Antidote

To world events, but whatever you need, really.

Oh dear. And here we are, I have lowered myself by mentioning the ’T’ word on my substack. You know the one I mean. It is causing chaos - literally - all over the world. Those people in the UK who thought the ’T’ word didn’t really have anything to do with us because what is happening over the pond is their affair are rethinking, perhaps. Actually I’m not using the word because I can’t bring myself to write the whole ’T’ word down, so if you don’t know who I mean yet, then you’ll be reading with some puzzlement.

But I’ve come to this because of the idea of overwhelm, of overflooding, overflowing, and this appears to be the strategy in what is happening at the moment. All sorts of inhuman and inhumane things are happening all at once and only fleetingly is it reported, if it is reported at all, and when we do see it, we feel helpless, or indifferent, or overwhelmed in ourselves so that we can’t cope with any more. People are turning off their newsfeeds, not looking at the news, turning the radio off, not because they don’t care, but because they do. It is all too much; which of the many horrendous things are we meant to feel angry or sad or appalled about at any one time? We don’t know, and even this makes us feel out of sorts or out of control, or despairing. Perhaps despair is the worst. It makes us feel as if we have no agency and no matter what we do there is no difference. What matters? What does make a difference? What is first in the line of things that we pay attention to? Of course, it’s hard to see how our despair might make any difference and so we are urged not to fee that, but maybe we just do, because we are human and we don’t know what else to do.

I know several people who are putting things out there about the little things in our days, and how the tiny things matter, and when it comes down to it, these little things are all we can think about in times like these. The things we can notice, because even our noticing can diminish when we are stressed. So the first thing is the noticing. How is your noticing? Has it disappeared? Has everything been feeling a bit too much, on top of your own life concerns? So, then, noticing. Here is the UK the trees are out in blossom - it’s easy to not notice, and then before you know it, it has gone. It’s one of the lovely signs of spring, but it can be missed in the overwhelm, in the managing of too much. You simply do not notice the blossom because your brain has too many other things it is coping with or running away from.

Re-train yourself to start noticing again. What can you notice today, what is getting your attention? What is there around you - physical things, objects. Have you seen the blossom yet? Have you seen the spring flowers which are now fading, and have a different kind of beauty? It is time for the trees, and then it will be time for summer, the earth is telling us. If we are not careful, we will miss it. The earth is carrying on regardless. What else do you notice, and what else makes a difference in your day? And we’re still thinking about the little things, so that all the little things add up. An animal seeking to sit on your lap, your favourite hot drink, a small gift. Anything that makes a mark and sets out your noticing and is a small joy. Because we need these small things.