Things have been quiet on here for a while from me. I've had an incredibly peaceful couple of weeks of detox.
I've also been able to think over a few things and take stock a little. It is an odd time; not exactly a common activity to take a 'career break'.
But with some peace, relaxation and solitude I've been able to feel a lot happier about the things in life. One evening last week I'm sat down and listening to the Dire Straits Album 'Alchemy' courtesy of good old YouTube. Its an album I haven't listened to in more than twenty years.
Whilst I listened a strange thing happened. I worked out I hadn't listened to it since probably 1990 or so, maybe even earlier than that. I do remember it being an LP and poncing around with a double gatefold sleeve and it would be played on my prized Sony 'Music Centre'
Anyhow. I guess a couple of things occurred to me:
Firstly how much I really liked some of the music on the album; how really good it made me feel listening to such a smooth and superb piece of music (Particularly the version of 'Once upon a time in the West' which is quite something)
As I listened I could feel so much suddenly about how time had moved on. Time has never really impacted my thoughts but all of a sudden I felt like a long time had passed, which in a lifetime indeed of course it has.
It makes me feel strange about my 40 years. That feeling of time let me consider on a few things. The good times and the bad times. There are mistakes you make. No matter how hard you might try, or vex yourself about what happened, and why it did, they just can't be corrected. Friends are lost. Relationships end. Bad decisions lead to bad outcomes. Things that are done just can't be undone. As I thought through things I started to feel happier; more able to let go of the past. Strange.. Some better self understanding.
When I set out on the journey on the bike, I had hoped that I would start thinking a little differently. Of course the journey has been fabulous; a great gathering of sights and information, but there has been little in the way of reflection and change of mindset, but I realised that of course that it isn’t something you can make happen. And lo, all of a sudden it seems that it has arrived, unannounced and delivered courtesy of Mark Knopfler and co.
It is just the strangest thing, I feel like a weight has indeed been lifted, shackles lost.
I'm still not sure what I will do when I go back home finally. But I do at the moment have a very calm sense of peace which I can't say I've felt.. Well.. Ever
As for Dire Straits, well, I can't think why I went off them. Why was that? Probably because they became big and fashionable and I was influenced elsewhere, much as you do when you're of younger years. Or something like that anyway.
Forgive the self indulgence, but for me it was this was an important part of the trip and taking some time off.. To get away from some of the hangups of driving yourself hard and being wound so tightly for so long.
Om... etc.
