Today I had news about deaths of two people that I knew & although neither was a personally close to me, it is still sad to hear, especially when thoughts automatically turn to the distress & pain of those left behind. Later in the day I had a conversation with neighbours regarding residents in the sheltered housing that we share, who have left us recently,one way or another, their spaces in our lives now filled by someone else, maybe happily so, maybe not. A further resident was meeting relatives to remember a much loved wife who died one year ago.
All in all it was a bit of a sombre day.
This evening my flat & in fact the entire area was rocked by such riotous noise, that my cat went into hiding! It was the annual Carnival parade! Carnivals are a big part of Somerset agenda, it is an extremely popular, well attended & very well presented event. Conversations have revolved around it for days, local newspapers have made a lot of it & many shops & businesses close early in readiness. Even part of the main ring road has been closed since yesterday, as the carnival floats needed to be parked somewhere!
I love Carnival day, the atmosphere & community spirit is contagious. The parade actually goes past our building, so it’s very convenient for us ‘oldies’, we only need to venture out to the front of the apartments & don’t need to jossle for a good view. Unfortunately This evening I felt unwell & was unable to go & watch, but with my curtains open, although unable to get a clear view, I was able to feel the excitement & euphoria as well as being treated to a free light show as the lasers criss-crossed into the night sky, serenaded by extremely loud, happy music, singing & laughter.
I lay on my sofa, covered with a blanket, clutching a steaming cup of herbal tea, my cat hiding somewhere under my chair, I was unsure whether it had felt a good or bad day. This got me thinking about the two extremes that had entered my life today & the emotions that were probably affecting the completely different people involved.
These peoples’ emotions had touched me & entered my life, yet without actually being anything to do with me. They were influencing my life yet I was in no way part of theirs. It’s quite a strange concept when you give it some thought. How life goes on all around, happy, sad, traumatic, ecstatic & I’m sure much more besides. I can sense it, be part of it, yet have no bearing on what is happening, almost like being on a different plane of existence. Unreal, yet very real. Feeling without being felt. People could affect me without me affecting them. Isn’t that something that we should be more aware of?
Our actions, behaviour & moods can affect other people. We might upset them. We might cause them to laugh or smile, maybe we could affect how they then respond to their loved ones & so on, without us even being aware of it! When we are so tied up in our own bubble of life, do we even consider this?
So next time you walk down a street, or pass a stranger, try to only send out positive messages. Instead of frowning over the days problems or scowling over cross words that had been said earlier, try & think of the good around you, consider how fortunate you really are. Smile.
We live in a wonderful, magical world full of unimaginable beauty, yet it is also a place ravaged by war, violence & poverty. A world of opposites. Shouldn’t we do what we can to make it happier? Everything that we do affects others, whether we know it or not. Doesn’t it make sense for us all to try & give out positive, agreeable & happy signals? Simply smile.
Who wants to be the bringer of gloom? Certainly not me! 😊
Love & light
Rosie X
Everything is coming up Rosie 