newness

new things are exciting.
Some times new things are really just old things viewed from a new angle.
But sometimes, as much as we want to see something from a new angle, its really really hard.

One of the things about living in the centre of Soho (which usually either makes people exclaim how amazing or horrific it must be (the answer is yes, either way, bytheway) is that I find it really hard to slow down because life is at an incredible pace all around me and to step out my door is to go headfirst into the swollen river, audiably I am never removed from it and visually it surrounds us also with our half windows apartment. So to try and sort out a muddled head here can seem a little like trying to compose a haiku on the beauty of the river as it sucks you down into an eddying whirlpool darkening and stealing your vision. Not only is broad sight taken but the energy used in fighting the whirlpool means your chance to fashion something from the driftwood around you takes the creativity from you to see what is around you to support and help you.

When I leave the city and come back I can see the dangling branch over the water and I can muster the energy and the will to grab at it and take hold. Where things usually seem to falter is the keeping hold and drawing myself to shore to sit back, watch the beauty of the river and dangle my feet therein.

but I'm having a go. newness.

One of the very great pleasures of being a human is talking with other ones. But, its best of all when you listen. So often we get into the kinds of conversations with people that amount to tacit agreement that we will play the same rhythm with the conversation that we always do. A little conversation by numbers.

I realised recently that several of my friends (in fact probably all) have things in their lives that I know to be seminal to their lives and sense of identity about which I knew nothing at all rather than the fact of their existence in the person's life. For me this was religion and culture but it applies so broadly, for example if someone is really into music, more so than the what is the why? How does that thing make them feel, where/what is the resonance?

I hope you get a chance to know someone you know, better. To really listen is a gift of richness and newness.