9. Sunny September

Time spent in nature
is never wasted!

Well, here we are, hurtling towards autumn already. The mornings are quite chilly, but the days warm up until they become blessed with the heat of summer towards the late afternoons. The trees are heavy with leaves right now, but showing slight changes as the weeks move on. Some months [some years] go by so quickly. I do love trudging through the autumnal leaves, and each year the colours just blow me away, I shall miss the summer, but welcome the change that comes with autumn.

August saw me suspended from work on some silly allegations, which has resulted in a few phone calls, emails, letters and an official hearing which I had to attend. I then had to attend a disciplinary hearing on my birthday, what a treat! It is all bullshit, but I have treated it as a nice long paid EXTRA holiday, and have been out and about most days, as the weather has been amazing. I was never going to let it worry me one bit. My wonderful friend Lore sent me a text that sums it up, and something that we would all do well to remember ‘you are not your job’. What a wise friend I have there. 

Wanderlust

I spent a night in the woods, which was so nice to reconnect. The crows were very loud this time, especially around 9pm. Once they settled to roost, the woods took on a nice relaxed feel, it was warm and quiet.

I woke at just before 5am, to be greeted by a wonderful dawn, the sky was black/blue/red/purple and yellow…really magical.

This taught me that one day I shall invest in a good quality camera, the one I currently use does a nice job, for £50, but it can’t capture what I actually see.

I have managed to sell a few of my ‘items’, although I have learnt that many of my things are quite unusual, and are proving difficult to sell. I have also began decorating, and having a general clear out of my crap. It feels that the chains are getting looser all the time, a nice feeling. Although I want to sell as much as is possible, I feel that I shall end up dumping a lot in the nearest skip! Whatever will be, will be.

I bought a Swan double saucepan, which a traveller recommended. Basically, it is like a large saucepan, [but its two!] split in the middle, with separate handles. You just need to cook on a nice low gas, cooking both sections at once- saving on gas.

I had my hands tattooed yesterday, it is a design that I have been carrying in my head for a long time. It is an ‘OM’ or ‘Aum’ symbol, I have it split in the middle, so that when my hands come together it makes sense, to me it is all about connecting, when we connect we feel whole. A connection could be a friendship, it could also be about connecting with nature, or with your inner self. I also had the word ‘Wanderlust’, for obvious reasons!

I say that being tattooed and having tattoos are good for the soul, which probably no one understands, but I love getting a new tattoo, the whole experience [to me] is quite spiritual, a tattoo is a permanent change to your body and the way you look, and sometimes it changes peoples perception of you. But it also brings on a permanent change inside, like letting go of the old you, perhaps?

I have been trying to think of both the positives and the negatives of a life on the road. To be honest, when I think of a negative, there are far more positives surrounding it.

I have though about it being a really hot night, and leaving my windows open- imagine a hand coming through the window at midnight!!! But with a shout, a torch, flash of camera etc, they should bugger off. I know that is unlikely, but it was just a passing thought. I always have a baseball bat at hand, due to my past, and that has spoken for me in the past!

Another negative would be that I could breakdown down some lane somewhere. Again, turning that around, I have joined a fantastic group on Facebook called NATMECH, they are all new age travellers, and loads are mechanics, obviously they are all mobile, so can come to my rescue, plus I could join the AA.

Water and electricity will probably prove to be a pain at times, but there are ways round that.

I couldn't really find many negatives, the positives [as I have mentioned before] are what is driving me forwards. Waking up to a sea view, a forest view, hills etc…  money can’t buy that!

Being off grid, away from the matrix would be amazing, and living a quiet and peaceful life, doing things on my terms is what this new life would be about.

The truth is, I don’t and can’t fit into the life I have tried living- for far too many years!

So, I am still pretty much set on the idea. I am making progress, slow progress, but things are coming together.

There is a comments section at the bottom of every post, if you would like to ask/know something- or simply wish me luck?

Although I write this blog for myself- it would be nice to know if someone, somewhere reads it?!!!!!  LET ME KNOW, please. You don't need to leave a long message, just 'me' will do, or your name...anything! I am just trying to find out if anyone reads my posts- or perhaps I am wasting my time?

You can also 'follow by email', meaning that when/if I post, you get a short message letting you know. See the box, top left...

Peace.   -x-

 

Thoughts from within.  Authority and respect.

I have always had a problem with authority, or those in their supposed authority positions, this includes the police, churches, the council, bailiffs etc. I also have no respect for out dated ridiculous traditions like the monarchy or the vatican.

This has caused conflict in my life, time and time again, especially with bosses, who I regard as just another person at work- I don’t and can’t hold them in some kind of misinformed esteem.

Things like the TV licence, bailiffs, the poll tax and the census ruffle my feathers, in a big way. I have been to court a number of times, and that in turn also winds me up, with their supposed authority over me!

Those in positions of power got there by screwing over those beneath them and don't deserve any respect. I don't think anyone should have power over anyone else, we should all be equals and free to do as we want as long as it isn't harming anyone else.

I do have respect for people that have earned it, like doctors and nurses, that have proven they are good at what they do and have valuable skills that help people, they deserve all the respect they get.

However, politicians, corporate CEOs, police, military, etc. get no respect from me unless they have earned it by standing up for the rights of others or sacrificing for the good of the people. Respect has to be earned not given away just because some idiot was put into a position of power; most likely by another idiot.

When people say they want their kids to respect authority, what they actually mean is they want them to obey authority!

You hear it over and over again, “You should show respect for authority!”

Why? What makes authority right? If we have any sense at all, we require a reason before respecting anything.

Hitler became an authority via democratic process. Did that make him worthy of obedience?

Authority is an abstract; a secondary, not a primary. We ought to respect things that are profitable to men.

But, while I am more or less condemning authority, I am fully aware that without some kind of authority, we would all be living in fear of our lives. As much as I hate it, we probably need the army [just incase], we also need decent police, who are capable of working under the oath that they swore.

What this means is that obedience to authority is not virtuous by itself, only that it can become a practical necessity to achieve some goal that is virtuous.

We should only resort to going on someone else’s word when we have insufficient information and insufficient time to gather the facts and decide upon it. And even in these cases, we really should consider the benevolence and honour of the person calling the shots.

The Queen and the pope could eradicate world poverty in a single minute, IF they chose to. Their authority over us is bullshit, and I have NO respect for either.

Respect should go to individuals who earn it, not to positions.

Peace -x-