This evening I sat in Namaste's beautiful garden watching the majestic white horse on the hillside enjoying itself, galloping playfully under the setting sun. It offered me several insights that I wanted to share with you.
A horse eats enough grass to stave off its hunger and then it deposits what it cannot digest as fertiliser for the soil. It gives back to nature as well as takes. It does not fret about what clothes to wear, what cosmetics to use or whether it is putting on weight. It is already beautiful, just living naturally as a horse should. It does not shorten its life by fretting about whether it can afford this particular field or whether it should move upmarket to a better one. It doesn't say "Oh no, not grass again!".
It eats what it needs and plays when it is feeling boisterous and perhaps when the time is right looks for a mate to procreate with. It is naturally inquisitive and trusting, judging that my words of endearment and my proffered pear are gestures of friendship. It eats the pear and trots away contentedly.
There is so much we can learn from this. How can we get back to living this simple healthy life? Where do we go wrong? Is it by wanting more than we have, by not realising that we can be happy with just what we do have. Simple pleasures, playfulness, good companions; are these the secret of happiness?
What do you think my friends?
Bruv
4 comments:
It made such a lovely change for me to sit in the garden in the evening. I usually just sit in front of the telly! I set up some little lanterns in the garden which gave it a fairy quality. Bruv and I enjoyed nibbles and drinks and good conversation. The little birds sang and at twilight the bats flitted across the sky in search of their dinners. The lovely horse cantered across the hill very playfully and we felt very close to nature. A lovely evening indeed, And it cost nothing! So I can endorse the pleasures of the simple life.
I recommend it.
Love and Peace
The Nam
xx
Yes you are right about those simple pleasures - my favourite times (now that Summer has finally come) is when I have my breakfast on our terrace and listen to the birdsong in the peace and quiet. In Portugal on holiday the birdson, with cockerels and some dogs thrown in was amazing. Manny and I used to wake up and just listen it was so lovely.
My other pleasures are after the children in bed, or with the children if they are in the mood, painting or doing mosaic in my garage with the back door open to the garden so that we can see nature and do what I find very relaxing.
The last one is watchiing Louis and Fleur on the beach enjoying such simple things - making faces out of stones, seaweed shells etc.
But getting back to your final question, is the industrial revolution to blame for the development of the consumer society? Is it the mass media making us aspire to things we don't have? Is it the fact that we in the Western World have so much wealth we don't know what to do with our money other than spend it on things we don't want? Or have we just become more aspirational wanting un-natural beauty around us in our homes (as well as nature outside).
I think we are all slowly wanting more 'real nature', look at the number of people moving out of the cities to the countryside or to other countries for a more relaxed way of life - just look at how the gardening industry is now booming - everyone wants to get back to being outside (but with the leisure and consumer influence thrown in). There are holiday parks developing everywhere where you can 'get back to nature' and camping in France is booming.
I was at a French wedding on Saturday with lots of English people there (the groom was English). Many of them were amazed by the relaxed style of the wedding - for example half-way through the wedding, we all moved the tables which were inside the hall outside on the grass and people went off home to get their own parasols to bring back because it was very hot, everyone was passing around drinks and food and washing up as necessary. There were ordinary people singing with the microphone as well as the bride and a friend of hers who was a professional singer. Teenagers were dancing with their grandparents The children just ran around outside and inside having a great time and the wedding was all done on relatively tight budget. All of the English people I spoke to said why our English weddings so formal, why can't they be like this?
I don't know what the answers are, but I know that living here I have captured, for a while at least (because here it is changing slowly too) a little of the life we used to have in England when I was growing up. There are still simple pleasures we can all share- we just have to set aside the time and release the mental energy from everyday life to enjoy them as much as alll the other 'stuff' which clogs up our lives and our thoughts!
Swanx
I agree with all that is being said. But what is interesting is that the simple life is there all the time. It does not go away, but is waiting for us to stop rushing around and take the time to appreciate it. The birds sing outside my window every morning but it is up to me to take the time to notice them. I must admit that the seagulls arent the sweetest singers, but their calling is so evocative. The sound of the gulls means something to an Englishman or woman, usually evoking those childhood holidays at the seaside.
Thanks Bruv for inspiring deep thought...yet again!
As you all know I'm a single mum, struggling single mum. I get very bogged down with worrying about this and that and often forget to stop, take a breath and count my blessings.
As Swan said, one of my greatest pleasures is watching my little Mia running around on the beach totally absorbed in the wonder of it all. I remember feeling like that collecting shells as a child and watching her takes me back and reminds me of what really matters.
Our society is so unsettled. We have more choices but we struggle to make the right one! My 13 year old has bee watching big brother and it was on this morning after she left for school. The last thing I expected as I watched it over my shoulder between answering emails was a lesson in being happy with the way you are. 2 beautiful young women sat there discussing their boob job operations that had cost them £4,000 each! The irony is they were still unhappy, discussing scars and lumpy bits and of course the potential health risks. I thought about my boobs and their stretchmarks and lack of firmness caused by my 3 pregnancys and thought well they are free, they have been very useful feeding my children (and of course they have given me pleasure..lol!)
Thanks Big Bruv and big brother.
gypsy x
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