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| Very spiritual. |
There had been a time when I needed to lie on my sofas with peanut butter and let time go, when recovering from great loss in 2017, but by 2019 I had actually become the sofa. Now, in 2020, my relationship with the sofa was co dependent, and we were no longer very good for each other. It was, it is, a place of great spiritual comfort and wisdom, but it had become all give and no take. It gave and I took.
Last week, from my red sofa, I saw an advert for a Mighty Hike for Macmillan. I do stuff for Macmillan, I thought, popping another pick and mix into my mouth, let's have a look.
The Mighty Hike, it said, is a sponsored twenty six mile marathon hike across the South Downs in June. I love the South Downs, I thought. The photos looked so much fun that I found myself following the links and before I knew it, I had signed up. Thank you, said the computer, here is your training plan and a link to Just Giving. See you at the starting point.
I was going to have to start training.
The Training.
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| South Downs. Wondering if I should continue. |
Following my training plan, I did some teeny walks along the seafront. I went out during one of the recent storms and thought that it constituted cross training because I was walking, pushing against the wind, and struggling over the shingle from the beach. Brilliant, I thought. Soon, I decided to drive to the South Downs and do my first proper long rugged walk. With my walking trainers on, I wrapped myself in waterproofs and began the walk.
No one was on the Downs because it was so wet. The big storm last week had flooded the meadows and the tracks, and created mud that was not only deep, it was slippery, cold and everywhere. Oh, I walked into that mud because there was no other way forward and because I did not understand mud. I tried to find tufts of grass to help me through, but the mud soon devoured those too. Finally, I slipped off the last tussock and fell into the mud. It is good I have fallen into this mud, I thought as I lay there sinking slowly, as there was a flooded lake of water either side and I could have fallen into that. I got up, somehow, hands deep in the mud up to the elbow, and made my way to a rough chalk track leading upwards to some woods in the distance. It is good no one is watching, I thought. I felt a little like the person who goes up the Cairngorms in plimsolls when snow is forecast, just to have a look at the pretty weather.
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| French Lieutenant's Woman |
Once out of the mud, on the chalk track leading upwards, facing into the rain and wind, I understood that I could not get wetter, nor more muddy, and it was time to enjoy myself.
Well, I did enjoy myself in many ways. I was beyond caring what I looked like, I was alone in the elements on the South Downs, I was free to be any character in any film I chose and no one would judge me, and after a while I was soaked and warm, not soaked and cold as I had been while lying in the mud. Seasoned walkers, if they could have seen me, would have been amused, but I did not care because I had spirit and I was cross training again, in a way.
I passed some woods, sighing and creaking in the wind, and came to a main road and leaning on the gate separating the walk from the busy road, I felt extremely proud of myself. I had walked about two and a half miles. Watching the cars speeding by, I briefly fantasised about calling a taxi, and sighing, turned to walk the two and a half miles back.
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| Two and a half miles back, downhill. |
Back to the sofa.
On returning to my car, I removed my skirt, took off my waterproofs, hat, scarf, gloves and shoes and drove home in my tights and jumper. It felt like a badge of honour to drive home in my underwear.
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| Flesh wound. |
My sofas welcomed me home with open arms. You done good! They said, and for the first time in ages, I felt good about being there with my tea and peanut butter and YouTube binge. It's OK! They said, You deserve it.
Having a goal like this, a physical goal of walking twenty six miles in June, has given me reason to get up and move. It is easy to sit on the sofa with a plan for the day, and simply get lost in the inertia so that I become a blob. That is when the co dependent relationship with my dear innocent sofas becomes a burden. I simply have no interest in breaking the pattern, and no reason to do it - Gill can walk all she likes but I am on my sofa goddammit. I can walk to the studio, I can walk to the kitchen, but anything more is an affront. And the thing is, I do not really like it when I am a blob. Not really. But I get stuck in a mindset that says that there is no point in changing anything, and anyway, it is cold and wet outside.
But now! Thanks to Macmillan and the Mighty Hike, I am an athlete! I can wade through shingle, mud and wind, I can do four miles in a gale in a skirt, and I am inspired. Is it just that now I have a goal and something to achieve? Is it that I needed something or someone else to give me a shove off the sofa? Possibly, but it does not matter. I am training to walk this marathon, I am relieved that I have a reason to do something a bit challenging so that I can come back to my dear sofas, my spiritual home, and sink into their now healthy embrace while I not only watch You Tube, but I write blogs. I write newsletters. I email interesting people with gusto because I just went for a walk and I rock. Dammit, I rock. (And I am creating the Addicts And Those Who Love Them exhibition. More on that next blog in two weeks time).
Epilogue
There is a sacred space in every home. A place that holds the spiritual keys to our peace, our welfare and our souls. Many do not know there is this place, they have either yet to create it, or they do not know that they can. You can! Go, do it now! A small altar, a thinking corner, a reading space, it is your safe space and it is entirely yours. If someone else claims it, fight them off. Or go and find a better space and make sure everyone knows it is yours; do not share unless you really want to, or have to, and if you really have to share, make sure there is always a teeny secret bit that is totally yours.
When my sofas are my spiritual home and I am benefiting from them, all is well. I have perspective. When I become lazy, I do not benefit much, and it all becomes a bit heavy. I turn into a blob and then I am sorry for myself.
But I am not sorry for myself today! There is a bit of wind and rain outside, it is time to go outside. My sofas are as inspired as I am. Off you go! They say, and when you come back, have double peanut butter, and tell us all about it.
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I am walking this Mighty Hike in memory of my first Buddy, Margaret. She was a wonderful teacher, we became firm friends despite a thirty five year age gap, and I stayed with Margaret until she died. She would approve of this walk, and would say in her Yorkshire accent, "Don't Fuss."
Would you like to sponsor me for this walk? All sponsorship goes direct to Macmillan Cancer Charity, I don't see a penny of it but I DO get an enormous rush of saintly well being. Follow the link here -
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| Still spiritual. |
And if you would like to receive my newsletter, out twice a month, please subscribe here. It is fun, informative and tells you what I am doing without bombarding you with my many achievements. (Joke).
https://mailchi.mp/antoniarolls.co.uk/signup-for-news-of-events-and-sessions
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