Butterflies and pigs
Takeaway dinner
A friend and enduring reader encouraged me months ago to step away from my traditional, daily news sources for a week. I doubt he thought I could do it—or, perhaps I doubted myself. In any case, as we await our return stateside, I complete 11 days without opening a newspaper online or anywhere else. No car radio except the gps which we named Monica to differentiate from Hazel which is the one o our phones. When my husband picked up the remote in the hotel room last night, I remarked it was the only time we had even lit off a tele (we ended up watching some reality show about Brit Ekland {who we could not identify without her name on the screen. I guess being a blond bombshell doesn’t work so well for everyone in old age} and some others going to a yoga retreat in India, followed by a series of 1960s clips of rock songs by famous and unheard of musicians). In short, I hear no news of any kind.
The verdict? My analytical friend is correct that one gets a completely different perspective about the troubling “inside the Beltway” obsession that everyone is as obsessed with everything that is actually minutiae most of the time. I envy him the distance of looking at the world across the Puget Sound as it must be a more soothing view.
On the other hand, I am who I am at this point in life. I enjoy analyzing contemporary questions, seeking deeper knowledge of variables, and seeing how the interplay of events and people evolves. I will not deny I did not miss hearing the drivel but I didn’t sleep any better as my mind still raced to spin out actions and consequences. It shouldn’t surprise any of us that I bring with me the same habits regardless of the context.
But, I did listen more carefully here so I could try grasping how things appear to others. It always helps to recall we are not most of the world, even if our country has a disproportionate influence on world events some times. I benefited from remembering that and hope I can offer more perspective in this newsletter, especially if you all give me more feedback. I do not know where the end of next week will place any of us, much less November 10th, January 23rd, 2025, or the year 2050. Simply too many variables.
Thank you for bearing with me over a couple of weeks of non-traditional columns. The weather improved steadily, the photography was magnificent, the company absolutely the best (especially dear friends who we see too infrequently these days), no problems driving on the left side of the road, and the time so precious. But, I am ready to head home to the cats and the beauty of autumn in the world’s sailing capital (no one promised Annapolis was any less pretentious than anywhere else).
Just another beautiful window box, Glasgow.
My kind of dinner as they sold vegan lavender and berry cake by the slice, along with the biggest fruit scone ever for the healthier among us at the Butterfly & Pig tearoom.
Actions create consequences manifests itself in some odd ways, sometimes. This trip was sheer delight over the past 11 days.
Writing for you is a privilege each day: I genuinely mean that. Thank you so much. Please send me your thoughts on anything at all.
Be well and be safe. FIN