turned some kind of corner, I just don’t know but it certainly feels like some switch has been flicked. Furthermore my blood pressure continues to improve. My resting blood pressure now is typically 115/75. My heart rate is also coming down, now around 62 beats per minute, although at the start of the year it was in the high 50s.
Other things going on
Eldest daughter is now a qualified teacher – yay! Doesn’t want to be a teacher….
Youngest daughter, Hannah, is travelling to the Lake District tomorrow for her summer water sports job, having finished college yesterday. So all change for her, and us too.
This morning I washed her car, cleaned the inside, pumped up the tyres, filled the petrol tank and felt a little emptiness coming on. We did feel for Hannah last summer. She left our old house for her summer job and returned to the Quirky Museum having never had the opportunity to savour the last few days in her childhood home.
Little has happened this week in the Quirky Museum. The garden is gradually improving and I’ve enjoyed being out there during the mini heat wave (it can never be too hot!). Had an hour’s conversation with the heating engineer, sorting the details of the grand heating upgrade in July. I am looking forward to that, although it is reckoned to take 2-3 weeks. He is subcontracting the removal of the old asbestos flue as it’s specialist work. I think I have found someone who can check all the brickwork and maybe do an annual MOT on the structure.
We have had lots of heavy rain over the last few days. Remember my smugness that the 50 year old roof leak had been fixed? Well, it leaks again.
Through all of the twists and turns here in the Quirky Museum, I do have a sense of optimism. That’s an optimism which doesn’t happen by chance, you have to make those good things happen. While it is true there is an element of good luck, or good fortune, our lives are shaped by our outlook and our determination to work hard at what we are trying to achieve.