Recycled Blogroll: The Passionate Transitory

Approaching Hadrian's Wall Walk: Durham-Iona Pilgrimage April 2011

For the poets amongst you - thanks to Pilgrimpace for highlighting a new site: The Passionate Transitory, new online poems about life, landscape, travel and pilgrimage.

Rule of Life - Finding a Pattern to Live By

Puffin Club Founder Members' Competition 1967

I've found it at last.    In 1967, I penned my list of rules 'to help some Puffins who had suddenly become "as clever as people" live wisely and happily,' I never guessed that 45 plus years later, I'd be chewing over my own 'rule' or 'way of life,' as a Franciscan tertiary. Those cheery little seabirds do have a habit of popping up for me, don't they? Would that I was so straightforward and uncomplicated now as I was at eight years old!  Here's what I wrote:

• Puffins should not leave their babies alone.
• Puffins should not fight at all.
• Puffins should not leave their eggs to be eaten.
• Puffins should be a little less shy.
• Puffins should be very happy all the year.
• Puffins should be as comical as they like. 
• Puffins should be very sensible.  

Makes me smile, that last one; I was such a serious, conscientious little girl.   Yet, from a quick skim down the list, I can see that even then I'd an awareness of the areas where I needed to grow; a good rule of life challenges you to streeeetch yourself to the edges of your comfort zones, and shyness, negativity and anxiety are issues all too familiar to me even now. (Not sure about the eggs bit, though!).

I wonder where the other competition winners are now and whether  any element of their 'rules' still hold true for them  in later life? 

 

Capturing my thoughts

Frustration! I knew exactly what I wanted to write about. There it was: original,  crisp, insightful, profound, succinct. Qualities I'm not famed for; yesterday at spiritual direction,  I described my efforts at articulation as being like trying to wrestle a pop-up tent into its carrying case.

And, would you believe it? It was a dream. Oh great, just great! My attempts to drift back to sleep didn't work. And before you ask, yes, I do keep a notebook and pen by my bedside. When I finally came to, Greenpatch cat had jumped up and knocked them to the ground. Maybe he knows something I don't.