Mine

It's not that I don't want to be like some people. I do. It's just that I don't want their essence to be my essence.

Today I decided to be fearless

There's this twilight zone, this snippet in time. It only happens once a year or at max twice, and usually at a funeral. It's this headspace that seems to clear the fog of everyday living. It wipes back the smudges of culture and allows us to see the time wasters and all their trappings.

It's in this narrow alleyway of time where our thoughts become straightened. I would bet that if people made some of their major decisions in this hallway, the world would be so much better for it. Yet once it has passed us by, we think nothing of it and get back on the carnival ride.

Forgetting what illuminated our mind but a moment ago.

It was in one of these brief moments that I decided to write down what was going on in my mind. A turning point in my history, so to speak. It was my Granddad's funeral and I had my first glimpse into the space that I like to call "The Bubble." This was the dawning of realization. The maturing of me.

In that moment, what became clear is that today, whatever the day, is a day of the utmost importance. The wasting of time is a wrong that cannot easily be undone. What became the norm in those precious seconds in The Bubble, was the understanding of what is truly valuable in a world where time is the only mark of value. Money became obsolete, only serving to create the blur that surrounded me in that moment. Possessions were given no value and were forgotten. For another came into focus.

People.

Family. Friends. Neighbors. Strangers.

In this tiny corridor, people were the only things that mattered. Where these people were walking, where their lives were leading them. That was what mattered. That is what truly matters. When time is over, what is there?

Then the moment is gone. Someone walks up to console me in my grief. Or offers me a club sandwich and asks about my career, my clothing, my life. Life moves on. I stop at a petrol station to fill the tank. Credit. Sign here.

Moment forgotten.

But, in retrospect, I am becoming increasingly aware that The Bubble is the real world and we are all being fooled.

Pick your friends AND your food!

Food and friends.

The single best combo on the face of the planet.

If you want to raise the bar on life, I insist you leave behind takeaways and the sodas for a month. It is seriously changing my life! I have to think about more than convenience and I end up making fairly healthy decisions! I've switched to a better combo!

I went on a date with a lovely friend, Jess Molina. We hung out at the amazing place that she calls 'Work' and we made plans for our new magazine and picked fresh fruit and veges out of the garden. It was seriously the most relaxing work date of my life! 

It has convinced me to instantly buy a house and invest in a decent vegetable garden! But until I've saved up enough for a fairly hefty mortgage, I'll invest in a load of garden pots and try to start herbs. Let's hope these herbs don't all die and kill my dreams along with them!

Holiday Adventures

Glyn at the bus stop in Napier

Art Deco buildings everywhere!

Cutest secondhand bookshop in Hastings.
Only secondhand bookshop in Hastings.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

Visiting family over the holiday period is nostalgic, chaotic, and forces me to take a mental holiday. The internet down here is at half the speed of dial up and the idea of getting any work done is downright laughable.

But this allows me the chance for guilt free trekking, discovering, and adventuring with various family members and reminds me of what is really important in life.

Today was Napier with my man, finding cafes and shops that will stock my magazine, and then an epic discovery of the backstreets of Hastings with my sister. This was promptly followed by dinner at the local hotspot, Breakers, and an awe inspiring movie at the local cinema, "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty."

SUCH a great start to my year! Relaxed and adventurous.